We are so behind…

I am not sure on the official numbers of how many Windows 10 devices are still lurking in UK Schools, however – I have seen some Windows 7 devices still lurking in the last year, so one can assume that Windows 10 is still alive and kicking in many schools, especially as globally some 64% of systems are Windows 10, and in the UK alone 70% are still, according to Copilot.

As of October 2025, Windows 10 and Office 2016 and 2019 all become end of life, this means they won’t get any further support from Microsoft – including security and features.

By this date, your school will want to ensure that you don’t have any lurkers – as in the 2 weeks back from summer, we have already seen a number of schools be hit by ransomware, and out of date operating systems won’t help here. It also means you are not compliant with DfE Cyber Security or device standards, which also means you are not compliant with KCSIE – as the Filtering and Monitoring standard has the Cyber Security standard as a dependency.

But it’s not as simple as previous upgrades – such as Windows 7 to 10. Windows 11 needs machines that meet a certain specification, that anything older then 3 – 5 years may well not, and so you could find large amounts of new devices are required.

When upgrading to Windows 11, it’s an ideal time to ask yourself why you are keeping those servers as well. Because Windows 11 is best managed from the cloud, via intune – as it means updates and software and access to resources can be from anywhere. Additionally the removal of onsite servers significantly reduces the attack surface area for hackers.

But, you can’t just up and move to the cloud without looking at lots of interconnecting areas. I’ve nailed it into three key areas:

• Infrastructure & Connectivity
  • Broadband, Wired, Wireless connectivity
• Users, Data and Systems
  • Moving from on premise management and deployment to intune.
• Devices
  • Enrolling existing and any new devices.

The Windows 11 impact for this process might be the trigger, but in reality it only comes into place in the last step. So jumping straight to it, can mean a nightmare is about to occur.

The worry for me is the scale of change that needs to happen in schools – in a climate with a lack of cash, increased risks from not being compliant.

Looks like it will be another busy year!