Requesting a new integration with centrally supported Learning Technology Tools

This page details the process for requesting a new integration into centrally supported learning technology tools.

Learning and Teaching Technologies

This process has been created for those who wish to integrate any new tools into the centrally supported services. This is to help track integrations and make sure they are not duplicated. This will ensure that services and tools are managed properly and that the integrations are safe, secure and robust.

If you have a tool that you would like to integrate with our centrally supported learning and teaching technologies, you should request this via our integration request form (opens in a new tab). We would prefer that you get in contact with us about your plans before you start any procurement process or start a new development, wherever possible.

An integration typically goes through several stages – request, preparation, testing, approval and deployment. More information on these phases is set out below. You will be asked to provide more information about the reason for the integration as part of the approval process. After approval, integrations can take time to move through these phases and this can take up to 4 months for the integration when all details have been confirmed.

Please note the timings of each phase is a guideline, these may take more or less time depending on the time of year, resourcing and staff leave. 

There are two levels to the integration request – the first is to check that the tool or feature isn’t being duplicated and that the new tool has the appropriate commitment from the School or College in terms of license fees and staffing time for support and training. Our service team will aim to respond to you within 10 working days to let you know if your request requires further information or has been initially approved.

If your request has been approved, the second level of the integration request requires more information, including details about the implementation plan, compliance documentation and relevant board approvals. However, if your request has not been successful, you will be notified, and an explanation will be given for the reasoning behind the decision. 


In this phase the Service Team will work with you to ensure that the integration you are requesting is ready to be integrated into the centrally supported learning technology tool. We will review the following documentation:

 

  • If using an external supplier, an approval from Legal Services to the terms and conditions, if required they can help with a data processing agreement; 
  • A completed information security checklist. You may need help from the supplier to fill this out. LTW will review the checklist and pass to info sec if any concerns are raised; 
  • An accessibility statement; 

 

Schools must have all these documents submitted before this phase can continue. 

Only after we are sure it is secure, GDPR compliant, and approved by the relevent offices, will we be able to integrate the service with our learning technology tools. When all necessary documentation has been received by the Service Team, we will aim to reply within 25 working days. 


This phase will allow you to test the integration, the Service Team will work with you on testing the integration in our testing environments. This phase requires your engagement to test the tool ensuring it is fit for purpose and works as intended. We suggest this phase can take up to 25 working days. Please ensure that you can commit time to this testing phase.

Documentation for end users should be provided at this point. This will help both with the testing of the tool and end users once the integration goes live. The Service Team are happy to link to any information you produce from our support areas.


Once the integration has been tested successfully, approval for deployment will be given if the service team and requestor are happy to move forward. A date will then be agreed for deployment within 15 working days. Please note, we do not deploy new functionality on a Friday or during ISG change freezes.

The Service Team will require a named contact against your integration. This means that if there is a substantive change in the environment you will be contacted to test your integration again to ensure everything is functioning as you would expect.  

There will be an annual review of all integrations into the centrally supported learning technologies to ensure they are still valid and that any restrictions still apply. This also acts as a useful reminder for updating documentation that you may have. 


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