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VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM


View from the classroom


by key personnel involved in the initiative that teachers developed their practices with these technologies rapidly.


In May 2016, an Ofsted inspection report viewed the school as ‘Good’ in its overall effectiveness, including a positive reference to how the school has developed with ICT, ‘Technology is used effectively to develop collaboration between pupils.’


How did you approach the challenge of school improvement?


Gareth Hancox T


his month, Education Today hears from Sally Lanni, head teacher at Pheasey Park Farm primary school in the West Midlands, and her colleague Gareth Hancox, Digital Learning Leader, about the positive impact the use of in-classroom technology has had on teaching and learning at the school.


Tell us about your school


GH: Pheasey Park Farm Primary School is a large primary school in the West Midlands with three classes in each year group. From an Ofsted inspection report in October 2012, the school was placed in the ‘Requires Improvement’ category. ‘Requires Improvement’ is a serious category for schools in England to be placed in, indicating that they are underperforming but given a chance to improve.


Following the Ofsted report, the school appointed a new head teacher, Sally Lanni. She took up post in January 2013 and has since been instrumental in moving the school out of difficulty. Part of the improvement process has involved implementing a range of ambitious plans for using ICT to improve teaching and learning standards. The newly-appointed head teacher implemented a plan to integrate digital technologies throughout the school. It was found


20 www.education-today.co.uk March 2017


SL: Our children today live in a technology-rich world, but the school was living in the past. It needed re-equipping with up-to-date technology. Together with the Senior Leadership Team, I worked on a change management programme. I shared my vision with my staff, the school governors, parents and pupils so that everyone felt part of the plan. We have some excellent teachers but without the proper technology tools for the job, how could I expect them to perform to their highest level?


What were the key points of your school improvement vision?


SL: Our school improvement vision stressed the


importance of collaborative learning and encouraging pupils to achieve their full potential. I am an advocate of SMART Technologies’ solutions in the classroom as I knew from past experiences at my previous school how they are central to transforming teaching and learning. Hardware was only part of the solution. Teachers needed to be trained on how to get the best out of the technology we equipped them with. I firmly believe that our CPD programme is the foundation upon which we have improved standards.


Did you find the staff ready for change? GH: It was clear from an early stage that staff were eager to embrace the modern digital world with regards to using technology within the classroom. The school had been in a bubble for a long period of time and needed revitalising in this regard. What little technology the teachers had was incredibly out of date. Even though they understood what was required to teach a modern lesson, they simply did not have the resources, and some were even trying to find ways around the lack of technology. For example, they would use a projector in front of a flip chart, enabling them to project an image that could be edited


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