The following may be a bit dry for some – I do apologise. It’s basically my own summary of the key points contained within a recent report released by Ofsted on the state of ICT education in schools. Ive summarised my points into three key sections.

Secondary School ICT

Management of ICT department

· Provide full statutory National Curriculum requirement

· Make sure that teacher’s subject knowledge and training needs are fully audited

o Provide continued support to ensure that their skills remain relevant

· Make sure that National Guidance on ICT is embedded within the department

· Plan for the long term skills of pupils (what they will need when they leave school)

· Provide demonstration lessons within the department and also to the wider school

· Achievement of girls in the subject is essential

· VLE is essential for providing structure in the department

· A portfolio of assessed work is established with examples of ICT work at different levels

· A range of qualifications must be in place to support students of different abilities

Management of ICT across school

· ICT must not be taught in isolation but should be embedded in other subjects

· Assessment of ICT progress must be school wide

o School should be assessing progress in ICT in other subject (assessment led by individual department areas rather than reliant on ICT)

· Provide full statutory National Curriculum requirement

· Evaluate impact of ICT resources on learning

· Ensure teaching assistants are also fully trained in ICT

· Include internet safety teaching at regular points – not once a year

· IEP’s should include ICT targets as well

· Ensure Local Authority support for ICT where appropriate is used to its fullest extent

· Make sure that National Guidance on ICT is embedded across the school

· Provide adequate resources for teachers

o Laptops

· Provide adequate access to resources for students

o Use of computers whenever required

o Use of handheld devices

o Alternative office suites and operating systems

· Audit which students have access to ICT at home

o Develop a strategy (possible with LA assistance) to support those students

· Plan for the long term skills of pupils (what they will need when they leave school)

· Evaluate as often as possible the implementation and impact of ICT

o Detailed development plans should be written by all subject areas on their own ICT implementation

o Targets should be set which are fully costed

Teaching and learning in the classroom

· Provide exposure to alternative office suites and operating systems

· Ensure assessment is front and centre within the department

o Establish attainment of pupils on entry into secondary school

o Continue to track progress

· Provide full spreadsheet and database instruction

· A VLE is essential for providing detailed information for students on all aspects of the subject

· Effective teaching and learning

o Planning is meticulous with assessment used precisely to inform tasks and the next stages of learning.

o Make sure learning objectives are explicit

o Teaching motivates pupils and uses engaging and relevant contexts

o Teachers ask challenging questions to assess pupils’ understanding and to build on their knowledge

o The lesson itself must remain at a good pace

o Teachers provided regular feedback to pupils on how well they were doing.

o Pupils are given the opportunity to collaborate and critically review their own work and that of others; as a result, they were able to demonstrate ICT capability at a higher level.

o Good use is made of teacher assessment to track pupils’ progress and achievement and pupils knew the areas they needed to improve.

o Transitions between activities were managed well

o The teacher must have excellent subject knowledge

o The teacher must have high expectations of students

o Explanations were clear and accurate

o Students were engaged, challenged and required to review, evaluate and improve their own work

o Used quick fire question and answer sessions to elicit knowledge and understanding and clear up misunderstandings

o Planned for the needs of individuals and groups of students including Gifted and Talented, boys and girls and SEN students

o Lessons include a variety of tasks which tackled the more challenging aspects of the National Curriculum

o A good plenary session must be used to test pupils’ understanding and achievement of the lesson objectives