Installing XP Pro in a School securely?

[grasshopper75]

Hi,

I have just started working in a school looking after their pcs. Its only an infant school, so these guys are cool about me picking a few things up as I go along (although Im a+, n+ and have one mcp, NOTHING substitutes experience!) So my question is this - I am using an NT4 server (sp6), that cant yet be upgraded. The clients are being upgraded to xp pro because we have to (I love my local council!). I want to secure the computers so that they cant be messed with, especially the desktops. I also want a generic desktop for all users, preferably deployed over the network so I dont have to keep setting up each pc with shortcuts etc as I go along. Is this possible? What would you regard as the best way to approach this? Please go slowish as this is my first real networking job, so Im hitting the ground running here! Go on, you remember what it was like when you started .....dont ya?? Help!