Case study

Capel Manor College develops modern learning environmentHP mobility devices deliver ‘future-proof’ blended learning environment

IndustryEducation

ObjectiveProvide students at its Enfield campus with touchscreen, mobile devices to enable mobile learning

ApproachWorked with HP partner EBM Office Centre Ltd to create a customised solution

IT matters• To deliver customised devices, reflecting

the unique requirements of the college

• To ensure a degree of future-proofing with touchscreen and Windows® 10 devices

Business matters• To promote a modern image of the College,

to help attract and inspire students and visitors

• To accelerate the development of the College’s e-learning programme “It’s about the right platform for students, teachers

and industry. A lot of the teaching here at Capel Manor College is flipped, or blended – students will be given tasks to complete ahead of a lesson. This could involve taking photos or measurements or logging data, all of which lends itself to the new HP devices.” – Jordi Garcia, head of IT, Capel Manor College

Empowering mobile learning Capel Manor College is a further education provider specialising in horticulture, arboriculture and animal management. A new £4m facility at its Enfield campus allowed the College to rethink its approach to technology. HP EliteBook and Pavilion devices are central to this new image.

Case study | Capel Manor College

ChallengePresenting a modern image Capel Manor College is a further education provider specialising in horticulture, arboriculture and animal management. It operates from five locations in and around London. The Enfield campus is open to the public, and includes a zoo, gardens and London’s largest vineyard – producing award-winning sparkling wine.

The College is aimed primarily at 14-19-year olds, but also provides a range of courses for apprentices and professionals, both part and full-time. Eighty per cent of Capel students progress to a university place or career.

As with other further education providers in the UK, Capel has adjusted to a new funding environment for post-16 education. The student experience, value for money and prospects for employment are significant performance indicators.

The College opened a new facility at its Enfield campus this academic year. The £4m, Princess Royal College of Animal Management and Saddlery London, is a purpose-built complex, offering state-of-the-art resources to benefit all of the College’s students across London. The building provides over 1,000m² of modern learning space, including exotic and reptile animal housing, laboratories, classrooms, a dog grooming parlour and a veterinary studies teaching unit.

The new building is integrated within the 34 acre garden and includes a two-acre landscaped complex housing animals from all over the world in eco-zones representing their natural habitat. The new facilities are part of continuing developments across Capel’s animal management provision which, like many areas of the curriculum, has already seen a considerable investment in the future of its students .

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Case study | Capel Manor College

“This is an exciting new chapter in the development of Capel,” says Jordi Garcia, head of IT, Capel Manor College. “The College has not always had a reputation for being technologically advanced and we saw the design and build of this new facility as an opportunity to present a new identity.”

Garcia wanted the new facility to house a range of tablet and laptop devices. Students would be encouraged to borrow devices to be used around the campus: “As you can imagine, because of the outdoor nature of our industries, we do a lot of teaching outside of the classroom. We wanted devices that were mobile, had touchscreens and, to a degree, were as future-proofed as possible.”

SolutionCustomised and fast-trackedCapel is a long-time customer of HP, across print and computing hardware, working with HP partner EBM Office Centre Ltd. “We had no hesitation in discussing this with EBM and HP,” says Garcia. “HP has always delivered on its promises. The kit does exactly what it says on the tin.”

EBM’s education specialists worked with Capel to understand future requirements and deliver a bespoke solution suitable for Capel’s unique environment.

This particular problem could not be solved with an off-the-shelf solution. “There was a fair degree of customisation in what we wanted,” says Garcia. “We wanted touchscreens, to be ready for Windows® 10, 8GB of RAM, solid state hard drives. EBM were invaluable in fast-tracking our requirements. And we needed all this to come in on time and under budget.”

The new Princess Royal College of Animal Management and Saddlery London was opened by the Princess Royal in November 2015. “Having a member of the Royal Family open your building tends to focus people’s attention,” says Garcia. “Things that needed to get done, were done even though we only agreed the final IT specifications in October!”

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Case study | Capel Manor College

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BenefitsRaising the technology barThe new facility is home to 44 HP EliteBook 850 Notebooks and 34 HP Pavilion All-in-One PCs. Each device was configured, checked and fast-tracked to Capel in time for the opening.

Garcia says the devices have proved a hit with students: “They can move around the campus to do their work and it’s helped accelerate our e-learning programme. Also, aspects of the new facility are open to the public and also used on open days and for student recruitment and the new devices create an excellent impression on visitors, prospective students (and their parents). Very sleek, very modern.”

He says the investment should cover the next five years and will prepare Capel students for Windows 10. “Touchscreens and interactive learning are the future. We’d expect to more augmented reality, more VDI in the future. This is a move in the right direction.”

“ There was a fair degree of customisation in what we wanted. We wanted touchscreens, to be ready for Windows 10, 8GB of RAM, solid state hard drives. EBM were invaluable in fast-tracking our requirements.”– Jordi Garcia, Head of IT, Capel Manor College

Customer solution at a glanceHardware• HP EliteBook 850 Notebook • HP Pavilion All-in-One PC

Malcolm Goodwin, Deputy Principal, Capel Manor College, says the investment reflects the direction further education is heading: “Technology is a crucial component of any modern college. The students expect it, industry expects it. Our goal is to produce resilient, independent people, able to take their place in the workplace or go on to study for doctorates. They have to be skilled in the theory and practical skills.”

Goodwin says the investment in HP is recognition that the College has to keep step with external factors.

“We’re taking a measured approach to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – we recognise that some students will arrive with the latest devices, but we want to ensure we’re not lacking with our own, provided, hardware so that all students have access to first class appropriate technology. For us, it’s about creating and maintaining the right platform for students, teachers and industry. A lot of the teaching here at Capel is flipped, or blended – students will be given tasks to complete ahead of a lesson. This could involve taking photos or measurements or logging data, all of which lends itself to the new HP devices.

“Technology,” says Garcia, “was not the strongest point at Capel: but that is not the case anymore. The HP laptops and tablets have lifted the whole place. They demonstrate what is possible and have raised the IT technology bar across the whole College.”

Learn more at hp.com/go/elite

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