The Background
The Douay Martyrs School is a Roman Catholic secondary school and sixth form, which has approximately 1,400 students located across two sites on campus. It is also part of the Diocese of Westminster Multi-Academy Trust.
Located in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon, the school prides itself on achieving exceptional academic results by delivering student-focused learning that encourages pupils to explore their own potential, discover new skills and set their own goals.
The Challenge
Effective communication between staff, pupils and parents is at the heart of every good school. However, prior to contacting Daisy, staff at The Douay Martyrs School were using an obsolete Alcatel digital telephone system, which was hindering collaboration and communication with the school’s stakeholders.
Teresa Doyle, School Bursar at The Douay Martyrs School, said: “Alongside a changing market and improvements within technology, we acknowledged that the system we were using was no longer fit for purpose – the handsets were literally deteriorating. We knew that in order to drive the school forward, we would have to invest in a new system that would improve interactions between teachers and parents, and thereby improve pastoral care.”
The Solution
In order to deliver a modern telephone system without the installation of any expensive CAT5 cabling, Daisy provided a leading Mitel MiVoice Office hybrid solution, both digital and IP. The solution leverages the school’s existing telephony cabling infrastructure and integrates with its data network, helping consolidate and minimise costs.
The new system contains feature-rich telephony and advanced productivity applications, such as integrated voicemail, automatic call distribution and conferencing that enables the school to be more responsive and flexible.
As part of the installation, Daisy helped The Douay Martyrs School seamlessly adapt its new telephone system by providing in-depth training and support, both during and post implementation, whilst also offering a comprehensive maintenance package at an affordable price.
Daisy was also able to provide the school with Mitel Dynamic Extension, enabling staff to pair their desk phone with their mobile devices. This feature means Douay Martyrs’ IT and site teams are no longer tied to their desks and can seamlessly have calls transferred to their devices while on the move.
The Result
After initially contacting Daisy through *Churchmarketplace, Daisy conducted an extensive bill analysis of The Douay Martyrs School’s existing telephone system and found out the school had been overbilled by its previous supplier by approximately £35,000.
Describing the cost savings, Teresa said: “Daisy drilled down into our bills and found that we had been unintentionally overcharged by our existing supplier for a number of years. Understandably it came as quite a shock, but Daisy helped us secure a credit which ultimately covered the cost of our new telephone system.
“Moving to Daisy also enables us to benefit from annual bill savings which amount to thousands of pounds per year. These savings are invaluable and allow us to reinvest our budget into other areas of our curriculum.”
The new telephone system has already helped make internal communication within the school much easier by allowing staff access to their individual voicemails throughout, as well as the ability to transfer or use conference calls.
Teresa added: “Daisy’s system represented a far better alternative to the other options on the market – it has helped us become more flexible and responsive. Our school is split over two sites, so the system’s advanced features have helped break down geographical barriers and improve internal communication.
“Providing staff with their own individual voicemails has meant parents ringing in are greeted with personalised messages. Staff are also able to improve their call response times as voicemails are sent directly to their email, ensuring no call ever gets missed.”
