Lewes Old Grammar School

Robust and reliable Toshiba multi-functional devices (MFDs) and printers, integrate seamlessly into the historic schools unique sites and quirky layout, facilitating agile and flexible printing options for staff, pupils and teachers.

Managed Print Services Case Study

Lewes Old Grammar School partner with local print solution provider, Premier Managed Technologies, for peace of mind and exceptional service delivery.

Lewes Old Grammar School in Lewes, East Sussex, is an independent co-educational day school. An educational trust was established in the will of Agnes Morley who died in 1512; Lewes Old Grammar School has some historical links to that trust and as such might be described as ‘the 38th oldest school in England.’ The Junior School, for ages 4–11, is housed in its own building, Morley House in King Henry’s Road. The Senior School is situated in the centre of Lewes, occupying three former townhouses, Mead House, Tyne House and St. Clair House, all of which are grade II listed buildings.

Lewes Old Grammar School prides itself on being a community which is moulded by the individual pupil’s aspirations and needs, believing that co-education is the most natural way for pupils to learn, and that pupils have the right to think for themselves and express their views. Central to their vision is the conviction that each child is an individual who has valuable capabilities.

The importance of local support

Situated in the heart of the county town of East Sussex, Lewes Old Grammar School is unusual in occupying multiple small buildings in the high street to accommodate its 150 pupils aged from 3-18 years. Ed Baigent, IT Manager, commented on the layout and structure,

“We are very different from most schools, being spread over multiple historic buildings that date back to the 16th Century. Our sites are small and unique and often create challenges in terms of implementation and usage of technology, especially large printing devices being housed into very tight spaces.”

Lewes Old Grammar School have a long-term partnership with specialist printing solutions provider Premier Managed Technologies, who have been managing their estate for over 10 years and chose to continue to work with this local and trusted supplier when their lease was due to expire on their desktop devices earlier in the year.

Ed talked about the importance of reliable support,

“Our relationship with Premier spans over a decade, they understand the unusual layout and structure of our departments, and can recommend the right products that will fit within the buildings. Over the period of our contracts, they have always proposed robust and reliable Toshiba products, with the functionality needed for a busy educational environment. We have the added peace of mind of knowing that they are just down the road, should we have any problems or issues, which is actually very rare.”

A fit for the environment

Premier Managed Technologies recommended smaller and more compact Toshiba desktop printers, a better fit to replace the schools cumbersome legacy devices. Greg Payne, Director at Premier Managed Technologies spoke about the challenges of implementing products into a 16th Century building,

“Through our long-standing relationship with Lewes Old Grammar School, we understand fully the constraints of the various sites. We take the time to appreciate how the MFD’s and printers are used in each area and help the IT department to relocate and repurpose to get the best usage. With their lower running costs and reduced footprint, we knew the Toshiba desktop printers would be a perfect upgrade for the schools requirements.”

Following a successful and seamless transition, Lewes Grammar School now have a printing fleet that is reliable, secure and future-proofed to grow with the needs of the staff, teachers and pupils. The PaperCut software installed, enables them to set up rules and queues for release at each device, helping to manage and reduce print usage. And the full suite of reporting allows the Bursar to assign costs by department and query areas of heavy printing, to keep control of the budget.

We have the added peace of mind of knowing that they are just down the road, should we have any problems or issues, which is actually very rare.
Ed Baigent,
IT Manager