BACKUP & DISASTER RECOVERY

Backup & Disaster Recovery for Education

Protect Learning, Safeguard Data and Maintain Educational Continuity

Schools and colleges rely on digital systems more than ever before. From MIS platforms and safeguarding records to learning resources, Microsoft 365 and financial systems, the loss of critical data can have a significant impact on teaching, operations and compliance.

At Oakford, we deliver comprehensive Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solutions designed specifically for schools, academies and multi-academy trusts. Our solutions help educational organisations recover quickly from cyber attacks, accidental deletion, hardware failure and major incidents whilst supporting compliance with Department for Education (DfE) cyber security standards.

Why Backup and Disaster Recovery Matters

Educational organisations are increasingly targeted by ransomware, phishing attacks and other cyber threats. At the same time, hardware failures, accidental deletion and human error remain common causes of data loss.

Without a robust recovery strategy, schools can face:

Disruption to teaching and learning
Loss of student and staff data
Safeguarding concerns
Regulatory and compliance risks
Financial and reputational damage
Reduced operational resilience

The DfE’s Cyber Security Standards specifically recommend implementing and regularly reviewing a data backup plan as part of a school’s cyber resilience strategy.

A Complete Backup and Recovery Solution

Oakford provides fully managed backup and disaster recovery services covering your entire IT environment.

Protect Critical School Systems

We can protect:

Management Information Systems (MIS)
Microsoft 365 data
Student and staff files
Curriculum resources
Virtual and physical servers
Financial systems
HR systems
Learning platforms
Application databases
Shared drives and file stores

Ensuring critical educational services remain available when you need them most.

Microsoft 365 Backup

Many schools assume Microsoft 365 automatically provides complete backup protection.

While Microsoft provides service availability and retention capabilities, schools remain responsible for protecting their own data against accidental deletion, malicious activity and long-term recovery requirements.

Our Microsoft 365 backup services protect:

Exchange Online mailboxes
SharePoint Online sites
OneDrive data
Microsoft Teams data
Calendars
Contacts
Shared mailboxes

Giving your organisation greater control over recovery and retention.

Server Backup

Protect your on-premises and cloud infrastructure with:

Automated backups
Image-level recovery
File-level recovery
Application-aware backups
Virtual machine protection
Long-term retention options

Rapid restoration minimises disruption and supports business continuity.

Disaster Recovery Planning

Backup is only one part of the solution.

A successful recovery requires planning, documentation, testing and clear procedures.

The DfE identifies backup and recovery planning as a key component of business continuity and disaster recovery preparation.

Oakford can help schools develop:

Disaster Recovery Plans

Documented procedures covering:

Incident response
Recovery priorities
Recovery responsibilities
Escalation processes
Communication plans
Service restoration objectives

Business Continuity Planning

Helping ensure critical services remain operational during major incidents through carefully planned continuity strategies.

Recovery When It Matters Most

A backup solution is only valuable if recovery works when required.

That’s why our services focus on both backup and recoverability.

Rapid Recovery Options

Recover:

Individual files
Entire folders
Email messages
SharePoint content
Microsoft Teams data
Databases
Virtual machines
Physical servers

With recovery options tailored to your operational requirements.

Regular Testing

The DfE recommends testing backup and disaster recovery arrangements to provide assurance that systems and services can be restored when needed.

Oakford can assist with:

Recovery testing
Restoration verification
Documentation reviews
Annual resilience assessments
Recovery process validation

Supporting DfE Cyber Security Standards

The Department for Education’s Cyber Security Standards require schools and colleges to develop and implement data backup arrangements as part of their wider cyber resilience strategy.

Our services help schools work towards these requirements by supporting:

Data Backup Planning

Implementation of structured backup policies aligned to educational operational needs.

Recovery Testing

Validation that backups can be restored successfully and within expected timeframes.

Cyber Resilience

Protection against ransomware, malicious activity and accidental data loss.

Business Continuity

Maintaining critical educational operations during disruptive events.

Following the 3-2-1 Backup Principle

The DfE Cyber Security Hub recommends adopting the recognised 3-2-1 backup strategy. This approach helps ensure that data remains recoverable even if systems, locations or backup repositories are compromised.

The strategy recommends:

3 copies of your data (one primary copy and two backups)
2 different storage locations or technologies
1 offsite backup

This approach improves resilience against:

Ransomware attacks
Hardware failure
Human error
Cloud service outages
Fire, flood and other major incidents

Cloud, Hybrid and On-Premises Solutions

Every educational organisation has different requirements.

We support:

Cloud-Native Schools

Protect Microsoft 365 and other cloud applications with secure cloud-to-cloud backup solutions.

Hybrid Environments

Protect both cloud services and on-site infrastructure through integrated backup platforms.

Traditional Server Environments

Secure physical and virtual servers with comprehensive local and off-site recovery options.

Monitoring and Managed Services

Our managed backup services can include:

Backup monitoring
Daily verification
Alert management
Capacity planning
Recovery support
Reporting
Security reviews
Strategic guidance

Giving your IT team confidence that backups are operating as expected.

Why Choose Oakford?

Education Specialists

We understand the operational, safeguarding and compliance challenges facing schools, academies and multi-academy trusts.

Cyber Security Expertise

Backup and disaster recovery form a critical component of a wider cyber security strategy. Our specialists help educational organisations build resilience and reduce risk.

End-to-End Service

From design and implementation through to monitoring, testing and support, Oakford delivers a complete backup and recovery solution.

Long-Term Partnership

We work closely with schools to ensure backup and disaster recovery strategies continue to evolve alongside changing technology and compliance requirements.

Ready to Improve Your Resilience?

Whether you’re looking to protect Microsoft 365, modernise legacy backup systems, strengthen disaster recovery capabilities or work towards DfE cyber security standards, Oakford can help.

Our education specialists can assess your current environment and design a backup and disaster recovery strategy that protects your organisation, your staff and your students.

Speak to our education technology specialists today.

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