Microsoft Intune for Schools: Device Management Made Simple

Managing School Devices Is Harder Than It Looks

If you've ever tried to push a software update to 80 laptops before the school day starts, you'll know the challenge. School IT environments are uniquely demanding — dozens, sometimes hundreds, of devices shared across pupils, teachers and support staff, each needing the right apps, the right restrictions and the right level of security.

Without a proper system in place, IT management in schools typically looks something like this:

• A member of staff manually updating devices one by one

• No visibility over which devices are compliant with school policy

• Pupils able to access settings, apps or content they shouldn't

• No way to remotely wipe a lost or stolen device

• Different setups on different machines — and no reliable way to standardise

It's time-consuming, inconsistent and — from a safeguarding and data protection standpoint — a real risk. This is where Microsoft Intune comes in.

What Is Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) platform. In plain English: it gives your school a central control panel for every device — Windows laptops, iPads, Android tablets, even teacher smartphones — all managed remotely from one place.

With Intune, your school can:

Deploy apps automatically — push Microsoft 365 apps, safeguarding tools or any approved software to devices without touching each one individually.

Enforce security policies — require strong passwords, enable encryption, block USB drives, restrict access to inappropriate settings or websites.

Separate school data from personal data — particularly useful on shared devices or bring-your-own-device (BYOD) setups.

Remote wipe lost or stolen devices — if a laptop goes missing, your data doesn't have to go with it.

Ensure compliance — get a live view of which devices meet your school's IT policy, and automatically flag or restrict those that don't.

Integrate with Microsoft 365 — Intune works natively with Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and Azure Active Directory, making it a natural fit for schools already using Microsoft 365 for Education.

For UK schools following the Cyber Essentials framework or the DfE's digital and technology standards, Intune directly supports many of the core requirements around access control, patch management and device security.

Case Study: Tenterfield Nursery School

Tenterfield Nursery School is a small but busy nursery setting that came to DCAD with a familiar problem: a growing number of devices, no consistent setup, and staff spending too much time troubleshooting rather than teaching.

Working with DCAD, Tenterfield moved to a fully managed Intune environment as part of their Microsoft 365 setup. The results were immediate:

• All devices configured consistently from a single policy — no more "this laptop works differently to that one"

• Apps deployed remotely in minutes, not hours

• Safeguarding filters and restrictions applied automatically to every device

• Staff freed from day-to-day IT admin, able to focus on what matters

For a small nursery with limited IT budget and no dedicated in-house IT staff, having DCAD manage Intune on their behalf meant they got enterprise-level device management without enterprise-level complexity or cost.

Microsoft Intune vs Other MDM Solutions for Schools

Schools sometimes ask us how Intune compares to alternatives. Here's an honest overview:

	Microsoft Intune	Google MDM (via Admin Console)	Jamf (Apple-focused)
Best for	Windows + mixed device environments	Chromebook-heavy schools	iPad/Mac-heavy schools
Integration	Native Microsoft 365	Native Google Workspace	Strong Apple integration
UK school licensing	Included in Microsoft 365 A3/A5	Included in Google Workspace for Edu	Separate licensing cost
Ease of management	Excellent via Intune Admin Centre	Good	Good but complex
Cyber Essentials alignment	Strong	Moderate	Moderate

For schools already using — or moving to — Microsoft 365 for Education, Intune is the clear choice. If you're on Microsoft 365 A3 or A5 licensing, you likely already have access to Intune at no extra cost.

How to Implement Microsoft Intune in Your School

Getting started with Intune doesn't need to be complicated, but it does need to be done properly. Here's a straightforward path:

1. Licensing check Confirm your Microsoft 365 plan includes Intune (A3 and A5 do; A1 has limited MDM features). If you're unsure, we can check this for you.

2. Azure Active Directory setup Intune works with Azure AD (now called Microsoft Entra ID). Your school user accounts need to be properly configured here before enrolment.

3. Define your policies Before enrolling devices, agree what your policies should be — password requirements, app restrictions, content filters, compliance rules. This is where experience counts; getting policies right first time saves hours of rework.

4. Enrol devices Devices can be enrolled manually, via Autopilot (for new Windows devices), or through Apple School Manager / Google Zero-Touch for other platforms. For existing device fleets, DCAD can manage bulk enrolment.

5. Deploy apps and configurations Once enrolled, apps and settings are pushed automatically. Devices are ready to use — correctly configured — without manual setup.

6. Ongoing monitoring The Intune admin console gives you a live compliance dashboard. DCAD can manage this on your behalf as part of a managed service, alerting you to issues before they become problems.

Ready to Take Control of Your School's Devices?

Whether you're a nursery with a handful of tablets, a primary school with a mixed device fleet or a multi-academy trust managing devices across multiple sites — Microsoft Intune can transform how your school manages technology.

At DCAD, we've been supporting schools across Hertfordshire and Essex since 2003. We're a Microsoft 365 partner with hands-on experience deploying Intune in real school environments — from small nurseries like Tenterfield right through to larger academy settings.

Speak to a Microsoft 365 expert at DCAD today.

No jargon. No sales team. Just Darren and Martin, who'll give you an honest assessment of what your school needs and how we can help.

👉 Get in touch with DCAD

DCAD Ltd — School IT Support, Cyber Security & Microsoft 365 for Schools Across Hertfordshire & Essex