065. Harnessing Technology Funding: Guidance for Schools

8/14/2019 065. Harnessing Technology Funding: Guidance for Schools

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Contents1. Introduction 01

2. Harnessing Technology goals 02

3. What the Harnessing Technology Grant can be used for 03

4. Key investment priorities 04

5. What every school should know about technology 05

Annex: Further information and publications 15


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Harnessing Technology unding 2009-10: Guidance or schools 01

1. Introduction

Harnessing Technology is a national strategy led by Becta on behal o the Department orChildren, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department or Innovation, Universitiesand Skills (DIUS). It aims to bring about a step change in the way technology is usedacross education and skills, to ensure that investment in technology delivers benetsor children, young people and adult learners.

Technology now plays a central role in the lives o children, young people, adultlearners, and the lives o parents, carers and employers. Just six years ago, only 8 percent o homes had access to broadband. Today that gure is above 60 per cent, with 90per cent o parents reporting an internet connection at home. Three-quarters o internetusers over the age o 14 report that they use the internet or learning. And the use ocomputers and the internet is now a constant eature o most young peoples lives,with three-quarters using social networking sites regularly, and 90 per cent using theinternet and messaging services daily.

In this context, there are exciting opportunities to harness technology to improve anddevelop services in response to the needs o children, young people and adult learners.That is what the Harnessing Technology strategy is about, and what the HarnessingTechnology Grant is designed to support.


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02 Harnessing Technology unding 2009-10: Guidance or schools

2. Harnessing Technology goals

Technology plays a key role in supporting eective proessional practice, enabling accessto good learning resources, engaging children and young people in learning andunderpinning eective learner management and perormance management in schools.

Where schools have improved, technology-based strategies have oten played a centralrole. Schools, teachers and local authorities are increasingly recognising the valuablepart that technology plays in delivering benets or learners. These are refected in thegoals or Harnessing Technology in this sector:

greater fexibility in and choice o learning options using technology to oer

dierentiated curricula and learning experiences that help meet childrens andyoung peoples needs and preerences

tailored and responsive assessment both ormative (or example, more immediateeedback on learning, better inormation about progress) and summative (or example,fexible end-o-stage assessment)

engaging learning experiences or learners o all abilities, in all contexts, includingchildren and young people who are hard to reach

strengthened relationships between amilies, schools and learners with an

emphasis on the adoption o inormation systems and use o online tools to improveparental involvement.


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3. What the Harnessing TechnologyGrant can be used or

The Harnessing Technology Grant is capital unding and can be used to supportpurchases o ICT inrastructure and equipment or upgrades, as well as sotware anddigital curriculum resources where these count as capital expenditure. For a precisedenition o what is classied as capital, advice should be provided by local authorityaccountants who interpret accounting principles and guidance.

The grant can be used to purchase computer sotware and digital learning resourcesprovided that the resource being paid or (or the perpetual licence to use that resource)passes into the ownership o the school or local authority at the end o the service period;or that payment results in the school or local authority receiving a licence to use theresource or a specied time period longer than one year. This applies to both one-opurchases o sotware resources, and subscriptions to services that provide digitalcurriculum resources on an ongoing basis.


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4. Key investment priorities

Becta has identied the ollowing priorities which local authorities and schools shouldconsider when determining local investment:

Broadband services appropriate to need, with sustainable plans or urtherdevelopment o local and regional networks to ensure that the necessary capacityand services are available.

Learning platorms, email services and personal storage areas or learners and sta.Services need to conorm to Bectas unctional and technical specications and beavailable or all users inside and outside educational institutions, including users homes,

and must be available outside core school hours.

Simplifed sign-on or users: Shibboleth [http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/] anauthentication and authorisation inrastructure capable o granting individual learnerswith secure anywhere/anytime access to educational resources must be implementedin conjunction with the UK Access Management Federation, with the local authority orRegional Broadband Consortium acting as identity and service provider.

Parental reporting: online access to reporting systems and inormation. Schools shouldprovide timely, meaningul and manageable inormation to parents through appropriateand secure use o management inormation systems, learning platorms, managed

learning environments, messaging services and other suitable online reporting systems.

Integration o learning and management systems at institution, local authorityand, where appropriate, regional level so that data is available securely when andwhere it is required.

High-quality digital learning resources in line with Bectas quality principles,taking advantage o national and local aggregation opportunities.


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5. What every school shouldknow about technology

The Harnessing Technology Grant provides unds or schools to develop technology andmaximise its benets or learners. This guidance provides more inormation on where tond advice and support.

The top technology priorities or schools in 200910 are listed below ollowed by moredetailed guidance on each area:

improving your school through technology and managing your technology well(Bectas Next Generation Learning Charter and sel-review ramework)

ensuring that learners and sta are sae online

obtaining best value purchasing technology through aggregated approaches

meeting parents expectations or online inormation and reporting

making sure that technologies are able to work together and deliver what is needed

ensuring that technology solutions are sustainable and meet the environmental agenda

integrating your technology within your whole approach to making learning personal.


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Improving your school through technology and managing your technology well

At the heart o eective whole-school improvement should be a leadership visionor using technology, and the drive to translate this strategy into eective action.

All schools are encouraged to actively commit to exploiting inormation andcommunication technology (ICT) to ensure that they provide Next Generation Learningopportunities. The Next Generation Learning Charter supports progression in eight keyareas: leadership and management; curriculum; learning and teaching; assessment;proessional development; extending opportunities or learning; and resources and

Impact on outcomes. It has our stages:www.becta.org.uk/nextgenerationlearning

Commitment: All schools are encouraged to make a public commitment to provideNext Generation Learning or all their learners.

Recognition: When a school has reached the nationally agreed standard in threeelements o the ramework, including leadership and management, it can apply orrecognition that it is progressing through the charter.

Accreditation: The prestigious ICT Mark is awarded to schools that have reached

the nationally agreed standard in all eight elements o the ramework.www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/en/ICT-mark-schools

ICT Excellence Awards: These oer urther recognition or schools that demonstrateevidence o excellent practice above and beyond the levels o the ICT Mark.www.becta.org.uk/excellenceawards


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Bectas sel-review ramework helps schools progress through the charter. This online tool, which gives access to a wide range o resources and advice, is available ree o charge to schools. It has already been used by more than 15,000schools. It will help you to:

benchmark your school against othersdevelop a shared school vision or technology

prioritise and set realistic goals

establish a t-or-purpose investment

ensure sae and secure use o technology

command condence rom sta, learners, parents and governors

develop evidence to inorm your Osted sel-evaluation ramework submission

provide evidence to support accreditation to the prestigious ICT Mark.

Schools are strongly encouraged to adopt Bectas sel-review ramework to supporttheir long-term evaluation and planning o technology development. Schools can

register online to use the sel-review ramework.www.becta.org.uk/schools/selreview


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Ensuring that learners and sta are sae online

To give children, young people, sta and parents maximum benet o technology, it iscrucial that, as a school, you have policies and practices in place to minimise exposureto risk. It is incumbent upon you as a school under your duty o care responsibilities tohave appropriate measures in place so that everyone is able to enjoy the benets o usingtechnology saely and responsibly.

Becta recommends a whole-school approach to saeguarding children in a digital world,one that addresses both technical and educational approaches:

Develop an acceptable use policy that sta, parents and students are aware o (this is aminimum requirement or all schools). The policy should outline what is and what is notacceptable and highlight the sanctions or breaking the guidelines set out in the policy.The latter should be reviewed, monitored and updated to ensure eectiveness.

AUPS in context: Establishing safe and responsible online behaviours

www.becta.org.uk/publications/aupsincontext

Ensure that your networks are as sae and secure as possible and use aBecta-accredited internet service provider and or a Becta-accredited sotware

product or example, ltering or a monitoring product. Further inormation onBectas accreditation schemes can be ound at:www.becta.org.uk/schools/accreditedinternetsuppliers


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10 Harnessing Technology unding 2009-10 Guidance or schools

Obtaining best value purchasing technology through aggregated approaches

It is recommended that schools meet the ollowing requirements to achieve thebest standards in technology at the best value:

Use buying arrangements that meet Becta advice.

Consider ICT as a service-based solution (incorporating implementation, support,maintenance, etc.) rather than as a simple equipment purchase. Bectas unctionalspecications and ramework suppliers have been specically developed to supportthis approach.

Beore you buy anything, contact your local authority to establish i they have any suitableprocurement arrangements or i they are planning any aggregated purchasing that willsave you time and eort and deliver better value.

Look or opportunities to ocus valuable school resources on teaching and learningrather than managing and supporting ICT. Recent evidence rom institutions benetingrom a managed ICT service reports an increase in the adoption o e-learning becausetheir ICT is more reliable and robust. Furthermore, the more comprehensive managedservices, where most or all ICT provision is outsourced, show the greatest positive impact

on sta and learners, making a greater contribution to the development o theestablishments e-maturity.

Collaborate with other schools to aggregate purchasing requirements. Bectarecommends that purchasing should be done by relatively large groups, preerably atlocal authority level, to achieve best value. Many schools are already benetting romthis collaborative approach.

Ensure the best possible solutions or the best possible cost, accessing up-to-the minute,best practice advice on procurement atwww.becta.org.uk/schools/procurement

Follow best practice in IT technical support by implementing a structured managementprocess such as Inormation Technology Inrastructure Library (ITIL) or BectasFramework or ICT Technical Support (FITS).www.becta.org.uk/schools/ts


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Meeting parents expectations or online inormation and reporting

All schools are expected to exploit technology to improve parental engagement. By September 2010, secondary schools and two years later primary schools are expected to oer parents secure online access to inormation about their childrens learning. Schools moving towards online reporting should:

target investment to deliver to parents improved communication and access toinormation about their childrens learning progress, positive and challenging behaviour,attainment, special educational needs and attendance

ensure that technology systems used or parental communication, such as email,websites and SMS text messaging, are robust and t or purpose, and that otherprocesses are in place to manage communication eectively and eciently

ensure that systems used to support learning, such as learning platorms, canbe integrated and used as an online source o inormation or parents

consider how inormation held within management inormation systems is bestcommunicated and made accessible and understandable to dierent groups oparents consider the ollowing principles put orward by Becta:

- Extend what is already good parental engagement practice.- Make best use o what is already in place and available.- Develop ecient and eective practice (enter once, use many times).- Develop sustainable approaches and processes or recording and reporting.

consider areas in which capital investment will make an impact on the eciencyand eectiveness o recording and reporting processes and practice. For example,establishing the need, or business case, or technologies enabling: e-registration,cashless catering, access control systems, behaviour management systems, rewardsystems, e-assessment, electronic report writing, managing special educational needs,

providing home access to sta and learners, mobile recording and reporting, etc.Schools moving towards online reporting will have used the Becta parental engagementtoolkit to support their progress. This includes the sel-review ramework or onlinereporting, which can support schools to develop in our areas:

recording and reportingparental dialogue and engagementworkorce involvementexploiting technologies.

This toolkit, together with the Getting started guide to online reporting, is available on the Becta website at www.becta.org.uk/engagingparents


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Making sure that technologies are able to work together and deliver what is needed

Compare the unctionality o your current management inormation system with Bectasunctional requirements or inormation management.

Use Bectas unctional specication or institutional inrastructure to help decide whatyou want your technology to achieve.

Use Bectas sel-review ramework to help evaluate your current position.Review your current needs and anticipate your uture needs or inormation

management by using Bectas inormation management strategy ramework.

Contact your local authority to nd out about any personal online learning space itoers your learners, and any aggregated learning platorm procurement that the localauthority or regional broadband consortium (RBC) has implemented.


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Ensuring that technology solutions are sustainable and meet the

environmental agenda

I you are part o a capital building programme, engage with your local authority toensure that your requirements are ully considered and that designers and constructioncontractors base their proposals or new and reurbished buildings on the schools visionor transorming learning and delivering improved outcomes.

I you are part o a capital building programme, plan and consult ully. BuildingSchools orthe Future (BSF) provides a very high level o capital unding or

technology equivalent to 1,675 or every pupil place provided in the new andremodelled schools. Schools then commit to providing ongoing revenue undingto maintain this managed service.www.partnershipsorschools.org.uk/library/ict.jsp

Academies that are being built as part o the BSF programme are expected to join inthe area-wide managed service. Where there is no BSF-managed service available,academies and One School Pathnders are expected to use the Becta InrastructureServices Framework to procure their inrastructure, equipment and supporting services.

Technology is an integral part o the primary capital programme; however, unlike in

BSF, there is no specic budget or it. Local authorities should ensure that a suitableproportion o primary capital unding is allocated to technology to ensure that theirprimary schools are equipped or Next Generation Learning.

Further inormation on the Primary Capital Programme can be ound at:www.teachernetgov.uk/management/resourcesnanceandbuilding/Primary_ Capital_Programme

Consider sustainability/environmental issues when preparing and implementingtechnology plans, giving due consideration to your requirement to become anenvironmentally sustainable school.

www.becta.org.uk/schools/environmentalsustainability



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Integrating your technology within your whole approach to making learning personal

Use your vision or the school to ocus on the outcomes or learning, teaching ormanagement to ensure how you deploy and use your learning platorm refects on thepriorities, needs and context o your school and the achievement o benets or childrenand young people.www.becta.org.uk/schools/learningplatorms

Ensure that you have sucient and sustained resources to support the developmento sta, and seek opportunities through collaboration between colleagues and

other schools.

Use technology to create and share quality resources and learning materials. Manyschools are already benetting rom this collaborative approach in nancial terms, butthis can also result in time savings or your workorce.

Work towards increased integration between your management inormation system andlearning platorm to increase eciency, productivity and address new requirements suchas online reporting. Appropriate data and resources should be securely available withinand beyond the school to allow or increased opportunities or learners, fexibility orteachers and greater engagement opportunities with parents and carers.

Use EU-compliant buying arrangements or learning platorms underpinned byunctional and technical specications developed to meet educational needs. Theseenable schools and local authorities to choose rom approved suppliers who have beenselected or their capability to deliver high-quality, standards-based ICT solutions andmanaged services specically to meet educational needs.


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Annex: Further inormation andpublications

For a range o inormation and support or schools, please visit:www.becta.org.uk/schools

Strategy

Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 20082014

www.becta.org.uk/publications/harnessingtechnologystrategy

Harnessing Technology for Next Generation Learning: Children, Schools and Families

Implementation Plan 20092012

www.becta.org.uk/publications/childrenschoolsamilies

Next Generation Learning

Online inormation:www.becta.org.uk/nextgenerationlearningcharter

Improving schools

What is the self-review framework? A guide for school leaders

How to use the self-review frameworkwww.becta.org.uk/improveyourschool

Planning sustainable success

Information management strategy framework: Guidance for schoolsPlanning technology into your building a guide for school leaders

www.becta.org.uk/plansustainablesuccess


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Achieving best value

Getting best value from your investment a guide for school leaderswww.becta.org.uk/achievebestvalue

Home Access

Online inormation:www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess

Saeguarding learners onlineSafeguarding children online a guide for school leadersSafeguarding children in a digital world: Developing an LSCB e-safety strategy

www.becta.org.uk/saeguardlearnersonline

Inspiring parental engagement

Exploiting ICT to improve parental engagement, moving towardsonline reporting: Toolkit

Exploiting ICT to improve parental engagement, moving towards onlinereporting: Getting started with using ICT to support parental engagement

www.becta.org.uk/inspireparentalengagement

Making learning personal

Getting started with your learning platform: Advice for schoolsLearning platforms in action (DVD)

www.becta.org.uk/makelearningpersonal


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Documents

065. Harnessing Technology Funding: Guidance for Schools