Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project - summary report Report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families

Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project
October 2007 http://www.becta.org.uk page 1 of 12
© Becta 2007 Research report
Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project - summary report
Report to the Department for Children, Schools and Families
July 2007
Bridget Somekh, Maureen Haldane, Kelvyn Jones, Cathy Lewin, Stephen Steadman, Peter Scrimshaw, Sue Sing, Kate Bird, John Cummings, Brigid Downing, Tanya Harber Stuart, Janis Jarvis, Diane Mavers and Derek Woodrow
Centre for ICT, Pedagogy and Learning
Education & Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University
Becta Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the headteachers, teachers and local authority staff who assisted us by completing questionnaires and giving us their time for interviews. We would also like to give particular thanks to the ten case study schools in Phase 1 of the research and seven case study schools in Phase 2, whose work is not individually identified in the report, including the six schools that discussed the draft of the Phase 1 report with us at the Sweep Sharing Day for Case Study Schools in May 2006: Cavalry Road Primary School, March; Finmere C of E School, Finmere; Newhall Junior School, Swadlincote; Scout Road School, Hebden Bridge; Tyssen Primary School, Stamford Hill; and West Lodge Middle School, Pinner.
Introduction
The expansion phase of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project provided £10 million in 2003–04 to support the acquisition and use of interactive whiteboards in primary schools within 21 local authorities.
The aims of the Schools Whiteboard Expansion Evaluation (Sweep) are to:
1
Assess the educational impact and operational effectiveness of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project initiative.
2
Evaluate the Primary National Strategy's whiteboard support network for schools not involved in the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project pilot.
More specifically, its objectives are to:
1
Assess the extent to which the use of interactive whiteboards affect standards in literacy and mathematics.
2
Identify the effects of using interactive whiteboards on a range of other outcomes.
3
Investigate the contribution made by the introduction of interactive whiteboards to the development of pedagogies and to a more general embedding of ICT across the curriculum.
4
Evaluate the impact of the project on continuing professional development among teachers.
5
Evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation and operation of the first phase of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project initiative.
The report directly addresses these objectives and is organised in the following sections.
October 2007 http://www.becta.org.uk page 2 of 12
© Becta 2007 Research report
Becta Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project
Executive summary of findings
This summary is organised under six headings, a general section and sections for each of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project’s objectives. It concludes with some recommendations.
General points
The interactive whiteboard has been welcomed enthusiastically by a large number of primary teachers and its take-up in schools has proceeded with unprecedented rapidity. This appears to be because it is a resource which is immediately useful to teachers in conducting whole-class teaching, which is a requirement of the primary strategies.
Pupils are universally enthusiastic about the interactive whiteboards, because of their clear visibility (‘We can see!’), the easy access they give to ICT through touch, and the added variety they bring to lessons.
In the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project, interactive whiteboards have been permanently installed in classrooms. Although we did not ask teachers whether they switch interactive whiteboards off during the day, the overwhelming impression is that they are switched on first thing in the morning and remain on all day, making them available even when their use has not been planned for a lesson.
The extent to which the use of interactive white boards affects standards in literacy and mathematics
There is a consistent finding across all data that the length of time pupils have been taught with an interactive whiteboard is the major factor that leads to attainment gains. This appears to be the result of the interactive whiteboard becoming embedded in teachers’ pedagogy: that is, when teachers have had sustained experience (around two years) of using an interactive whiteboard, they are able to change their teaching practices to make best use of its facilities. The qualitative data strongly support this.
Key Stage 2 mathematics
Analysis combining the data from the 2005 and 2006 cohorts found that averagely attaining pupils of both sexes, and high-attaining pupils of both sexes, made greater progress with more exposure to interactive whiteboards in maths. Progress was measured against prior attainment in Key Stage 1 national tests. Based on an expectation that pupils will on average progress six points (or one national curriculum level) in two years, it was possible to calculate their increased rate of progress. This ranged from two and a half months for girls of average prior attainment to five months for boys of high prior attainment.
October 2007 http://www.becta.org.uk page 3 of 12
© Becta 2007 Research report
Becta Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project
interactive whiteboards had little effect (but certainly not a detrimental effect) on progress in maths of low-attaining pupils in either gender group.
When Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 are examined separately it is clear that once the innovation becomes embedded, positive gains are likely to be achieved by pupils of both genders and all attainment groups, thus reducing the likelihood that interactive whiteboards will widen the gap between low-attaining pupils and their peers.
Key Stage 2 science
Analysis of the data for Cohort 2 showed clear benefits of being taught with an interactive whiteboard for all pupils except high attainment girls (where there appears to have been a ‘ceiling effect’ since the highest possible score is fixed). The most marked effect was for low attaining boys who made some seven and a half months' additional progress when they had two years of exposure to interactive whiteboards as compared to no exposure.
Key Stage 2 English
Positive trends were identified in the combined data for English but these were not confirmed by separate analysis of the data for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2. As measures of attainment in English are less stable than in maths and science, the results are inconclusive and warrant further investigation with larger data sets.
Writing was explored separately because of concern at the poor performance of a high proportion of boys in writing, as compared to girls. Although no statistically significant effects were found (in part due to a reduced data set) a positive trend (p<0.094) color="#003300">Provides some useful information on the use of White boards in the primary school system.It links the length of time being taught with Innovate White boardsto the success in the gains in educational attainment of subjects associated with the tool.

An Evaluation by the Education and Training Inspectorate Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools

Providing Inspection Services for
Department of Education
Department for Employment and Learning
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
An Evaluation by the Education and Training Inspectorate
Information and Communication Technology
in
Primary Schools
May 2005
Executive Summary

CONTENTS
Section Page
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. SCHOOLS’ EVALUATION OF ICT PROVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools i
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1. INTRODUCTION
The last eight years have seen considerable developments in Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) in primary schools in Northern Ireland (NI). The
Strategy for Education Technology (ET Strategy) in NI was launched in September
1997, resulting in significant investment in ICT in schools.
In 2002, after five years, the Education Technology Strategy Management Group for the
Department of Education (DE) reviewed the achievements of the ET Strategy. The full
report can be viewed online at http://www.class-ni.org.uk/etstrategy/etstrat/index.htm.
The review indicated that over 85% of the strategy’s targets for change in schools
was in the process of being achieved by the end of the academic year 2002/03.
An inspection survey report by the Education and Training Inspectorate
(Inspectorate) on ICT in primary schools was published in 2002, and provides an
evaluation of ICT prior to the roll-out of the Classroom 2000 (C2k) managed service
system. The inspection survey noted many important strengths in the ICT provision
in primary schools in NI at that time. These included:
❐ the high priority given to the development of ICT in most schools;
❐ the satisfactory or good quality of teaching using ICT in around 80% of
the lessons inspected;
❐ the increasingly effective use of ICT to support whole-class teaching;
❐ the sound ICT skills developed by the majority of the children;
❐ the growing number of teachers making good use of ICT to improve
lesson planning and preparation;
❐ the improved understanding by the majority of teachers who have
completed the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) training and other
ICT-related in-service training (INSET) of when and how to use ICT; and
❐ the high levels of satisfaction reported by most of the schools which had
the C2k managed service solution implemented.
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools 1
The report recognised the progress in the development of ICT in primary schools,
and identified a number of areas for improvement. These included the need for:
❐ the further integration of ICT to support learning and teaching across the
curriculum;
❐ the improved breadth, balance and variety in the range of ICT
experiences provided for the children, including more opportunities for
them to use ICT creatively and in problem-solving activities;
❐ principals and members of school management teams to have, and to
support effectively, a clear strategy for the development of ICT across
the curriculum, and to ensure that all of the children have consistent and
broader ICT experiences;
❐ the further development of the assessment and recording of the
children’s achievements in ICT;
❐ better and more frequent use of ICT in the development of the children’s
literacy and numeracy skills and in supporting children with special
educational needs (SEN);
❐ a more strategic and coherent approach by Curriculum Advisory and
Support Service (CASS) for the provision of ICT support; and
❐ more effective and regular monitoring and evaluation by the school of the
children’s progress and achievements in ICT.
The emPowering Schools strategy builds on the foundation laid by the ET strategy.
The Department of Education set out this strategy in 2003 to run for five years; it
seeks to build the capacity needed to use the technology well, bring about systemic
changes which embed ICT into practice, evaluate the educational benefits, quality
assure the integration and make progress towards a unified e-learning strategy.
Milestones have been established which provide a framework for the actionplanning
which needs to be undertaken.
An important development in the strategy is LearningNI, a managed learning
environment. LearningNI, a wide area network (WAN) e-learning environment, is
available to schools in NI. LearningNI aims to influence and will drive e-learning
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An Evaluation by the Education and Training Inspectorate of ...
development in NI’s schools over the next five years and beyond. The LearningNI
on-line environment offers a flexible, feature-rich platform and encourages and
facilitates the development of teaching communities that can be used to share
resources. It will provide access to learning resources both inside and outside the
school environment, streaming video and high speed video conferencing, and
enable schools, libraries and local communities to collaborate on developing joint
learning programmes.
This report is a follow-up to the ETI report published in 2002, and is a summary of
the findings of an inspection survey of the provision for ICT in supporting and
enhancing learning and teaching in a sample of primary schools in NI. The
inspection survey was carried out by the Inspectorate during May 2005. The
objectives of the inspection survey were to evaluate:
i. the quality of learning and teaching using ICT;
ii. the quality of planning in schools for the development of ICT; and
iii. the quality of the resources available to support the development and
enrichment of the children’s experiences using ICT.
The findings are based on evidence from the inspection of 26 primary schools
(Appendix 1). The inspectors observed approximately 350 lessons in the sample
schools across key stage (KS) 1 and KS2. Discussions were held with principals,
members of school management teams, ICT co-ordinators, teachers and children.
In addition, the inspectors examined samples of children’s work, teachers’ planning,
School Development Plans, ICT policies, schemes of work and any other
documentation, provided by the schools, which was relevant to the inspection
survey. The inspectors also identified instances of good practice in the effective
use of ICT in learning and teaching; examples of these have been included in the
report. The Inspectorate comments on the provision for ICT in supporting and
enhancing learning and teaching in all primary school focused inspections. The
conclusions regarding ICT from the 68 focused inspections carried out during the
academic year 2004/05 support this inspection survey’s findings.
Prior to the inspection, the management teams of over 950 primary schools in NI
were invited to complete an on-line self-evaluation questionnaire in order to provide
the Inspectorate with information on the provision for ICT. Almost 40% of schools
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools 3
responded to the request and a detailed database was compiled from the
information received.
2. SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
❐ In approximately 70% of the schools inspected, the quality of planning for
ICT is satisfactory or better. In nearly one-half of the schools, there is
comprehensive and detailed teachers’ planning to guide the work in ICT
and there is a shared understanding among the staff of the purpose of
ICT to support learning and teaching.
❐ In a majority of the lessons observed, the quality of the teaching is very
good and incorporates effectively a wide range of ICT applications.
❐ The range and quality of the children’s experiences using ICT are judged
to be satisfactory or better in over 75% of the schools visited.
❐ Word-processing is the most commonly used application of ICT in most
schools.
❐ In most schools the use of electronic communication, creation and
maintenance of websites, video-conferencing, control and modelling are
all under-developed and under-used.
❐ Trends of usage in primary schools indicate an increasing and more
regular use by the children of multi-media and database software, and of
Internet searches.
❐ In approximately 50% of the schools, assessment of children’s work
using ICT is weak. In these schools, there is little evidence of a
systematic process for monitoring, recording and evaluating the
children’s achievements and learning using ICT.
❐ In almost all of the schools visited, the development of ICT is one of the
priorities in the School Development Plan.
❐ In just over one-third of the schools, there is a lack of any coherent vision
or understanding at a senior level about the potential of ICT to enhance
the children’s learning experiences.
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❐ Good progress has been made in the level of ICT competences in almost
all schools since the last ICT inspection survey in 2002; the majority of
children are developing increasingly sophisticated skills in the use of ICT.
❐ Children respond to ICT in a positive way and are motivated by
ICT-related activities. In a majority of schools, the children have high
levels of interest and enthusiasm in their work in ICT; they are motivated
by the inclusion of ICT in their lessons.
❐ In almost one-third of the schools visited, the staff development
programme is not sufficiently focused on the use of ICT to enhance
learning, and monitoring and evaluation of progress are ineffective.
❐ In a majority of the lessons observed, the quality of the learning and
teaching was satisfactory or better, significant differences were observed,
however, between the provision in ICT in KS1 and KS2. The quality of
the learning and teaching was judged to be very good to excellent in
almost one-half of the lessons seen in KS2, and in just less than
one-quarter of those in KS1.
❐ The use of the digital camera has increased since the last inspection
survey and in a significant minority of schools, the children make use of it
to record class activities and school events. In the best practice seen
involving the use of the digital camera, digital images were used
effectively to stimulate discussion and promote language development.
3. SCHOOLS’ EVALUATION OF ICT PROVISION
Members of the management team within each primary school were invited to
evaluate the provision for ICT within the school in the form of a self-evaluative
on-line questionnaire prepared by the Inspectorate. The findings are summarised
below.
C2k Managed Service
❐ The majority of schools are satisfied, or very satisfied, with the C2k
managed service solution;
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools 5
❐ sixty-four per cent of the total number of computers used in the schools
are part of the Viglen C2k allocation;
❐ around 40% of responses indicated significant strengths with the
reliability of the equipment, the location of data points and the quality of
the cabling solution;
❐ more than 50% of the schools claimed to be dissatisfied with the
managed service catalogue;
❐ over half the schools indicated significant strengths with the Internet
band width;
❐ a similar number judged the C2k Helpdesk to have significant strengths;
❐ around 30% of schools judge SIMS modules to be used well to support
administration; a similar percentage judge the SIMS modules to have
little use for this purpose;
❐ over 70% make little or no use of the SIMS Assessment and SENCO
modules;
❐ almost half of the schools report that the C2k managed service has had
a major impact on the quality of teachers’ planning and on the quality of
learning;
❐ approximately one-third report a major positive impact by the C2k
managed service on the quality of teaching, on the children’s literacy and
numeracy skills and on the support for children with special educational
needs; and
❐ just over one-third of schools stated that the range and quality of the
software had significant strengths.
Support and Training
❐ More than half of the schools thought that support and advice provided
by SX3 had significant strengths;
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An Evaluation by the Education and Training Inspectorate of ...
❐ 28% of the responses cited the training offered by C2k to have significant
strengths;
❐ almost one-half of the responses indicated that, when availed of, the
advice and support offered by the CASS of the ELB were very good;
❐ nearly all schools report that the contribution of NOF ICT training has
been significant to the school’s development of ICT; and
❐ 80% of schools have availed of post-NOF ICT training, about one-third of
this training provided by the relevant ELB CASS.
Schools
❐ Almost all schools indicate some integration of ICT in the school
development planning; in just over 50%, this integration is
well-developed;
❐ almost one-third of schools report little or no monitoring of the children’s
experiences using ICT; just 10% report very close monitoring;
❐ seventy-five per cent of schools report that they monitor, evaluate and
disseminate the outcomes of any INSET in ICT closely or very closely;
❐ sixty per cent claim to be very aware of the ICT competence of teachers;
❐ almost half of the schools enter children in the CCEA KS2 Scheme of IT
Accreditation;
❐ approximately half of the schools claim to have a website; around 13% of
these are hosted by C2k, a further 13% by the relevant ELB, and 74% by
other sources;
❐ in just under 40% of the schools, the ICT facilities are available during
out-of-school hours for the children’s use; 13% of the schools facilitate
community use of the ICT equipment after school; and
❐ around 33% of all the schools report very good use is made of ICT to
support and enhance learning across the primary curriculum.
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools 7
4. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
Since the last inspection survey report in 2002, improvements are evident in
relation to overall school provision for ICT through the implementation of C2k.
Moreover, there has been a sharp rise in levels of teacher confidence in terms of
both general competence and in their use of ICT to support learning and teaching.
There are, however, some important issues which need to be addressed in order
that ICT is embedded effectively and consistently in primary schools.
❐ In over one-third of schools, there is an absence at senior management
level of effective strategic thinking and planning for the integration of ICT
in the school’s provision. There is the need for these schools to plan for
the systematic development of ICT throughout the school, to ensure that
its potential to support and enhance learning and teaching is realised
fully, and that the range of ICT experiences for all of the children is
sufficiently broad and coherent.
❐ In the majority of schools, there is a need for the systematic monitoring
and evaluation of the provision for ICT throughout the school. Schools
need to develop further the effectiveness of their assessment strategies
in order to evaluate the contribution that the use of ICT makes to the
children’s learning. They need to consider how best to implement an
effective framework for the assessment of all aspects of ICT, i.e. the
range and quality of experiences, ICT capabilities and the contribution
their ICT has made to learning and teaching across the curriculum.
❐ Continuing staff development in ICT is necessary to increase the
teachers’ awareness and understanding of the potential of ICT to support
learning and teaching. In a significant minority of schools, the staff are
committed to the development of their ICT competence through a
combination of appropriate school-based and centre-based training.
Despite this, many teachers still need further professional development
to enable them to use the wide range of available software tools and ICT
equipment more effectively to support and enhance learning and
teaching. Significant investment to date in teachers’ professional
development and training through major initiatives, including NOF and
‘Connecting Teachers’, needs to be sustained and extended at a
strategic level in order to strengthen teachers’ confidence and provide
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An Evaluation by the Education and Training Inspectorate of ...
them with the necessary resources and skills to embed ICT into their
practice.
❐ In most nursery units attached to primary schools, some provision has
been made to include the unit in the school’s C2k network, giving access
by the staff and the children to the managed service. There is no such
provision nor access for nursery schools and other stand alone
pre-school centres with places funded by DE. To ensure parity of
access, the managed service needs to be extended when resources
allow to include all pre-school children.
❐ During the course of the inspection survey, there was a growing
awareness among teachers of the potential of Learning NI as a flexible,
feature-rich on-line environment, to encourage and facilitate access to,
and sharing of, resources within and across educational communities. It
is important that school management and staff are fully aware of, and
trained in, how to maximise the benefits for learning and teaching in this
important development.
Information and communication technology has the potential to improve,
significantly, the quality of learning, teaching and management in schools and to
help raise the attainments of the learners. The findings of this report provide a
context within which schools can review and self-evaluate their current provision for
ICT and identify aspects for further improvement. The report records the progress
made from the ICT report of 2002 and highlights the need to build on the current
effective practice to ensure that children benefit from enriched ICT experiences in
primary schools, that they have the necessary ICT skills to support their work in
post-primary education and that they engage effectively in an increasingly
information-based society.
...Information and Communication Technology in Primary Schools 9
APPENDIX
SCHOOLS IN THE
INSPECTION SURVEY
Ballee Primary School, Ballymena
Ballymacward Primary School, Lisburn
Brooklands Primary School, Dundonald
Bunscoil an Chaistil Primary School, Ballycastle
Carr Primary School, Lisburn
Castledawson Primary School
Cookstown Primary School
Drumbo Primary School
Gaelscoil Ui Dhochartaigh Primary School, Strabane
Hamiltonsbawn Primary School, Armagh
Hardy Memorial Primary School, Richhill
Macosquin Primary School, Coleraine
Mossley Primary School, Newtownabbey
Oakgrove Integrated Primary School, Londonderry
Our Lady's Primary School, Tullysaran
Rathenraw Integrated Primary School, Antrim
Sacred Heart Primary School, Rock, Dungannon
St Jarlath's Primary School, Blackwaterstown, Dungannon
St Joseph's Primary School, Killenan
St Kevin's Primary School, Belfast
St Malachy's Primary School, Castlewellan
St Mary's Primary School, Glenview, Maghera
St Patrick's Primary School, Aughagallon, Craigavon
Tannaghmore Primary School
Termoncanice Primary School, Limavady
Victoria Primary School, Carrickfergus
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© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2006
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial
purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that
the source and date thereof are stated.
Copies of this report may be obtained from the Inspection Services Branch,
Department of Education, Rathgael House, 43 Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down
BT19 7PR. A copy is also available on the DE website: www.deni.gov.uk

Educational research into using ICT to reduce teacher workloads – a selection of abstracts and further sources

Educational research into using ICT to reduce teacher workloads
– a selection of abstracts and further sources
Introduction
This document presents a selection of research into reducing teacher workloads through ICT.
Rather than being an exhaustive literature review, the collection of 14 abstracts should be
seen as a starting point for those interested in the topic.
While research on the nature and extent of teacher workloads is extensive, there is
considerably less on the role ICT can play in reducing workloads. Much of the research is in
the form of Government-funded projects, supported by case examples and articles in
newspapers, the professional press and on-line. There is very little from academic literature
and refereed journals. One reason for the lack of academic research in this field may be that
measurement of time saving can be problematic, especially when comparing the effects of
two or more approaches to a given task. Activities can be interrupted and the onset of fatigue
is often not assessed.
As a result, there is far more advice than evidence on using ICT to reduce workloads.
Examples of good practice are often anecdotal and the benefits ICT is said to have brought in
these cases are rarely quantified. In many of the examples it is not clear whether the switch
to ICT has reduced workloads or merely changed how and where tasks are undertaken. For
this reason, it is important to treat the findings with caution and exercise judgement in
assessing their wider applicability.
Most of the major pieces of research in this field deal with workloads in general, with specific
mentions of the role of ICT. This reflected in the selection of literature cited here. Other
selected documents consider the potential for a particular application of ICT to reduce
workloads.
Becta’s Evidence and Research team welcomes discussion on this topic through the
Research Network, and indeed, suggestions for further additions to this bibliography.
__________________________________________________________________________
Abstracts
ACCOUNTS COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND and HM INSPECTORS OF SCHOOLS 1999.
Time for teaching. Edinburgh: The Scottish Office.
A report examining how schools in Scotland carry out their administrative tasks. The report
argues that improving the way administration is handled in schools would lead to significant
savings of teachers’ time; the time released by streamlining administration could be used on
tasks which are central to teaching, to raising attainment and to improving the overall quality
of provision. The findings are based on examples of good practice found in some Scottish
schools. The report recommends that schools use both administrative staff and ICT more
effectively, while authorities should help by supporting schools in implementing the
recommendations as well as by reviewing their own practices. It also recommends that
discussions about the ways in which schools are structured should take account of the
administration issues raised by the study. The report includes checklists for schools and
education authorities to help them review their approach to administration.
__________________________________________________________________________
BETTER REGULATION TASK FORCE 2000. Red tape affecting headteachers. London:
Cabinet Office.
This review identifies areas of regulation which distract primary and secondary headteachers
from their core responsibilities and suggests possible improvements. It focuses on red tape
arising from statutory obligations, DfES guidance and LEA requirements, and considers the
ways in which governing bodies and LEAs impact on headteachers. The four main areas of
concern identified in the review are lines of accountability, the complexity of funding
arrangements, reporting requirements and the lack of administrative support. The review
recognises the role ICT can play in reducing red tape and recommends the DfES establish
and implement an effective ICT strategy for the management of schools.
__________________________________________________________________________
BRITISH COLUMBIA TEACHERS FEDERATION. Teacher workload
http://www.bctf.ca/info/research/workload.html [Accessed 11 November 2002].
A portal providing annotated links to research on teacher workloads from Canada and around
the world, including some from the UK. The sites, comprising primarily of surveys, studies
and press reports, have been selected on the basis of credibility and comprehensiveness
__________________________________________________________________________
BUSHWELLER, K. 2000. The smarter office: how school districts are automating
administrative tasks. The Electronic School, March 2000. http://www.electronicschool.
com/2000/03/0300f2.html [Accessed 11 November 2002].
Article describing a pilot project of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF) in Ballston
Spa Central School District, New York. SIF is a technology industry initiative to build software
systems that break down the traditional administrative barriers between different school
departments. The SIF model allows each school department to choose the software and
supplier which suits it best while allowing departments to share data The article outlines the
benefits that SIF has brought to Ballston Spa – reductions in paperwork and data entry,
greater access to and more sophisticated use of information – but also considers some of the
problems and issues associated with its implementation, such as the need for data security.
__________________________________________________________________________
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS 2001. Information management supporting
success: making it a reality. London: DfES.
A guide for using ICT more effectively in the management and administration of schools. It
outlines the benefits of effective information management, current and future data collection
requirements, and the DfES’ aims for information management. The guide contains two indepth
examples of good practice, one from a small, rural school, the other from a larger
primary school with a well-developed information management strategy. The examples
describe how using ICT in management and administration has helped to reduce workloads
within the schools.
__________________________________________________________________________
HOLDICH, C.E., 2002. Assessing aspects of children's written grammar: automating the
process. Computers and Education, 39 (1), pp. 37-50.
An evaluation of experimental software which analyses pupils’ written grammar. Teachers
regularly assess pupils’ writing to provide feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.
Computerised analysis of the grammar used in children’s writing could significantly reduce
teacher’s workload. Text analysis to date has been mainly geared towards adults, yet a
computerised analysis of pupils’ grammar could be profitable and was undertaken. This took
into account how children’s writing abilities develop, and the criteria which are used by the
National Curriculum levels of attainment for the National Tests. Ten features of grammar
were chosen for analysis and stories representing the range of attainment reached by the end
of Key Stage 2 were analysed. Positive and negative grammar features within the stories
analysed were successfully distinguished by computer. Nevertheless, teachers will still be
needed to make an assessment of qualitative genre details for a balanced assessment which
includes all elements that contribute to effective writing.
__________________________________________________________________________
GREENE, K. et al. 2002. Administrative support staff in schools: ways forward. Slough:
National Foundation for Educational Research.
Examines the impact of administrative support in schools. The report looks at how
administrative staff support teachers in their work and how effective use of ICT can improve
administration. Based on a literature review, case studies and surveys, the report examines
the administrative tasks undertaken by both teachers and support staff, and the use of ICT
among both these groups. It considers how re-allocation of tasks and better training could
improve administrative efficiency and the impact this might have on pupils’ learning and the
work of teachers and administrative staff. The report concludes that while the impact of
reducing teacher administration on pupil performance is so far not significant, there is scope
for a more detailed examination of this. The report makes a number of recommendations
based on its findings, including making more effective use of ICT to reduce the amount of
time teachers spend on the administrative aspects of their work.
__________________________________________________________________________
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS 2002. Good practice in cutting bureaucracy: Reducing
bureaucratic burdens Phase 2. London: DfES.
Reports on a project commissioned by the DfES to investigate, test and implement a holistic
approach to reducing bureaucratic burdens in a range of schools. Phase 2 focused in
particular on the introduction of ICT and electronic data handling and the transfer of tasks
from teachers to support staff. The researchers worked with six schools drawn from Surrey
and Birmingham LEAs, producing 12 project descriptions of particular bureaucracy-cutting
initiatives. These include: electronic pupil profiles, using ICT in curriculum planning, and
electronic recording and monitoring of pupil performance. As well as the specific benefits to
each school, the report outlines the wider applicability of each of the initiatives, concluding
that more effective use of ICT saves teachers’ time, thereby boosting morale and reducing
stress. The report also found an number of other benefits, including an improvement in
teachers’ ICT skills and confidence, increased communication and collaboration between
staff, and more accurate record-keeping.
__________________________________________________________________________
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS 2001. Teacher workload study: final report. London: DfES.
Final report from a project commissioned by the DfES in March 2001 to identify the main
factors that determine teachers’ and headteachers’ workload, and to develop a programme of
practical action to eliminate excessive workload and promote the most effective use of all
resources in schools in order to raise standards of pupil achievement. The report is based on
fieldwork in over 100 schools, discussions with many national and local bodies, an exercise to
benchmark teachers’ hours against other UK occupations and against overseas teachers, and
a national seminar with key stakeholders. The report outlines a wide range of both ICTrelated
and non-ICT-related measures to help cut workloads, including better access to
school networks and web-based teaching resources. Included are three case examples and
a draft framework implementation model for reducing teacher workloads.
__________________________________________________________________________
RAY, B. and PATTERSON, S. 2001. Paperwork on the fly: PDAs prove useful for busy
educators. http://www.emtech.net/pda_on_the_fly.htm [Accessed 11 November 2002].
A case study of teachers’ experiences with Personal Digital Assistants at Westlawn Middle
School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. All teachers in the school were provided with Palm Pilot
handheld computers and various software programs to assist them in keeping up with
paperwork and student assignments. The report describes how teachers have used the
PDAs to take notes, record disciplinary incidents, track students’ work and grades, and to
share work information with one another, while using Hot Sync hardware and software to
synchronise data with home and classroom computers. The report considers the future
potential of PDAs in education, concluding that because of their portability, low cost and ease
of use, PDAs may be a more useful tool than laptops in helping teachers manage their
administrative burden.
__________________________________________________________________________
SCHOOL TEACHERS’ REVIEW BODY 2002. Special review of approaches to reducing
teacher workloads. London: TSO.
A supplementary report to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Teacher Workload Study examining
approaches to remodelling the teaching profession to reduce workloads. In particular, the
report looks at teachers’ professional time and how it can be guaranteed, continuing
professional development, and work undertaken outside of teachers’ contractual hours. It
includes a section on the contribution ICT can make, focusing on the potential for ICT to
reduce the burden of administrative tasks. Appended with a list of 25 common tasks that
need not be routinely performed by teachers but should be carried out by administrative staff
or through the use of ICT.
__________________________________________________________________________
SELINGER, M. and YAPP, C. 2001. ICTeachers. London: IPPR.
A pamphlet consisting of two articles on the state of ICT use in schools, with a particular focus
on how the use of ICT needs to be broadened both to improve pedagogy and reduce the
burdens on teachers. The first article considers how technology could transform the structure
of schools and the nature of the learning relationship, boosting morale and freeing up
teachers’ time for planning, training and evaluation. The second article suggests that the job
of teacher has become too broad and argues that the pervasive deployment of ICT could help
re-define roles while enabling teachers to provide a more flexible learning experience.
__________________________________________________________________________
TELEM, M. and BUVITSKI T. 1995. The potential impact of information technology on the
high school principal: a preliminary exploration. Journal of Research on Computing in
Education, 27 (3), pp. 281-296
This study looks at the impact of information technology on the role of the high school
principal. Findings suggest that the introduction of a management information system into the
school resulted in changes in the clerical, managerial control, and strategic aspects of the
principal’s role. Forty-three tasks representative of this role were investigated, all belonging
to five domains: instruction administration, instructional processes, interactions between
groups and individuals, school finance and logistical support, and interactions with groups and
institutions in the community. The study concludes that the introduction of a management
information system improved principals’ access to and analysis of school data and increased
their independence as information users.
__________________________________________________________________________
ZIPIN, L. 2002. Too much with too little: shift and intensification in the work of ACT teachers.
http://www.aeuact.asn.au/resources/Wkld_Report.pdf [Accessed 11 November 2002].
An Australian study reporting on a small scale consultation on the nature of teachers’
workload through focus groups with preschool, primary, high school and college teachers.
Four focus groups of eight to ten participants (one for each school sector) were convened in
November 2001. The focus group questions targeted four key domains: factors of work
change and intensification; school governance and teacher empowerment; the interface
between teachers’ work and changing social context factors; and impacts of work change and
intensification on teachers’ health, emotions, professional identity and social relations (both
within and beyond school). The study shows how changes in the teaching profession and the
demands being made on teachers (include those made by the introduction of technology)
have affected teachers’ lives, illustrating how inappropriate deployment of ICT can increase
both workload and levels of stress.
__________________________________________________________________________
Further Sources
ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS AND LECTURERS 2001. Time well spent: work that
teachers value. London: ATL.
ATKINS, J. and ROBINSON, K.D. 2001. Teacher professionalism and workload: “client-side”
advice. London: National Union of Teachers.
BECTA 2002. Connecting schools, networking people. Coventry: Becta.
BECTA 2001. Using ICT to enhance home-school links. Coventry: Becta.
BECTA 2001. Management information supporting success in primary schools. Coventry:
Becta.
CABINET OFFICE and DFEE 2000. Making a difference: reducing school paperwork .
London: Cabinet Office.
COWEN, R. 2001. How ICT will change public education. Computer Education 99, pp.18-23.
DFEE 2001. Code of practice on Local Education Authority–school relations. London: DfEE.
DFES 2002. Bureaucracy cutting toolkit. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cuttingburdens/index.shtml
[Accessed 11 November 2002]
DFES 2002. Transforming the way we learn: a vision for the future of ICT in schools. London:
DfES.
EASTHOPE, C. and EASTHOPE, G. 2000. Intensification, extension and complexity of
teachers' workload. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 21 (1), pp.43-58.
FREEDMAN, T. 2001. Managing ICT. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
FREEDMAN, T. 2001. How to manage the predictable. Interactive June/July 2001, pp.11-12.
GALTON, M., GRAY, J. and RUDDOCK, J. 1999. The impact of school transitions and
transfers on pupil progress and attainment. Research report no. 131. London: DfEE.
IRVING, J. 1998. Information technology and school administration. In: H. HORNE, ed. The
school management handbook 5th ed. London: Kogan Page, 1998.
KYRIACOU, C. and STEPHENS, P. 1999. Student teachers' concerns during teaching
practice. Evaluation & Research in Education, 13 (1), pp.18-31.
LEWIS, R. 2000. Information and communications technology in LEAs: use of ICT for
management and administration. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research.
LOVELESS, A.M., WILLIAMS, C.M. and KUTNICK, P.J. 2000. Evaluating Teachers’ Use of
Portable Computers in Administration and the Curriculum. Paper presented at the British
Educational Research Association Conference, Cardiff University, September 7-10 2000.
LOWE, J.L. 1999. The electronic road ahead. In: Teaching with technology. Annapolis
Junction: National Education Association of the United States. Available at:
http://home.nea.org/books/twt/ [Accessed 11 November 2002].
MALE, D.B. 1999. Special school inspection and its effects on teachers' stress and health,
workload and job-related study. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 14 (3),pp.254-
268.
MAYO, J. 2000. Effective reporting in education. Public Services Productivity Panel Report
27. London: HM Treasury.
MORRIS, E. 2001. Professionalism and trust: the future of teachers and teaching. London:
DfES.
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http://top.ngfl.gov.uk/content.php3?content=content/b956245287.html [Accessed 11
November 2002].
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release 22 October 2002.
http://www.learning.wales.gov.uk/scripts/fe/news_list_archive_bysubject.asp?CatID=24
[Accessed 11 November 2002].
O'DONOGHUE, T.A. and CHALMERS, R. 2000. How teachers manage their work in inclusive
classrooms. Teaching & Teacher Education, 16 (8), pp.889-904.
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http://www.dfee.gov.uk/teacher/teachmag0100/data/resource/data/more03.htm [Accessed 11
November 2002].
SCANLON, M. 1999. The impact of Ofsted inspections. Slough: National Foundation for
Educational Research.
SLOANE, D.E. 2001. Why I like teaching online. ADE Bulletin, 129, pp.63-64.
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framework . http://www.sifinfo.org/default.html [Accessed 11 November 2002].
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TIMPERLEY, H.S. and ROBINSON, V.M.J. 2000. Workload and the professional culture of
teachers. Educational Management & Administration, 28 (1) pp. 47-62
WHELAN, R. 2000. How schools can get the most from their information resources. European
Schoolnet.
http://www.en.eun.org/eun.org2/eun/en/_News_search_news/content.cfm?ov=1124&lang=en
[Accessed 11 November 2002].

The e-enabled primary school

The e-enabled primary school
National context
There is currently much talk about e-learning and future schools. Some argue
that pervasive technology will inevitably impact on current provision in many
ways. Traditional ideas about the place, time and pace of education may need to
change. The Internet, e-learning resources and Curriculum on Line will affect the
curriculum, both in terms of content and delivery. How does this fit in with the
current National Curriculum and the pursuit of “standards” in literacy and
numeracy? There is evidence to show that the primary curriculum could be
narrowing as a result of recent national strategies. If new technology is used just
to do the same things in a more effective way then we will have missed an
opportunity for real progress. How then can we best prepare for the changes to
come?
There has been an improvement in ICT developments in primary schools but
Ofsted still report that there are significant shortfalls, particularly in the strategic
leadership of ICT, and NOF training, in most cases, has proved unsatisfactory.
Many heads / leadership teams maybe unclear / or don’t know how to progress.
The challenge for the profession is to “close the gap” between “leading edge” and
“emerging” schools in terms of the way ICT supports teaching, learning,
management and administration. Opportunities and challenges will be outlined
for leaders who wish to maximise the effective use and continuing development
of e-learning.
This study aims to provide practical support to school leaders, now and in the
immediate future, by identifying some possible steps that schools could take, in
order for to move forward.
These key questions will be addressed.
What could the primary school curriculum of the future look like? How can
leaders encourage creative divergent thinking in the current context of a
prescriptive standards driven curriculum?
What is the nature of learning in leading edge schools? How does this translate
into classroom practice?
What can current / new leadership teams learn from leading edge practice?
How might e-learning change the primary school?
How will school leaders manage the balance between, and possible transition
from, traditional learning to e-learning?
How will leaders support and develop staff in terms of evolving pedagogy and
changing technology?
Literature review
The debate about the role of ICT and “schools of the future” has been taking
place for some time. However it is yet to become a “strategic discussion”
embedded in the deliberations of policy makers and current school leadership
teams. Becta (website), the British Computer Society (publication & website) and
the Technology Colleges Trust (web site & working party) have all considered
future scenarios in recent years. Employers have for some time been outlining
the skills and qualities needed by present and future workers, and that these
seem to be at odds with current educational practice. The current notion of
school improvement and the issues surrounding the “standards drive” appear at
odds with the need for personal and economic creativity. Often the issue is
portrayed as an either or, but does this have to be the case? Furthermore some
discussion about future schools has concentrated on the technology of the future
(often portrayed as far fetched), when the reality is that many in the profession
(and particularly those in leadership positions) are still “uncomfortable” with ICT.
How can we best make some headway with futures thinking? Much work has
recently been undertaken into researching how we best learn, multiple
intelligences and individual learning styles / preferences. This has been well
documented already and it is not within the scope of this work to go into any
detail on the subject. This study assumes that the latest findings on how learners
learn will be incorporated into futures thinking.
Despite recent advancement in the use of ICT in schools John Ingram (Digital
Intelligence – the psychology of learning and literacy) argues that five structures
dominate the linguistic-mathematical model of formalized education. These core
structures, which form the traditional educational pedagogy and practice, are
place, space, time power and pace. The definition of each structure relies on the
belief that knowledge is centred on both the teacher and the curriculum. The
learner is dependent on others in terms of what should be learned and how it
should be learned. The teachers job is to teach and disseminate mainly linguistic
and mathematical based knowledge and information. The following table looks at
the five core structures as they are now and redefines them in terms of digital or
e-learning.
Traditional learning e-enabled learning
Place Since formal schooling began
society has defined the place
where learning is to occur as
school. By doing this society
has also defined the form of
teaching and learning that
should occur there, and
determined who will teach.
Professional teachers have to
be trained and certified in the
delivery of this formalized
practice, which more often
than not emphasizes a
linguistic – mathematical
knowledge and training.
The internet and computer
networks are “distributed “ and
by definition not tied to a
single place or defined setting.
Don Tapscott (1998) refers to
the current generation of
children as the “Network
Generation) capable of
learning anytime anywhere as
long as they have access to a
computer. Learning already
takes place in the home,
libraries and places outside of
school. The trend has started
and will continue to expand.
Current predictions are that
the number of connections to
the internet will quadruple
during the next five years.
“Learning and the
development of digital
intelligence can now take
place wherever the learner
has access to a network
connection and a computer. It
is becoming increasingly
unlikely that this place is the
school (White 1997).
Space Ingram sees schools as one of
four major settings in industrial
society in which large groups
of people are confined to small
spaces for extensive periods
of time, primarily for
socialization. This entails
exposure to, and assimilation
of, linguistic-mathematical
cognitive processes. Within
the limited space of the school
building, the teacher, the book
and the worksheet are all
available and are all seen as
unquestionably valuable.
The virtual nature of digital
information requires a
redefinition of space. Digital
information is virtual,
distributed, non-dimensional
and asynchronous and
accordingly space for learning
can no longer be defined as
just the school. As well as
space defined as wherever a
learner is connected to a
computer and network, there
is virtual space, in the form of
websites, and virtual
classrooms.
Time The allocation of time to
schooling has changed little
Digitally based learning
materials (CD Roms –Internet)
since compulsory education
began. It met the needs of an
industrial based culture with
three major blocks of time
allocated to a school year.
Central government also
controls time through
initiatives such as the literacy
hour and the numeracy
strategy. The curriculum is
delivered through subjects
allocated blocks of time,
further reinforced by Ofsted.
During inspections schools
provide information as to how
time is allocated to subjects in
the curriculum. Time is
allocated to subjects usually at
the expense of individuals
preferred learning styles.
are not time restricted and are
available “24/7”, and is under
the control of the learner
rather than the state or school.
The availability of online
learning resources raises the
question of concurrent
learning, which is something
that the teaching profession is
going to have to assimilate.
As access to digital media
becomes less expensive and
more widespread individual
learners will have more control
over what they want to learn
and independent learning
strategies will play a more
central role. The development
of new learning styles, based
on higher order critical
thinking, self determination
and intrinsic motivation, will
challenge the existing position
in schools today.
Power Within the traditional model of
schooling power rests with
central government and school
based professionals. Central
government determines the
curriculum and the teachers
deliver it according to
government mandates. The
learner, therefore, has very
little power in the learning
context. Absorbtion of
information, memorization and
the ability to reproduce it
under examination conditions
develop only lower order
thinking skills – at odds with
the requirements of the current
and future workforce.
Digital technology allows for a
fundamental shift in the control
of learning. Rather than the
teacher controlling the flow of
information and the learning
style the learner is able to
access what is needed and in
a preferred learning style. This
in turn requires schools to
teach new strategies to pupils.
These include the ability to set
goals, invent search
techniques and develop critical
thinking.
Pace Traditionally it is the teacher
that controls pace. As a child
moves through the system so
the pace increases along with
the amount and complexity of
information to learn.
Ownership of pace setting is a
form of social control and often
alienates the learner. Once
again being able to pace one’s
own work is a skill prized by
employers but often ignored
Networked digital technology
allows learners the opportunity
to set their own learning pace.
Tapscott (1998) argues that it
is through self pacing that
pupil’s abilities as learners
emerge in response to using
digital technology. With a
teacher in the role of
facilitator/mentor new digital
intelligences emerge. These
include goal setting, reflection,
by schools. critical evaluation, time
management, greater
motivation and self esteem. All
of which are highly prized by
current and future employers.
The Institute of Electrical Engineers report provides some useful insights in to
education in the future. It’s intention is to provoke discussion and the scenario it
portrays is intentionally radical. As well as considering what the educational world
might be like in the future the report discusses what might happen in the interim
and the steps needed to be taken to encourage the development of desirable
outcomes. They argue that their report is critical because teachers practicing in
10-20 years time are probably either in training now or in the initial stage of their
careers.
Their fundamental question is “what kind of improved education system are we
going to propose for the society of tomorrow, given the rapid transformation of
information and communication technologies?”. They also argue that although
we cannot forecast the developments that will be made in ICT we can accept that
ICT will be pervasive, more powerful and that its application will be based on
ever improving understanding of the needs of individual learners and
organizations. It is difficult to predict what the technology of the future will look
like. However it is reasonably safe to assume that there will be a continuing trend
in increased performance and capacity, portability and wearability. Prices will
continue to fall, distance will increasingly become irrelevant and change will be
ever more rapid.
Initially the report outlines current and potential changes in society brought about
as a result of technological developments. Organisations commonly use
technology to become more effective or more efficient. This affects jobs and job
opportunities. Fewer staff are employed in manual and craft jobs and more
recently in “white-collar” jobs such as banking and insurance. Jobs which are
removed by technology may be replaced by other jobs, and there will of course
be a need for a highly skilled workforce able to develop and apply ICT. Selfemployment
and contract working which involve greater self-reliance are tending
to increase. The pattern of work in the future may be very different, with more self
–employment, working from home, long working hours, but a shorter working life
in terms of years, and less job security.
Seltzer and Bentley (The Creative age – Knowledge and skills for the new
economy – DEMOS) develop these ideas further. “Yet while the underlying
economic structures of society are undergoing a dramatic transformation, our
educational structures are lagging behind.” The challenge of delivering new skills
and competencies is only being partially met by the creation of a new “lifelong
learning” infrastructure. Innovative use of ICT only exists on the fringe of
education, unlike the mainstream where the dominant paradigm still focuses on
what pupils know rather than how they use what they know. Their study argues
that workers of tomorrow will be “knowledge workers” who will require skills not
delivered by the current educational system. They call for information
management, self organization, reflection and evaluation, personal and inter
personal skills to be developed in pupils today. They also say that the most
valuable forms of innovation increasingly rely on inter disciplinary work and risk
taking, again rarely found in schools today.
The IEE report distinguishes three aspects of education, in broad terms. The
goals, objectives and functions of education are well recorded in many
documents, but here they focus on three overlapping aspects;
• Intellectual: skills in finding, interpreting, exploiting and creating
information and data.
• Social and behavioural: including personal life skills and competencies.
• Manual: skills requiring dexterity as in the creative and performing arts
and sports, and in the use of tools and machinery.
Intellectual education should move from learning and knowing facts (ephemeral)
to the development of intellectual skills in handling information. These can be
summarized as learning how to acquire, learn from and use information. This
requires the development of enquiring minds and breadth of thinking. It
encompasses the encouragement of clear thinking patterns for analysis and
synthesis, the development of motivation and tenacity in problem solving. This
will also require a fundamental re think of assessment, focusing on individual
continuous assessment rather than the current summative exam based system.
Social education should enable pupils not only to acquire skills for the present,
but also attitudes and competencies helping them deal with the future and the
inevitability of change. The skills include management and self-development
skills, confidence in the use of existing and new ICT and team working.
The inclusion of manual skills will still be important in future schools. More time
for leisure activities may make this important as will the growth of ICT in manual
skill areas.
As far as Primary education is concerned in the future the report argues that the
3R’s needs replacing with the acronym CUPID.
C comprehension: ability to read text, obtain information from tables, diagrams,
graphs and to interpret still and moving images and sounds.
U use: ability to evaluate and apply information for oneself and others, including
elements of numeracy.
P presentation: ability to provide information to others, individually and groups
and to machines.
ID Information devices and applications: ability to select information tools and
other tools or functions which are appropriate to a given purpose and to operate
them.
The traditional notion of a school where information is disseminated
(unidirectional, top down process), will change to a means of multi-way
information communication between and among teachers, parents and pupils in
which there is no single locus of control. Pupils will have access to their own
“machine for learning and assessment” (MfLAs) enabling them to have individual
learning assignments. Pupils will learn individually, in groups (not constrained by
age) and in locations other than schools. All of this requires current leaders to
engage in futures thinking now.
What might this mean for teachers and their role in the future school?
Chris Yapp (“reinventing the teacher: the impact of pervasive technology” in
From victims of Change to Agents of Change – the future of the teaching
profession ) argues that the use of pervasive technology will make the factory
model of schooling, inappropriate. He also says that it is a fallacy to believe that
in the future school new teacher equals old teacher plus ICT. The move from
“sage on the stage to guide on the side” is not helpful as it implies that the use of
technology diminishes in some way the role of the teacher. Learning is a social
and socializing experience, and technology will impact upon the organization of
teaching and learning as well as the delivery of lessons. Yapp sees several
teaching roles in the future not all of which need to be carried out by teachers as
we perceive them today. The names given to the various roles are self
explanatory, but he details them fully in his article.
• Master teachers/Narrators
• Learning Resource Managers
• Learning coaches
• Curriculum Managers/ Agents
• Staff Development Managers
• Advice and guidance Professionals
• Educational Administrators
• Trainees
Yapp suggests that primary schooling would continue to have a tightly focused
common curriculum and that increased resources would be used to introduce
flexibility into learning approaches, creativity and early diagnosis of strengths and
weaknesses. In addition to the basic standards in literacy and numeracy the
transition from primary to secondary would be based around the pupil having
acquired a group of basic learning to learn, study and thinking skills. This clearly
has implications for staff development now as the teachers of tomorrow are
developing today. How as leaders do we / can we prepare for this?
Dr Peter Ellyard (Director – Preferred Futures International – Melbourne) in his
paper ‘Leadership, learning and innovation for thrival and thrivability in a Planetist
Future’ argues that there are three reasons why education is the most important
investment in the future and learning is the most powerful instrument for shaping
the future.
“the first is the need for people and organizations to remain adaptable and to
learn continually in order to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The second is the
need to develop a knowledge-based or brain-powered economic and industrial
system where prosperity will be determined not by what is found beneath the
ground but by what is found between the ears. Knowledge is the key to wealth
generation. The third reason is to maintain the use of the education system for
creating a more equitable society.”
Most leaders today are familiar with the notion of lifelong learning. Ellyard
believes that teachers of the future will need to develop a new model and
pedagogy of learning. He suggests that this new learning culture should contain
eight elements:
1. Life-long learning – curricula need not be overcrowded as people have
their whole lives to learn and not just the few years of schooling. Emphasis
should be placed on the primary phase and pupils should leave with a love
of learning, driven by curiosity and with high levels of Ict skills to support
further learning.
2. Learner driven learning – Traditional teacher initiated learning needs to
move towards all learning being learner initiated and learner managed.
Independence needs to replace dependence on the teacher.
3. Just in time learning – Borrowed from manufacturing this concept should
now be applied to education to ensure that learning mostly occurs when
there is a high motivation to learn. Modern technology permits us to
provide such a learning system.
4. Customised learning – Building on advances in knowledge about how
individuals learn in different ways ICT can help us develop customized
ways to promote and maximize learning for people with different multiple
intelligencies.
5. Transformative learning – the transformative concept of learning is
critical in the world of rapid change. Learning should transform people and
challenge and change belief systems and behavioural patterns to meet
new needs and opportunities. Assessment will need to change to measure
transformation and not just knowledge acquisition.
6. Collaborative learning – globalisation is a basic part of our emerging
interdependent culture, and collaborative learning will become an
increasingly important part of the learning culture. The ability to work as
part of a group will be a vital life skill.
7. Contextual learning – we have long known that learning is most effective
when it occurs in an environment which makes the learning relevant to the
expectations and experiences of the learner. Traditional learning does not
embrace this however modern technology has the capacity to create a
variety of virtual reality processes that can improve learning.
8. Learning to learn – All learners need to have the capability to understand
how they think and learn and to develop their capacity in both of these
fields. This will help them to plan more effectively and drive their own
learning forward.
Ellyard suggests that schools need to become centres of innovation and this
provides us with a way in which we can move forward in terms of futures
thinking, and more importantly, action. He poses the following questions:
• What learning ways and ware can be developed to help to
customise learning for different thinking and learning preferences,
so that all may maximise their learning?
• What new learning ways and ware can be developed to customize
learning for different multiple intelligences, both to assess these
intelligences and to optimise learning in each of them?
• What learning ways and ware can we develop to create virtual
reality experiences to put learning in the context that will best assist
learning?
• What learning ways and learning wares are possible to enhance
learner driven learning and just in time learning?
Ellyard is convinced that just as today the world is being dominated by economic
growth caused by the development of the internet, in the next ten years it will be
dominated by the innovations in the field of learning, to promote the growth of
human potential, and the environment. He would like to see the education
system promote new product and services development at both the levels of the
whole system and the individual school. Currently head teachers are concerned
with the standards agenda and ways to achieve better results for our schools.
Ellyard challenges us to take this too the next step by becoming innovators. We
need to develop a system which promotes innovation to make education more
productive and effective. The case study schools have already started out on
this process.
Robin Hood Primary
Robin Hood Primary School is a two form entry primary school with a 39 place
nursery class. Currently the school has approximately 450 pupils on role. Pupils
are invariably drawn from the local council estate, 50% have ethnic minority
backgrounds, 25% qualify for free school meals and only 55 come from owner
occupied housing. The school currently has a pupil turnover of 15% annually.
The school is a Beacon school and is currently part of the national gifted and
talented project.
The school opened in 1989 in the remnants of a closed secondary school. David
Broadfield was appointed as headteacher and Ann Aston was appointed as
deputy. They are both still in post. Both head and deputy were conscious of the
fact that the school was the newest in the Birmingham LEA, and that they would
be educating children for the needs of the 21st century.
Head and Deputy believed in independent active learning with pupils being given
increasing responsibility for aspects of their own development. Although neither
had any real expertise in ICT they wanted the pupils to have access to modern
technology and the school adopted the phrase “the school of the future for the
child of today”.
Key strategies/elements
1) Shared vision
Head and deputy share a vision of education based on core values that are
translated into practice. The vision can only be realized through the work of each
teacher. Below is an extract from a paper presented to staff based on discussion
of a previous paper re the rationale that needs to underpin learning for the 21st
century. We agree that:
• “A learner-centred focus is still valuable and desirable.
• We want to create opportunities for children to engage with learning that offers
choice and progression
• The need to improve standards in Literacy and Numeracy should not squeeze
the rest of the curriculum to the extent that learning in these areas is degraded.
• There is a clear need to ensure that the higher order skills of critical thinking,
problem-solving, decision-making, teamwork and communication are at the
heart of learning activities. (This is not meant imply that Literacy and
Numeracy take no account of these skills.)
• Certain areas of knowledge/content are regarded as priorities: Development
Education issues, Citizenship, Human Rights.
• There are many elements of good practice already in operation, therefore we
build on good foundations.
• It is agreed that ICT must underpin a great deal of the work undertaken in all
areas and that the management of information is a most crucial area of study.
• It is agreed that visual literacy is as important as traditional literacy and that
the acquisition of skills will become increasingly necessary.
Overall there is a desire to put the spotlight on learning rather than teaching, and
to acknowledge that there are different learning styles.
Both David and Ann acknowledge that leaders need to have an “expandable
vision” that allows the curriculum and its delivery to evolve.
2) Learning culture
The learning culture seeks to embody independence, achievement, and high
expectations with ICT embedded in learning at all levels. The school has tried to
create and is continuing to develop, a learning culture that actively engages
pupils in developing skills and attitudes that are about ways of learning as well
as the particular subject skills that lead to attainment. They feel strongly that
teachers must ‘model’ learning to pupils and not be seen as ‘the fount of all
knowledge’. Therefore within ICT teachers at Robin Hood must be comfortable
learning alongside children and learning from children. This helps to build self
esteem and demonstrates to pupils the processes of learning that override the
barriers of age and status. The school believes children gain enormous
confidence and re-assurance when they see teachers approaching something
new in ways similar to themselves.
In addition to this the school has developed the concept of peer tutors. These are
pupils who are trained to help and support other pupils and or teachers with ICT.
The school sees this as a powerful example of the way in which the development
of ICT has supported the development of pupil leadership.
3) Staff Development
The approach to staff development at Robin Hood centres on identifying and
nurturing talent. Teachers at the school operate in a learning environment that
encourages innovation and risk taking. The leadership have established learning
policies that promote innovation and risk taking. Critical thinking, experimentation
and reflection by staff are integral to ongoing professional development thereby
honing skills to the highest degree.
The school has never appointed anyone with an ICT background to the school.
As the school grew it tended to appoint NQTs who still saw themselves as
learners. It was important that they were reflective practitioners who were
prepared to share with and learn from colleagues. It was also vitally important
that they were prepared to learn from the pupils, because pupils in KS2, and
years 5 & 6 particularly, had high levels of ICT capability.
All staff receive ongoing professional development in ICT. There are weekly
“drop in” sessions where any member of staff can ask for support with ICT
related matters. This can be software based or relate to management and
organisation of ICT in the classroom. This support is usually given by head or
deputy. Both head and deputy support ICT in the classroom by team teaching.
This is particularly the case with new members of staff, or “innovative” practice.
In an attempt to develop expertise in other members of staff the school has
sometimes split the staff into small groups and given them specific responsibility
for learning a new piece of software or new piece of equipment. This has proved
to be a particularly successful strategy.
In the light of current research and thinking regarding the effective management
of change the school is currently seeking to flatten it’s hierarchical structure with
the establishment of three leadership teams (curriculum management- curriculum
innovation- pupil support).
4) Creativity
The school has systematically developed creativity across the curriculum through
a variety of strategies. Initially they developed the conditions for nurturing
creativity both in staff and pupils. “Creating the right environment is about
supporting staff and pupils both through the learning ethos of the school and
through the provision of the tools needed”, says Ann Aston, “we want our
teachers to model creativity for their pupils seamlessly through curriculum
delivery and overtly through the display or demonstration of personal talent”.
5) Resourcing
The school is well resourced and this has come about through wise and informed
decision making. The head has made it his business to keep abreast of
developments in technology and their relevant application to the needs of the
school. There is a pupil/PC ratio of 1:6 with broadband access to all computers.
All staff have laptops and each classroom has digital projection. The school has
a bank of laptops and palmtop computers for use by pupils in and out of school.
The school’s intranet is available to all pupils from their homes. In addition to this
pupils have “free” access to scanners, digital cameras, digital video cameras and
video conferencing. The computers are based in 4 network rooms and in each
classroom.
The level of resourcing and its availability to pupils supports the independent
learning ethos of the school. During the day pupils may be sent unsupervised to
work in one of the network rooms. There is an expectation of high standards of
behaviour. Pupils know they are trusted and live up to expectations. High
standards are facilitated by teachers who set appropriate tasks, who make
learning objectives clear and set time limits. In plenary sessions teachers are
encouraged not merely to summarise what learning has been successful, but to
praise pupil focus on the learning assignment and pupil attitude.
In year 6 all pupils can come in before school from 8.20 a.m. to work at whatever
they choose. There is no close supervision. The culture is well established and
pupils are highly motivated to pursue their own areas of interest. At lunch time
SPOT (Super Pupil On Trust) cards operate to allow children to work in the
computer rooms.
6) Environment
Another crucial factors in the school’s development has been the creation of a
rich stimulating physical environment, with a keen emphasis on visual arts. All
available space has been used to display excellent works of art from around the
world as well as pupils’ and teachers’ own work. The school has its own gallery
where pupils’ work is displayed in frames, and an outdoor garden/art area where
work in sculpture is displayed.
The school has built its own 30 seat cinema for showing pupils work in
multimedia, animation and video.
7) Sustaining the vision
This has been partly enabled by the fact that the head and deputy have been in
post since the school opened. This has given stability through times of constant
change. The vision has been sustained through personal commitment and
tenacity, running with the enthusiasm of children and their interests and thereby
having tremendous fun, talent spotting, not giving up on teachers or children.
Providing opportunity for staff members to contribute to the vision has widened
the ownership and helped more people to realise they shape the future.
Ash Green Primary
The school is a feeder school for the Ridings high School in north Halifax. The
ward in which the school resides is the 726th most deprived in the country, with
54% of the pupils entitled to free school meals. The school has 329 on roll with
more than 120 on the SEN register.
Kay Hanson was appointed deputy head (with responsibility for ICT) in April
1998. Kay has a middle school background with a specialism in art and design.
Kay described herself as reasonably ICT literate on appointment but with no
knowledge of networks or anything technical. Weeks before her appointment the
school received an Ofsted report that stated ICT standards were below national
expectations and at Key Stage 2 SATs scores averaged 35% across the core
subjects.
The vision for the school was to raise pupil ICT standards quickly, use ICT as a
tool for teaching and learning and to reduce the bureaucratic workload of
teachers.
Kay had considerable support from the headteacher and the governing body who
directed resources to the vision.
Key strategies/elements
1) Learning from others
Groundwork included visiting several schools where good practice (particularly in
the effective use of integrated learning systems) had been recommended by
others.
2) Getting the staff on board
This included getting the staff to giving up the staff room and turning it into a
network room. The staff were “relieved” that someone was taking responsibility
for moving forward. Kay’s first task was to audit staff and pupil skill level in ICT.
The results confirmed her fears and Ofsted’s findings.
3) Role Model Teaching
Initially all the training/teaching was directed at the pupils, with teachers as
learners in the pupils lessons. Kay did all the teaching as she had no class
responsibility of her own (an example of matching resources to need). Pupils
made rapid consistent progress and over a 2 year period most achieved level 4.
4) Extending the day
Homework clubs were set up for pupils before and after school every day!
5) Developing the teaching and learning
Staff took on the responsibility for their own pupils and the school followed the
QCA guidelines. Behaviour, self esteem and attendance all improved and
standards in the core subjects more than doubled over a three to four year
period.
6) Entrepreneurial leadership
Kay used her considerable ability in this area to attract funds to the school. She
started parent workshops that eventually led to the school running the
ECDL(European Computer Driving Licence). She has managed to attract SRB
funding, further NOF funding and the school is in partnership with Calderdale
College, who purchased 15 laptops for work with parents/community.
7) Extending beyond the school
When the Halifax EAZ was established Ash Green became the lead primary
school and Kay was seconded to the EAZ on a 0.5 basis to manage change
across 24 primaries. Her role was to develop key staff in the other schools. This
met with varying degrees of success, mainly dependent on the level of support
from senior management within each school.
8) Sustainability
Kay trained a teaching assistant (initially a parent) who was able to support staff
in Kay’s absence when at the EAZ. This has proved to be a successful strategy
and, along with well thought out development plans and ownership by staff, has
ensured the sustainability of the developments made.
Kay felt that several things had gone better than expected and that in many ways
unintended outcomes outweighed the intended outcomes. Peer tutoring on the
part of pupils became a real strength within the school. This is something the Kay
witnessed elsewhere and brought back to her own school. The effect on pupil
esteem and confidence took the whole school community by surprise.
The community learning program was not something she set out to achieve.
However its success and the funding it attracted has enabled the school to
progress more quickly then anticipated.
Kay also felt that the increasing bureaucratic workload on schools and
particularly on senior managers was often standing in the way of schools moving
forward in innovative ways.
Chafford Hundred
Chafford Hundred is a brand new school in Thurrock Essex which has only been
in existence for a little over twelve months. This unique school has been made
possible through a partnership between the private sector and Thurrock Council.
The vision is a “one stop campus” to serve the lifelong learning needs of the local
community. This focuses on learning for people of all ages in a specially
designed building equipped with the very latest computer technology and
learning resources. It will provide integrated all age learning including primary
and secondary schools, public library and pre school and adult education.
The innovative building is based on the concept of a community learning
campus. Designed to be open and flexible, the building features an atrium and
open spaces of a style more often found in large public buildings than in schools.
“In many ways the building will be a focal point for the new Chafford Hundred
housing development, because it will meet both educational and community
needs.” (school prospectus)
The notion of a shared campus is applied to the staffing structure of the school.
The Primary headteacher and Secondary headteacher manage the site jointly
and are deputy heads of each others school.
Katherine Finn is the head of the Primary school. Chafford is her second
headship. Katherine has taught across the whole spectrum from nursery through
to secondary school. She has also been a nurse and youth worker. She is art
and design trained and has an “early years” background. She sees her strengths
as home school community and cross phase learning, whereas the secondary
head has ICT and individualised learning as her strengths.
The primary school is a one form entry school with part time nursery provision.
Key strategies
1) Primary-secondary fusion
This is the cornerstone of the “boundary breaking vision”, and it has clear links to
Chris Yapp’s idea of the blurring of the primary-secondary school boundary. The
school shares one campus (art rooms, drama and sports facilities) and shares
resources such as the library. They share administrative staff and the technical
support staff.
Staff have joint staff meetings and joint Inset. This works well except when the
content of the meeting is clearly irrelevant to a particular phase of the school.
All staff have laptops and there are whiteboards and projectors in each class and
teaching area.
Specialist teaching and specialist facilities are available to primary pupils. Year 6
pupils are taught maths alongside year seven pupils and Katherine undertakes
some teaching with the year sevens.
A future benefit will be the ease of transition between phases and a lessening of
the problems that surround continuity and progression in the curriculum between
Key Stages.
2) Individualised learning
The groundwork for individualised learning plans and one to one mentoring
begins in the primary phase. Pupils begin to take responsibility for aspects of
their own learning and independence is encouraged. Pupils have weekly
sessions with their learning mentor.
3) Community learning
Lifelong learning is part of the vision at Chafford. Pre school learning, adult
learning and the public library are fully integrated into the work of the school.
Pupils can access their work on the school network from anywhere on the
campus. Community health facilities are also sited on the campus.
4) Learning culture
The school is developing an e-learning community fundamental to which is the
adoption of new technologies. Staff are encouraged to see themselves as
learners alongside the pupils.
One year into her headship Katherine felt that the multi-disciplinary approach to
the school was working really well. She also felt that her role as Deputy of the
secondary phase was being dissipated by the demands of managing a new
primary school.
St Francis of Assisi
This case study is slightly different from the others because it is based around
the DfES Classroom of the future project.
St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Primary School has 330 children in the 3 to
11 age range. It is 1.5 entry school with an attached nursery. The school is
situated in the northern part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The school has to cope with a changing population. Children from a wide variety
of cultures attend the school. There are high numbers of children from many
different countries including Portugal, the Philippines, South America as well as
eastern Europe . A feature of the area is that families move into and out of the
area, and that there are successive immigrant groups. A number of languages
are spoken by children and their families, and many speak English as an
additional language. The proportion of children from high social and economic
groups is below the national average; many come from homes with low incomes
and live in council/municipal housing or rented accommodation and generally
modest circumstances. The housing is a
mix of modern housing, high rise flats and Victorian housing. Almost 60% of
children are entitled to free school meals, a proportion which is much higher than
the national average.
Jacqui Smith (DfES press release Feb 2001) said:
“As we enter the new Millenium, it is time to challenge current thinking on
educational building design. We need to look at new ways of helping children to
achieve more through developing technologies and create learning environments
that are truly stimulating. Classroom of the Future will help deliver this through
the building and evaluation of cutting edge examples of the types of classrooms
needed for the 21st century.”
The project at St Francis concerns the creation of a “Community Learning
Space”, which will enable learners to explore cyberspace, outer space (via the
Faulkes telescope in Hawaii) and the physical space in and around their school.
The building will hold up to 60 pupils at a time, comprising one large space with
two or four smaller rooms around and floor to ceiling observatory in the center of
the structure. A sunken lecture theatre is also proposed.
Paul Rincon, the school’s headteacher says the school was chosen to host the
project for the following reasons:
• It has ample room to house the structure.
• It is an ideal location with other local primaries and a secondary school
nearby.
• It has a strong, forward looking headteacher (LEA’s words not his) who is
keen to try new ideas and has already made a significant investment in
ICT infrastructure.
• It is already a mathematics centre of excellence in which teachers
successfully delivered maths demonstration lessons to other teachers in
the borough via the web during a pilot project with BT and City Learning
Centre.
• The school had received an very good Ofsted report stating that the pupils
were achieving above the national average in all subject areas.
• The school was in the national gifted and talented project and was well
used to sharing innovative practice.
Educational Innovations
The context for the educational innovation is a versatile space that has the
flexibility to enable the creation of “interaction zones”. These are envisaged as
individual work zones, small group work zone, teacher to single pupil interaction
zone, teacher to many interaction zone, preparation and planning zone,
assessment and feedback zone, space zone (observatory) and a virtual reality
zone.
Learning will be based on the Learner as “constructor of knowledge”, away from
the traditional teacher as expert, didactic model.
In preparation for this the Borough are preparing all schools to be “schools of the
future” having the following goals:
• All teachers proficient in a wide range of ICT tools for use across the
curriculum.
• Broadband internet access to every computer.
• A personal computing device for each teacher and pupil that can access
the school’s network from anywhere in the building, public access points
and the home.
• Video conferencing between classes, countries and outer space on
demand.
• The use of virtual reality and video on demand.
The school is already planning learning activities in preparation for the new
“classroom”. The study of space will be made very realistic for the children, for
example pupils will be able to participate in realistic command and control
exercises, during which they will be able to control the Faulkes telescope in
Hawaii.
Lessons from Case Studies
The case studies, although all different, provide valuable lessons for current /
future leaders. The following is an attempt to group lessons learned from each
into several common themes. These themes can be used as a starting points for
those who want to become involved in futures thinking / change.
Theorised/Informed practice
One of the common strands from all the case study schools is that the heads all
have a clear informed view of learning and the ways in which they want their
pupils to experience learning. They are all well thought out, very analytical and
reflective. Although the schools are clearly very different the headteachers each
have a core set of values and beliefs that underpin what they are striving to
achieve. In addition to this their core beliefs and values are not static but
evolutionary. They are developing in the light of new knowledge about learning.
Several heads have embedded this as a feature of their practice. When
planning new developments they research the area of interest by reading around
the subject. Often this involved searching the Web for information. Sites like
“fromnowon” and the personal sites of innovative practitioners like Alan
November were seen as good starting points. At Robin Hood School the head
and deputy often write “papers” for their staff to consider and relevant articles
from the Web or publications are copied, distributed and discussed at Inset.
Learning from others
This is viewed as a necessity by several of the case study schools. Constantly
reinventing the wheel is unnecessary, there is good practice around and heads
are not afraid to seek it out and use it as a benchmark / blueprint for their own
development. At Ash Green the head and deputy sought out practice they knew
would give them a starting point for what they wanted to achieve. By selecting
carefully from the experiences of other schools and modifying that experience to
take account of their own school’s unique context rapid progress was made.
Linked closely to this is the idea that successful schools / leaders are sharing
their practice. The Beacon School initiative aims to develop practice by schools
sharing knowledge. One Beacon case study school received over 250 visitors
during the last school year.
Some schools also look to individual “experts” outside of schools to develop
practice. Video conferencing is used to bring expertise into the classroom when it
is not available locally. One school sought out an animator/filmmaker to work with
pupils because support was not available at the local teachers centre.
Think big act small
Several heads offered this as a starting point for any school wanting to take on
change. It is impossible to change everything at once, far better to begin with a
seed of an idea and develop it over time. Again this has to be managed carefully
and strategies employed that maximise the chance of successful adoption and
ownership of the idea. At Robin Hood School new projects are set up with a
small core group of staff. Time and resources are given to the project to “ensure”
successful outcomes. By building on success other staff are more likely to want
to take part next time round and a culture of innovation and development has
become integral to the way the school moves forward. At Ash Green Kay
gradually bought all staff on board after providing a very supportive introduction
to ICT.
Know your starting point
A detailed audit of staff/pupil skill level and resources is an essential prerequisite
for any planned development. This was a key feature of the development at Ash
Green and has featured in all developments at Robin Hood. Ann Aston says, “At
this point it is important for the leadership team to ask itself ‘can we do more than
we think we can?”. Leaders should be explicit about what children can do and
what they want them to do. They should have a clear picture of the knowledge
skills and attitudes they want their pupils to leave with (not just SATs outcomes
focussed).
Sustainability
The vision of the leader can only be realised by taking the rest of the team along.
Leaders have to understand that sometimes less is more. They must be
prepared to lose some bits to win and succeed with the major part. They must
share ownership let the rest of the staff participate. Expertise needs to be
spread wide rather than invested in one key member of staff who might leave.
Talented teams provide more stability than one ‘star’.
Allied to this leaders should ensure that the planning for hardware and the
associated funding are sustainable. It is essential that governors are onboard
with the developments planned.
Environment
In addition to the learning environment (encompassed in the learning culture of
the school) leaders should not underestimate the physical environment, as it
gives powerful messages to learners. Chafford Hundred was purpose built and is
an ideal campus for the 21st century school. The headteacher at St Francis has
provided a creative and stimulating environment for the pupils and the classroom
of the future project at the school will enhance the learning and physical
environment substantially. Robin Hood School has also developed a stimulating
learning environment both inside and outside, that reinforces the value the school
places on independence and creativity.
Proactive
In all the case study schools the headteachers were proactive and had positive
attitudes to change. There is no blueprint for this but heads talked about knowing
their pupils, staff and communities well. They saw themselves as enablers of
others and believed that giving others confidence to try new strategies was very
important. One head spoke of distributing leadership to others. They did not feel
threatened by this and saw it strengthening their position rather than weakening
it.
Some heads were always asking questions of staff / practice / themselves. They
were constantly probing, raising the level of professional debate and encouraging
dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Heads were aiming to develop positive attitudes to change, they saw problems
as challenges and mistakes as evidence of learning. Allied to this is the idea that
they welcomed technological change and developed positive attitudes to
technical glitches. They expect glitches because they understand that technology
is not perfect.
Risk-taking
Several heads spoke of risk taking themselves and allowing/encouraging others
to do the same. High expectations of pupils led them to tackle issues in
unorthodox ways. They seem to share the same “healthy disrespect” for the
establishment and are confident in their ability to lead innovation.
Where innovative projects have been developed heads were keen to point out
that they “cannot be done on the cheap”. Serious amounts have time, resources
and support have been given to maximise the chances of the developments
being successful.
Be a role model
This has been a factor in two of the case study schools. At Ash Green Kay
delivered all the teaching in the first instance with teachers in the learning
situation alongside pupils. This modelling of learning for others is a powerful
strategy in leading change. At Robin Hood Head and Deputy teach alongside
staff, developing innovative practice. They have led, and joined in, Inset as
learners, with the rest of the staff. At St Francis there is a history of the school
doing “demonstration” lessons for other teachers in the borough.
All heads had high levels of ICT capability and demonstrated this in their daily
work.
Connected learning
All schools were trying to bridge the gap between home and school so as to
make learning seamless for their pupils. Ash Green instituted homework clubs
each day of the week and ran parent and community workshops to make parents
more aware of what their children were doing. At Chafford Hundred pupils could
access the school network from the public library on the campus site. The
classroom of the future at St Francis is intended to serve the needs of the
borough and not just the school. At Robin Hood pupils can access the school
intranet from home. This has helped involve parents in their children’s education.
The school has enabled children to access its integrated learning system from
home also, impacting positively on the school’s homework program. Access to
the intranet allows pupils to develop responsibility for aspects of their own
learning. They can access on-line tutorials and follow their own interests rather
than rely on what they learn in curriculum time.
The heads were all asked for their opinions on what they thought needed to
happen in the future to enable school leaders to manage their schools in a way
that met the needs of the future school. The following is an attempt to group
together the main ideas. The overriding opinion of all the heads was that they
saw themselves as skilled professionals who should be supported in getting on
with what they knew best.
Reduce the National Curriculum
All were adamant that this was essential for freeing up time to create space for
the school to specialise and follow its own interests. This would promote
innovation and lead to a broader range of experience for the pupils. A skills
rather than knowledge base to the curriculum should be developed.
Teacher training
This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, because teachers training
now will be needed in future schools. How will they get the knowledge skills and
attitudes needed to be professionals in the kinds of schools we have discussed?
“Reward” creative/ innovative practice
There is a feeling that creativity and innovation are not valued by a government
driven by the standards agenda. Good practice in these areas should be flagged
up and supported by LEAs and the DfES.
References
Becta - Connecting Schools Networking People - 2002 (web document &
available printed - from Becta)
British computer Society - 2000 & beyond a school odyssey - BCS working
party (web site or from BCS in Swindon)
Employers - Institute of Manpower Services Graduate Review 1992(quoted in the
Guardian newspaper some time ago)
Institute of Electrical Engineers - Information and Communications Technology
and Primary and Secondary Education in 2020 - to school or not to school -
March 2001(web site)
John Ingram (Digital Intelligence - the psychology of learning and literacy)
TC Trust - Futures Thinking Now - TC Trust Vision 2020 on-line conference
June 2001(web based tctrust site)
Seltzer and Bentley - The Creative Age- Knowledge and skills for the new
economy - Demos 1999
Chris Yapp – Reinventing the Teacher: the impact of pervasive technology: in
From Victims of Change to Agents of Change, IPPR 2002.