Patch Management for Schools
Automated patch management keeps your school's devices secure, compliant, and up to date. SchoolCare's strategic partnership with Action1 delivers cloud-native, enterprise-grade patching across your entire device estate — ensuring critical vulnerabilities are closed before they can be exploited.
Source: Ponemon Institute/ServiceNow, 2019
Patch Management as a Service
Not every school has the capacity to manage patching in-house. SchoolCare’s Patch Management as a Service removes the burden entirely — we monitor, test, and deploy patches across your device estate so your team can focus on supporting teaching and learning.
Continuous Monitoring
We monitor vendor patch releases across Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and 300+ third-party applications. Critical patches are fast-tracked; feature updates are scheduled around your term calendar.
Compliance Reporting
Monthly reports to SLT using Action1’s built-in reporting templates to evidence adherence to DfE 14-day and Cyber Essentials patching requirements. Reports include patching status across your estate, missing updates, remediation timelines, and any outstanding actions.
Failed Patch Remediation
We chase down devices that miss updates, investigate failures, and ensure every endpoint stays protected. End-of-life software is identified and flagged for upgrade planning.
Delivered through our cloud-native endpoint management platform. No additional server infrastructure required — lightweight agents run silently on each device, enabling patching whether devices are on the school network, at home, or anywhere with internet access.
Why Patch Management Matters for Schools
Every day, new vulnerabilities are discovered in the operating systems, applications, and firmware that schools rely on. When these vulnerabilities remain unpatched, they create open doors for cyber criminals to exploit. Ransomware, data breaches, and system outages frequently trace back to a single missed update.
For schools, the consequences of a successful attack are severe: loss of student coursework, exposure of sensitive safeguarding records, disruption to examinations, and significant recovery costs. The Department for Education’s Digital and Technology Standards require that all high-risk security patches (CVSSv3 7+) are applied within 14 days, and DfE-issued security updates within 5 working days. The Cyber Essentials scheme mirrors this 14-day deadline. While the RPA does not directly mandate patching as one of its four conditions of cover, meeting the DfE Digital Standards (which do require patching) is an expectation for all academy trusts.
Ransomware Prevention
The majority of ransomware attacks targeting schools exploit known vulnerabilities for which patches already exist. A consistent, automated patching programme closes these attack vectors before criminals can use them, significantly reducing your school’s exposure to the most common and damaging cyber threat.
Compliance Requirements
Both the Cyber Essentials scheme and the DfE Digital and Technology Standards require that high-risk and critical security patches are applied within 14 days of release. For a school estate of hundreds of devices running dozens of applications, manual compliance is impractical — automated patch management is the only reliable way to meet this deadline consistently.
Operational Stability
Unpatched software is not only a security risk — it causes crashes, compatibility issues, and performance degradation. Regular patching keeps your school’s systems running reliably, reduces helpdesk calls, and ensures that staff and students always have access to the latest features and bug fixes.
Powered by Action1
SchoolCare has partnered with Action1, a leading cloud-native patch management and endpoint management platform, to deliver automated, reliable patching across your school’s entire device estate. Action1’s platform is trusted by thousands of organisations worldwide and is purpose-built for the demands of modern IT environments — including schools with distributed devices, remote workers, and limited IT resource.
Cloud-Native Platform
Action1 operates entirely from the cloud, meaning there is no additional server infrastructure to deploy or maintain in your school. Lightweight agents installed on each device communicate securely with the cloud platform, enabling patching of any device whether it is on your school network, at a teacher’s home, or anywhere with an internet connection.
Automated Patch Deployment
Patches for Windows, macOS, and over 300 third-party applications are automatically identified, tested, and deployed according to policies defined by SchoolCare and your school. Critical security updates can be fast-tracked for immediate deployment, whilst feature updates and non-critical patches can be scheduled during maintenance windows to avoid disruption to teaching.
Real-Time Visibility
The Action1 dashboard provides a clear, real-time view of the patching status across your entire device estate. SchoolCare monitors this on your behalf as part of your ProFlex support, identifying any devices that have fallen behind, failed to update, or are running end-of-life software that requires attention.
Compliance Reporting
Action1 includes over 100 built-in report templates covering patch status, missing updates, vulnerability summaries, and endpoint health. Reports can be scheduled for automatic email delivery and exported as HTML or CSV for sharing with auditors. SchoolCare uses these reports to evidence compliance with Cyber Essentials patching requirements and DfE Digital Standards — providing your senior leadership team, governors, and auditors with clear documentation that patching obligations are being met.
How SchoolCare Delivers Patch Management
SchoolCare manages the entire patching lifecycle on your behalf, from initial deployment of the Action1 platform through to ongoing monitoring and reporting. Our service is designed to remove the burden of patch management from your school’s ICT team whilst maintaining full visibility and control.
Discovery & Audit
We begin with a comprehensive audit of your device estate, identifying all operating systems, applications, and firmware versions. This baseline assessment reveals your current patching posture and highlights any immediate risks that need addressing.
Policy Configuration
Working with your school, we define patching policies that balance security with operational needs. This includes scheduling maintenance windows, setting auto-approval rules for trusted updates, and establishing escalation procedures for patches that require testing before deployment.
Agent Deployment
Lightweight Action1 agents are deployed to all managed devices using your existing management tools or Group Policy. The agents run silently in the background, consuming minimal resources, and begin reporting device status immediately.
Automated Patching
Once configured, patches are automatically downloaded and installed according to your approved policies. Critical security patches are prioritised, and deployment can be staggered across device groups to detect any issues before rolling out to your entire estate.
Monitoring & Remediation
SchoolCare continuously monitors your patching status, investigating and resolving any failed installations, incompatible updates, or devices that are not checking in. Our proactive approach ensures no device falls through the cracks.
Reporting & Review
Regular reports are provided to your school showing compliance levels, devices patched, vulnerabilities closed, and any outstanding actions. Quarterly reviews with your ICT lead ensure the service continues to meet your school’s evolving needs.
What Gets Patched
Action1 supports patching across a wide range of platforms and applications commonly found in school environments.
Operating Systems
Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server, and macOS. All editions and versions are supported, including security updates, cumulative updates, and feature updates managed according to your school’s deployment schedule.
Browsers & Productivity
Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and other productivity applications. Browser patches are particularly critical as they are the most common entry point for web-based attacks.
Third-Party Applications
Over 300 third-party applications are supported, including Java, .NET, PDF readers, media players, and specialist education software. Action1’s catalogue is continuously updated as new applications and versions are released.
Automate Your School’s Patching
Contact SchoolCare to discuss how automated patch management can protect your school and simplify compliance.
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