The Skinners’ School: Turning a telephone fault into future advantage_

Key takeaways_

  • The Skinners’ School replaced an ageing, on-premise phone system with Microsoft Teams telephony following a critical failure.
  • Infinity Group delivered a rapid migration, implementing Teams Phone with handsets to minimise disruption and support user adoption.
  • The school now benefits from greater flexibility, improved efficiency and a more resilient, modern communication platform.

About the Skinners’ School_

Founded in 1887, Skinners’ School is a selective grammar school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, with a strong reputation for academic excellence and student development.

The school serves over 1,100 pupils, including a large sixth form, and places equal emphasis on high academic standards and developing confident, independent learners.

With busy administrative teams and a high volume of daily communication with parents, staff and the wider community, reliable telephony plays a critical role in supporting the school’s day-to-day operations.

“From start to finish, the experience has been really strong. Having direct access to the technical team made a huge difference. That level of responsiveness is exactly what you need when you’re introducing a new system.

George Turner

Network Manager

The challenge_

The Skinners’ School had been operating on an ageing, on-premise telephony system that had been in place for over a decade. Over time, the system had become increasingly difficult to maintain, with limited flexibility and growing risk of failure. Investment had been delayed, largely because the system still functioned at a basic level.

That changed when a hardware failure caused the system to stop working entirely. The school was left without a reliable phone system and faced a decision: invest in another traditional platform or move to something more modern and future-ready.

Given their existing use of Microsoft technology, Microsoft Teams telephony quickly emerged as the preferred direction.

“The flexibility compared to our old system is night and day. Being able to take calls across devices - whether you’re at your desk or not - fits much better with how people actually work.

George Turner

Network Manager

The solution_

Infinity Group worked with Skinners’ School to rapidly replace its failed legacy system with Microsoft Teams Phone, delivering a modern, cloud-based telephony platform in a matter of weeks.

Given the urgency, the focus was on restoring reliable communication quickly, without compromising long-term value. The project began by defining what mattered most: retaining existing phone numbers, mapping users and devices and redesigning how calls flowed across reception and departments.

To ensure a smooth transition for staff, the school opted to retain physical handsets, with around 40 devices deployed across the site. This struck the right balance – preserving familiarity while introducing the flexibility of Teams.

Behind the scenes, Infinity Group delivered a fully configured telephony environment, including:

  • Intelligent call routing with auto attendants and queues
  • A blend of user and shared devices to match how the school operates
  • Optimised Microsoft 365 licensing to reduce cost while increasing capability

A critical part of the transformation was number porting via Operator Connect, enabling the school to move to Teams without disruption to contact details or external communication.

Despite the complexity and the need to move fast, the rollout was delivered quickly and collaboratively, turning what could have been a major operational risk into a seamless transition to a more flexible, future-ready platform.

Designed for adoption, not disruption_

From the outset, the priority wasn’t just to replace the technology, but to bring staff with it. In a school environment where change can quickly become a barrier, adoption was critical to success.

Rather than forcing a completely new way of working, Infinity Group designed the solution around familiarity. By replicating key elements of the previous system (including handset experience, layouts and call handling), the transition felt intuitive from day one, reducing resistance and accelerating uptake.

Reception teams, who rely most heavily on telephony, were brought in early and used as a proving ground for the new system. Once they were confident and seeing immediate benefits, wider adoption followed naturally across the school.

“The biggest impact has been how it’s changed the way people work daily. Features like voicemail transcription sound small, but they make a huge difference to staff experiences and ease of use.

George Turner

Network Manager

The Infinity Group approach_

Infinity Group’s approach went beyond technical delivery. It was built around responsiveness, collaboration and keeping momentum throughout the project.

A dedicated Teams channel gave the school direct, real-time access to engineers, removing the friction of traditional support processes. Instead of raising tickets and waiting for responses, questions were answered immediately and issues resolved as they arose.

At the same time, Infinity Group worked closely with the school’s on-site IT provider, aligning efforts and sharing knowledge to keep everything moving at pace. This joined-up approach ensured there were no bottlenecks, no duplication and no loss of visibility.

“You’re not just paying for a product, you’re paying for the service behind it. It’s easy to focus on cost, but having a partner you can rely on is far more valuable.

George Turner

Network Manager

Outcomes and benefits_

The move to Teams telephony has delivered clear improvements across the school:

  • Improved resilience: The school is no longer reliant on ageing, on-premise hardware, reducing the risk of outages
  • Greater flexibility: Staff can make and receive calls across multiple devices, including mobiles and laptops
  • Increased efficiency: Features like voicemail transcription and call routing reduce manual effort and save time
  • Simplified management: Internal teams can make simple changes themselves without needing specialist support
  • Stronger user adoption: Familiar handsets and intuitive functionality ensured a smooth transition across staff

“What’s stood out for me is the level of support. We’ve not had an issue that hasn’t been resolved, and that gives you real confidence in the service.

George Turner

Network Manager

Ready to modernise your telephony?

Infinity Group helps organisations replace legacy phone systems with flexible, cloud-based communication platforms built on Microsoft Teams.

Whether you’re responding to an urgent failure or planning a strategic upgrade, we’ll help you design and deliver a solution that works for your users, not against them.

Get in touch today to start your journey to modern telephony.

We would love
to hear from you_

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