7 minute read

IT & Computing

An IT strategy for schools

Richard Martin, digital transformation lead at edtech charity LGfL – The National Grid for Learning, provides a blueprint for building an effective IT strategy, with an outline of the key components and considerations to ensure that teachers, management, support staff, and students have the hardware, software, skills and understanding essential for tomorrow’s schools

The pandemic created many challenges for schools, including the rapid rollout and uptake of digital teaching and learning. In fact, it brought forward the advancement of digital adoption by at least 5 years. The benefits of mandatory digital platforms are clear to see, it’s vital to continue that trajectory and think strategically about your IT strategy going forward.

Every aspect of IT in school life should be examined and all stakeholders encouraged to engage in the process of assessing where their school is presently and how it can be improved and developed.

Key components

There are three key components that every school needs: ICT for teaching and learning - educational software, display and presentation equipment and devices for teachers and pupils; ICT for administration - back office software for HR, finance, payroll and facilities management; and ICT for development - management information systems, data analysis tools, reporting tools, fundraising and marketing software.

Outcomes for stakeholders

Carefully consider the outcomes you want to achieve with the technology for all your stakeholders. Teachers need reliable consistent IT to enable great teaching, save time and increase flexibility – providing opportunity for efficiently prepping tasks outside of the classroom or school. Pupils need a safe and secure digital environment, that caters for learning styles, improves engagement and plays an active role in preparing them for the digital world of work. Administrative staff need secure, reliable equipment that automates repetitious tasks, increases productivity, and improves communication with parents.

Tools for teachers

Teachers need to be able to plan with ease, using reliable online access to resources, anytime anywhere, using standard laptops; teach using reliable consistent classroom set ups and standardised display methods; mark and annotate electronically; enter data using a standardised MIS for Secondary and Primary schools; analyse data using a standard suite of consistent, accurate reports; and provide better pastoral care with simplified electronic processes for logging, recording and reviewing incidents. E

Teachers need reliable consistent IT to enable great teaching

The future of IT is refurbished

Your budgets are being squeezed, you are being asked to give serious consideration to your environmental footprint and yet you need to make sure all of your staff and pupils have access to high quality, fit for purpose IT equipment. How do you tick all of these boxes?

Evaris, a supplier of IT equipment to educational establishments, believe they have the answer. They argue that it is time to give serious consideration to refurbished equipment and here’s why…

The quality is a lot better than you think Buying refurbished is not the same thing as buying second hand. If you use a reputable refurbished supplier like Evaris, you will find that the computer has been tested to an extremely high standard with a comprehensive series of checks covering chassis, ports, screen and keyboard. If it is a desktop, it will have been re-painted. If it is a laptop it will have had a new vinyl cover applied. Both techniques give the device an ‘as new’ and feel. On the inside, the computer will have been cleaned to a very high-standard and all components will have been fully tested. All Evaris refurbished products are subjected to these meticulous checks and are covered by a one year warranty to ensure that you are left with a high quality computing device that will stand the test of time.

Price In most cases an educational establishment will find that buying refurbished means savings of 50% or more compared to buying an equivalent new model.

The environmental impact Buying refurbished is not just about saving money. With thousands of tonnes of electronic waste being produced every year, much of it ending up in landfill, it’s time to rethink our IT consumption. Buying refurbished IT equipment gives used equipment a second lease of life, protects precious resources, helps reduce waste and minimises your environmental impact.

To conclude, if you want to save money, improve your environmental footprint and get a high-quality computing device it is time for you to consider switching to refurbished.

Stakeholder engagement is a powerful tool, so start by creating an ‘inclusive’ steering group – seek critical friends and address dissenters head on.

 Efficient systems for

managers and support staff

The platform will enable your managers and support staff to choose to use a lightweight smaller laptop to work remotely, or a device with a larger screen at other times; use a single sign on to access key software and simplified electronic procurement processes; and engage with easy-to-access centralised information, collaborate and share best practice throughout the network.

School IT review

An important initial stage of the review is establishing your school’s level of ‘IT maturity’. Where is your school or trust now and where does it need to be?

The below rubric is courtesy of Leigh Academy Trust. 0 is the ‘Initial’ level. It means IT is unreliable and a hinderance to productivity, teaching and learning. There are risks to the network and data security. 1 is the ‘Repeatable’ level. It means IT is used for traditional teaching from the front of the classroom with limited direct engagement from pupils other than in IT suites. 2 is the ‘Defined’ level. It means teachers routinely use technology to set and receive work. Pupils have safe, secure, reliable regular access to devices all around the school. 3 is the ‘Managed’ level, meaning technology is used collaboratively in the classroom and at home to share and mark work. Project based learning is possible, and security threats are monitored and managed. 4 meanwhile is the ‘Optimised’ level. It means blended learning and the flipped classroom are the norm. Students can use any device anywhere to access learning resources.

Empower your team

Empower your team by agreeing the following key principles - that all IT investment will contribute to great teaching and learning, make the school more efficient, and improve safeguarding and compliance. Ensure your team agrees to secure the best possible service and value from suppliers, to enable better communication and collaboration across your school or trust, and to give guidance and support to help schools make the best choices regarding technology.

Engaging the stakeholders

Stakeholder engagement is a powerful tool, so start by creating an ‘inclusive’ steering group - seek critical friends and address dissenters head on.

Think carefully about the challenges each group of stakeholders face. Communicate with them regularly to keep everyone updated via email or via newsletters, give shout outs to unsung heroes. Be careful not to over commit to single demands.

Measure success

The final part of the process is to measure the strategy’s success so far – review your school’s maturity level again, seek customer feedback, financial reviews and reflect on lessons learnt.

The way forward

Once foundations are laid and confidence increases, encourage open discussion on the positives and negatives of the current status quo. Expectations will rise rapidly, and the technology and processes focussed on the key principles will continue to evolve naturally as needs arise and are addressed. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

national.lgfl.net

Need further free advice?

Richard Martin will be hosting a free event for senior leaders called Building an IT strategy for Schools and MATs at 10:00 – 15.30, Tues 18th October 2022, 9th Floor, 10 Exchange Square, Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2BR. He will explain all the elements required for formulating and delivering a digital strategy in a standalone school or Multi Academy Trust. In the second part of the day, trends in the current education IT market will be covered and how to choose and procure services with insight into benchmark costs. Key points to be covered include: building the digital vision and defining objectives; assessing the current state of technology; identifying key components; determining Total Cost of Ownership (TCO); managing change and risk; choosing the right partners; benchmarking; choosing a support model for your school/organisation; detailed case studies; and measuring the benefits.

The event is free to any MAT or school considering joining LGfL’s consortium and also current members. Please use a school or business email address when registering at LGfL (bookinglive. com). Places for MATs or schools who would like to attend with their LGfL Digital Transformation Partner are available on request.

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