Selected for Connect the Classroom Funding? 4 Steps to Get Your WiFi Upgrade Right

The Department for Education has allocated £325 million to improve school connectivity between 2025 and 2030.

But funding is only part of the story.

The DfE’s latest Connect the Classroom evaluation found that 53% of participating schools experienced challenges during the process. Among secondary schools, that rose to 73%, compared with 49% of primaries. Common issues included supply delays, finding time to complete the work and supporting documentation.

At the same time, 76% of schools were satisfied with the overall process. The difference often comes down to preparation, planning and the support available.

So, what should schools selected for Connect the Classroom consider next?

 

1. Start With the Site – Not the Hardware

A new access point in the same location as the old one does not necessarily solve an old WiFi problem.

DfE guidance recommends planning around actual coverage, capacity and usage. It also highlights the importance of wireless heatmapping.

A proper survey should identify blackspots, expected device volumes, interference, building constraints and areas requiring indoor or outdoor connectivity.

That was an important first step at Moorland Primary School, where Clarion surveyed a three-building site and planned access point placement around how the school actually operated.

“The survey and planning gave us complete confidence – we knew it was going to work.”

 

2. Check What Sits Behind the WiFi

The latest DfE standard makes an important point: wireless performance can be limited by the switches and cabling underneath it.

That means a Connect the Classroom project should look at the network as a whole, rather than simply calculating a number of replacement access points.

There has also been a significant standards change.

Since April 2026, the DfE specifies Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) as the minimum when an underperforming or unsupported wireless network needs upgrading. Current requirements also cover central management, scalability, network segregation and WPA3 security.

The aim should be to fix today’s problems without building tomorrow’s bottleneck.

3. Plan the Project Around the School

This is where some Connect the Classroom projects become harder than expected.

DfE research found that secondary schools were particularly likely to experience challenges, with 21% reporting difficulty finding time to complete the work, compared with 11% of primaries. Larger sites can require more coordination around exams, buildings, staff and existing infrastructure.

Installation planning therefore matters almost as much as network planning.

At Moorland, Clarion handled the project from survey and funding support through to installation and post-go-live support, with no disruption to teaching.

 

4. Choose a Partner Who Can Help With the Process

Moorland had lived with unreliable WiFi for years. Outages sometimes lasted hours or days, coverage gaps remained across the site and available budget had repeatedly prevented an upgrade.

The school had also previously been unsuccessful in securing DfE support.

Clarion helped with the funding process as well as designing and delivering the new network.

The results included 100% improvement in WiFi reliability, no reported outages since installation, full site coverage, 40–50% lower hardware costs and zero disruption to teaching.

“We’d nearly given up on securing WiFi funding, but Clarion’s persistence made the project happen for us.”

What Can Better Connectivity Actually Change?

The wider DfE results are striking.

Following Connect the Classroom intervention, satisfaction with connection speed increased from 61% to 91%, while satisfaction with reliability increased from 60% to 91%.

The impact went beyond network performance too. Schools reported improved pupil engagement, with schools describing faster device access, fewer lesson delays and the ability to use more devices simultaneously.

 

Recently Contacted About Connect the Classroom?

Clarion can help with the next steps, from site survey and network design through to funding support, installation and ongoing support.

Watch the Moorland Primary School WiFi case study to see how the project worked in practice.

Or speak to Clarion about your project on 0333 222 6634.

FAQs:

Connect the Classroom Funding

What is Connect the Classroom?
Connect the Classroom is a Department for Education programme funding connectivity improvements for eligible schools. £325 million is available across the 2025 to 2030 financial years, following £215 million invested between 2021 and 2025.

Which schools are currently eligible?
The DfE states that schools receiving targeted intervention through the RISE programme are eligible where they fall below its WiFi connectivity standards. Eligible schools are contacted directly by the DfE.

What is the current DfE standard for school WiFi?
Where a wireless network needs upgrading, the current minimum is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be). Schools should also consider coverage, capacity, central management, security and the underlying switching and cabling infrastructure.

Does Connect the Classroom only cover wireless access points?
No. The DfE programme covers WiFi access points and network switches. The wider DfE standards also recognise that network cabling and switches can affect wireless performance.

Can Clarion help with the funding process?
Yes. Clarion can support schools through survey, planning, funding requirements, installation and ongoing support. At Moorland Primary School, Clarion helped after previous attempts to secure funding had been unsuccessful.