MANAGING ICT: BETT 2010 MANAGING ICT: BETT 2010
accountability “translates downwards to make the
The BETT seminars
assessment system counter-productive”, but argued
Every year, thousands of teachers head to the BETT that it was parents who had the power to change the
A glimpse into
Show not only to take a look at the many suppliers focus of the system in schools and at a political level.
exhibiting their wares, but also to top up their CPD. He explained: “The key around accountability is
Throughout the four-day event, seminars operate stimulating the right demand from parents for the sort
out of a range of theatres squeezed into every available of education that is going to stand their children in
corner of the Olympia exhibition centre. good stead. If we can get parents demanding the right
SecEd paid a visit to several seminars, the first education, it makes it much easier to align the right
of which took place in the dedicated SEN area of education systems.”
the future
the show, and tackled the issue of making learning Speaking to SecEd after the debate, Sir Mike
platforms accessible to those with SEN. continued: “Generally, we have gotten into the position
John Galloway, advisory teacher for ICT, SEN where the assessment system is dictating the content
and inclusion in the London borough of Tower and teaching methodologies. The real requirement is
Hamlets, urged attendees not to view their learning that assessment should support the curriculum and
platform as a single entity, but as something that was teaching and learning approaches.”
made up of many parts, and that could be moulded Sir Mike also called into question examinations at age
in order to make it accessible for all students. 16 in light of the government’s plan to make education or
Among the topics discussed were alternative log- training compulsory up until the age of 18 by 2015.
ins for SEN students who may find it difficult to “There has to be some pretty serious questions
remember passwords. asked. It’s the government’s policy to raise the education
Mr Galloway said: “Some pupils will have leaving age to 17 and then 18 by 2015. If that’s the
difficulties spelling their own names, never mind case, what is the purpose of a full-blown series of
having to put a surname first, followed by a first name examinations at 16?”
and then the year they started school.” In a second debate, chaired by Sir Tim Brighouse,
Among the solutions discussed were visual log-ins, a different set of panellists were invited to put forward
involving clicking a series of shapes in the correct the school may well go downhill and end up in a worse Hosted by Sir Mike Tomlinson, the debate touched their policies on ICT.
order, or the use of clickable photographs that were of position than it was before.” on a number of issues, but mainly focused on assessment Deborah Eyre, professor of education at the
particular significance to the person logging in. Mr Griggs went on to describe the virtues of and school accountability. University of Warwick, argued that schools needed to
Mr Galloway also highlighted a number of simple recruiting teachers young and ensuring they are offered Panellist Annika Small, former chief executive do more to harness the ability that students already had
steps that schools can use to make digital content more adequate challenge and development opportunities. of education technology research charity Futurelab, with ICT.
accessible. “Of the 11 people in my leadership team, one used wasted no time in calling for a “radical change” to the As native users of technology, she said youngsters
He continued: “It is important to make sure different to be a receptionist, one was a science technician, and assessment system and a reduction in assessment. Ms had become confident at articulating their views on
pages of a website featuring resources are similar in all of the others – bar one – have been with the school Small also called for more funding to be focused on internet forums, great researchers – particularly when
appearance, with the same layout and colour schemes. since they were NQTs,” he said. teacher training. using the internet – and were able to question the
Research by the British Dyslexia Association has found Fellow panellist Steve Bolingbroke, the managing reliability of information presented to them when using
that using dark blue text on a cream background causes
Further information
director of Kunskapsskolan, Sweden’s largest secondary user-generated resources such as Wikipedia.
the fewest problems for dyslexic readers.” For more on alternative log-ins, visit www.cognable. education provider and a proposed academy sponsor “These are the skills that employers in the 21st
Elsewhere on the seminar programme, David com/accessible_login/info.php, www.rixcentre.org, and in England, focused his attention on what he called century are looking for,” she said. “We can never keep
Griggs, headteacher of Lord Lawson of Beamish www.thebigtree.org, and for more on Lord Lawson of the “confliction” in government with giving schools up with young people, but we need to find out ways of
School in Gateshead, told a packed conference hall Beamish School, visit www.lordlawson.org.uk freedom and also telling them what to do all the time. harnessing what they are learning for themselves.”
about the role of leadership in raising achievement. The final panellist, Ben Arora, programme director Another panellist, Marilyn Leask, professor of
Speaking about the importance of building
The BETT debates
of the Education Team at the National Endowment for education at Brunel University, said that schools needed
sustainable leadership, he said: “We often hear heads BETT 2010 also saw a series of debates hosted by Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta), also focused to be better connected in order to share best practice.
talking about how schools were ‘rubbish’ until they the 21st Century Learning Alliance, a forum of noted on assessment. She said: “For just £100,000 a year, we could create
arrived, and talking about how they – as individuals educationalists including the likes of former chief He said: “The crucial thing for me is about building a national e-infrastructure to connect teachers together,”
– managed to boost its achievement. But if this is the inspector of schools, Sir Mike Tomlinson, and former these skills of innovation and entrepreneurship and that she said.
case, what happens to the school when they leave? London schools commissioner, Sir Tim Brighouse. requires a change to assessment pedagogy.” “In addition, with a £40,000 investment we could
When they move on to further their own careers? The first of the sessions focused on the forthcoming A strong theme was that the assessment and create a ‘Facebook for teachers’ and have it up and
“Frequently when a head moves on, they can take general election, and asked its audience and an assembled accountability systems are dictating, not supporting, running tomorrow.”
a number of the senior leadership team with them, and panel of educationalists what the next government the curriculum and teaching and learning. For more information, visit www.21stcentury
the school cannot continue to improve. In some cases, should make its priority in education. Mr Arora said that the current climate of learningalliance.org.uk
SecEd • January 21 2010 11
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