Knowledge Hub

Insights & Resources

Expert guidance on school leasing, DfE compliance, and equipment finance for UK education institutions — from the team that's been doing this since 1985.

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Keeping schools secure with your IT equipment
IT

Keeping schools secure with your IT equipment

As a supplier of IT equipment to schools, an essential part of your sales pitch is explaining to your customers the security benefits of new technology. The first step is making schools aware of the security risks of continuing to operate obsolete technology. What does the official guidance say? ...

13 March 2025
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The end of Windows 10: helping schools move to Windows 11
ICT school equipment

The end of Windows 10: helping schools move to Windows 11

On 14th October 2025, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 – and that means all schools must move to Windows 11.  This is a bigger problem for many schools than it might first appear. If schools have compatible devices, the issue in switching to Windows 11 may be limited to the inconven...

20 January 2025
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Leasing with ClaaS: the year in review
ICT school equipment

Leasing with ClaaS: the year in review

In April 2024, Utility Rentals launched a sister company, Classroom as a Service (ClaaS) to provide specialist finance to schools wishing to acquire IT equipment.  As of December 2024, the new brand is off to a strong start, regularly helping schools acquire laptops in quantities of 200 to 5...

7 January 2025
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iPads v Chromebooks for schools: which is best?
chromebooks

iPads v Chromebooks for schools: which is best?

Apple iPads and Google Chromebooks are both popular choices of devices for schools to give their students. You can use them in a myriad of ways, from popular apps like Times Table Rockstars to advanced tasks like web coding or collaborative projects. In this piece, we’ll explore the benefits of e...

5 December 2024
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How we make it easy for your customers to lease your products
Leasing school equipment

How we make it easy for your customers to lease your products

We’ve posted before about why suppliers should partner with Utility Rentals, but in this blog we’re going to show you just how easy it is for your customers to sign up to our compliant leasing agreements – and what you and they stand to gain. Schools and the cashflow issue If you sell products an...

11 November 2024
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What sort of equipment do we fund through ClaaS?
iPads

What sort of equipment do we fund through ClaaS?

If you’ve been following our blog or Linkedin channels for the last few months, you’ll have seen us make mention of Classroom as a Service (ClaaS). This is our brand new sister company offering technical and IT equipment to schools on an innovative subscription model. We’re actively recruiting su...

17 October 2024
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Why schools should lease equipment through Utility Rentals
Leasing school equipment

Why schools should lease equipment through Utility Rentals

With a (nearly!) 40-year track record in helping schools afford high quality equipment, there are many reasons why schools across the UK choose Utility Rentals time and again as their leasing partner. In this blog, we’ll explore each of those reasons and explain how schools can benefit from partn...

3 September 2024
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What are Labour’s plans for schools?
21st century school

What are Labour’s plans for schools?

Labour’s landslide General Election victory on 4th July will bring with it big changes for schools. In this blog, we will explore the main components of the new government’s Children’s Wellbeing Bill, and what these mean for teachers, parents and children. What are the big changes on their way fo...

6 August 2024
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Why suppliers should partner with Utility Rentals
equipment suppliers

Why suppliers should partner with Utility Rentals

As an equipment supplier to the education sector, you know that schools are always short of money. They may want what you have to offer, but budget limitations may mean they scale back what they order, or choose not to proceed at all. That’s where we come in. Utility Rentals has nearly 40 years’ ...

28 June 2024
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ClaaS is now in session! Introducing our sister company.
Leasing school equipment

ClaaS is now in session! Introducing our sister company.

Welcome to Classroom as a Service™ (ClaaS)! We are the brand new sister company of Utility Rentals, providing specialist leases for school equipment since 1985. ClaaS focuses on the financing and supply of IT equipment to schools, academies and colleges, and we work in close partnership with trus...

18 June 2024
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Accounting rules for schools have changed… making it even easier to lease from Utility Rentals
equipment suppliers

Accounting rules for schools have changed… making it even easier to lease from Utility Rentals

Accounting rules for schools have changed… making it even easier to lease from Utility Rentals

15 May 2024
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Putting interactive screens in your classroom
Interactive Screens

Putting interactive screens in your classroom

Ask any pupil or teacher what the focal point of the classroom is, and they’ll all tell you it’s the big screen at the front of the room. This is the main teaching aid and the place around which pupils gather to learn the principles of each subject before exploring it in more depth via…

28 March 2024
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