26 | ROUNDTABLE | PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CON T RIBU T O RS:
Have recent curriculum changes made it more difficult for schools to balance budgets?
Dr Nick Dennis, Deputy Head (Academic), Berkhamsted Boys, Berkhamsted School
ND: This is a yes and no answer. Yes, in that providing for new courses in terms of books, resources and later on training take up more resources and time. No, in that if you plan carefully it means you cut your cloth accordingly. It is all about thinking ahead but this can be difficult when the pressure is on.
EM: In education, things are always changing that's why it's important to have at least a three-year budget which is reviewed and updated regularly to take into account any changes. For our school the changes we have introduced
Elaine Manton, Stem Co-ordinator at Loreto Grammar School
in the curriculum have involved a streamlining of ICT and Technologies at KS3 to provide a more spontaneous, and hence, creative curriculum. So the students actually have less curriculum time than previously with a higher proportion of practical work; as a result the facilities are under less demand. The change to strengthen curriculum time for English and mathematics has been enhanced by our Teaching School remit and through it our School Direct programme. We have secured high-quality NQTs trained within our framework.
Jacquie Stevenson, Head of Ntegra Education
JS: Teachers have more freedom to choose how they wish to shape the curriculum to meet their pupils’ individual needs. With this freedom comes the opportunity to introduce new technology to facilitate more creative applications of the curriculum. Schools need to be mindful not to react to pressures to purchase technology without linking the benefits to their wider strategy. There are now a lot of free and low-cost technology resources schools can use so it is a case of schools embracing these resources wherever possible and continuously assessing the value they bring.
Paul Young, Head of Technical Services at UTAX (UK) Ltd
SY: Balancing budgets has always been a challenge but the recent curriculum changes have not necessarily made this more difficult. Recent changes in English, Maths and ICT have been quite significant. The main budgetary consideration relating to these changes has been training, ensuring that staff are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver quality teaching. This takes time and usually involves taking the teacher out of class for a period of time which in turn incurs additional costs associated with supply cover. The need to invest in training has been essential for the development of skills and knowledge, but also from a motivational perspective. The changes to the ICT curriculum have been very daunting to non- specialist teaching staff as the new curriculum talks about de-bugging and programming for instance.
Do current budgets realistically allow schools to provide high-quality tech?
Stephen Young, Xerox Public Sector Framework Manager
ND: The real question is whether the tech is able to support your key function as a school and this links to the planning/strategy part. High-quality technology by itself is not going to make a huge difference in
schools but if the thinking behind the use of tech is sensible, you can make very good use of technology that is not at the cuting edge. Of course, schools would like to be able to trial things to see what can be done and there is never enough resource to make this happen. Yet if you are sensible about your thinking you can often find a way.
JS: Yes, current budgets do allow schools to provide high-quality tech by making good choices. Schools need to ultimately look at the strategy behind their technology use, choosing the right solution that fits well with their students’ learning and teachers’ own approach to teaching.
PY: High quality doesn't necessarily equal high cost and any equipment investment should consider the overall total cost of ownership, taking into account costs such as maintenance, consumables and any operational efficiencies the kit can bring. By investing in the right technology schools should be able to achieve cost savings. For example, high-speed print equipment can lead to schools being able to reduce the number of print devices they operate, which in turn reduces overheads and admin time.
"IN EDUCATION, THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT LEAST A THREE-YEAR BUDGET WHICH IS REVIEWED AND UPDATED REGULARLY TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY CHANGES"
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