Starting your project for home internet access for students

Learn about the Haeta ConnectED project, which provides a model for connecting students to internet at home.

Level of compliance	Main audience	Other
Inform	Boards Principals and Tumuaki	Parents, Caregivers and Whānau

Level of compliance

Main audience

Other

Inform

Boards
Principals and Tumuaki

Parents, Caregivers and Whānau

Schools should look to the Haeta example in Christchurch and reference the guide created for starting a home internet access project for their students.

About the Haeata Community Campus connectivity project — ConnectED

Haeata Community Campus is a state-funded area school, based at 240 Breezes Rd, Aranui, Christchurch 8061. It opened in February 2017 after the post-quake closure of 4 other schools in the community.

The ConnectED project provided coverage over a geographical zone next to the school, offering a home internet solution service to approximately 360 of Haeata’s students.

The connection technology was communal wireless infrastructure, powered via the Chorus copper network. This provided wireless connectivity to students at homes within the coverage zone.

ConnectED project partners

The project was delivered by the combined efforts and commitment of its partner organisations:

Greater Christchurch Schools Network(external link)

Ruckus Networks(external link)

Cyclone(external link)

Chorus(external link)

Network 4 Learning(external link)

Ministry of Education

Start your project for student home connectivity

While every school and community is different, this guide, and the ConnectED experiences, show:

how you might set up your project, and
what you’ll need.

Overall steps for your connectivity project

There are 7 stages and tasks involved in running your project. These different stages may overlap. For example, you might work on your implementation plan and set up the project team at the same time.

Stage and goal	Tasks
1. Define your goals	Answer questions about your project’s scope. Be clear on your goals and what success will look like for you. Assess student and whānau needs and benefits. Define the community and area that will receive services.
2. Set up your project team	Define team roles and their scope. Recruit starting staff for the project team. Secure technical roles and providers. Ensure certain roles pass a police check.
3. Create your implementation plan	Recruit project team. Secure funding and partnerships. Confirm engagement and project overview with school. Confirm project name and branding. Confirm project scope. Set a project schedule, with timelines and goal dates for recovery. Write policies and procedures.
4. Implement technical and support services	Understand and check off your technical requirements. Provide technical support and documentation. Create and confirm technical policies.
5. System availability and public launch	Test system connection prior to launch. Set a date for your community project launch. Ensure all online and print materials are available. Ensure teachers and students are aware of the project. Promote the project to your community. Plan the launch.
6. Roll out student and whānau engagement	Communicate with parents and whānau. Distribute flyers, brochures and instructions.
7. Transition to agreed operational model	Finalise and agree on the operational model for day-to-day management of the system.

Read the guide for complete information

Setting up your community’s project to give students home internet access [DOCX, 4.7 MB]

The Greater Christchurch Schools’ Network Trust supported the development of this guide. We thank them and all partners for sharing their experience and materials developed in the course of the project.

Last reviewed: 10 December 2020 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback