Case Study: Highbury College achieves cost-effective, student-centred, device-independent learning with Citrix virtual desktop and app solutions

Highbury College - Customer Case Study

Highbury College, a top-ten further education college in England recently judged Outstanding by Ofsted, transformed from a mediocre institution under a new management team led by Paul Rolfe. The college faced under‑utilisation of expensive software and needed a cost‑effective, student‑centred IT model that supported new delivery methods, BYOD and improved student outcomes across a multi‑site campus.

Working with partner Vcentral, Highbury implemented a Citrix Windows‑as‑a‑Service solution (XenDesktop, XenApp, XenServer and NetScaler) to deliver virtual desktops and applications to any device. An initial 200‑seat pilot—using repurposed PCs and thin clients—cut back‑end costs by aligning licensing to real usage, increased learner flexibility and attractiveness, and enabled the college to extend virtual desktops to a nearby primary school (helping it improve its Ofsted rating); full campus rollout and distance‑learning access are now underway.

Highbury College

Paul Rolfe

Head of IT & Library Services