Handy Hints
Calculating Working Days in Excel
A quick summary of how to use Excel functions to work out the number of working days available across a period of time.
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Adding More Functionality To Forms
Part two in our overview of Microsoft Power Automate and how it can be used to create electronic processes using Forms. In this post, we add approvals to the process and additional communication elements.
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Using Power Automate To Extend Microsoft Forms
A quick overview of how to use Power Automate to put data from a Microsoft Form into Excel
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Blog
Procurement Act 2023 – What we’ve learnt after 18 months
The Procurement Act 2023 has now been in force for over 18 months. We look at what has changed in practice for colleges and academy trusts, what has caught people out, and the lessons for IT procurement in particular.
Blog
Proportionate Project Governance – Or, stop running laptop refreshes like capital builds.
Not every IT project needs a board, a business case and a monthly highlight report. We look at how colleges and academy trusts can match project governance to the size and risk of the work, and why getting it wrong in either direction can be costly.
Blog
IT Support Standards – what good looks like in practice.
The DfE has added IT support to its digital and technology standards. We look at what the standard asks of colleges and academy trusts, where support services commonly fall short, and how to prepare for the annual review.
Blog
Meeting Digital and Technology Standards – what’s changed in 2026.
The DfE has made a series of changes to its digital and technology standards this year, covering cyber security, filtering and monitoring, and wireless networks. We look at what has changed and what colleges and academy trusts should do about it.
Blog
Fractional IT Leadership – when it works well and when it doesn’t.
Fractional appointments are becoming a popular way to bring senior ICT leadership into colleges and trusts. We look at when they work well, when they don’t, and how to get the most from your fractional leader.
Assignments
Alpha Academies Trust – Multiple Procurement Projects
Inspire is undertaking a procurement process on behalf of Alpha Academies Trust to develop a managed MFD service across the whole Trust.
Assignments
Stoke on Trent College
An assignment to work on team structure, to provide independent assurance across all aspects of Digital Infrastructure and support with a focus on cybersecurity, software licensing and digital infrastructure transformation.
Blog
New Procurement Thresholds for 2026
The new procurement thresholds will come into effect on 1st January 2026 and in a perhaps surprising move, the thresholds for most types have reduced from the 2024 values.
Assignments
Moulton College
We are pleased to announce that we have engaged with Moulton College to provide them with IT consultancy and Interim Management to help them drive change within the IT team and develop into an efficient, user focused IT service to Read more
Blog
New Procurement Rules : Impact for Education
The Procurement Act 2023 is no live and in this article we look at the changes and what if any impact it may have on education providers.