VIEWS & OPINION


Passing the test: how UK schools can get


EdTech ready Comment by STUART HALES, CEO of EdTech specialist, Wand Education


The modern classroom is changing. Educational Technology (EdTech) has brought about a gradual, but significant evolution in how teachers and students interact within the curriculum. But this evolution is not happening at the same


rate everywhere. Despite the abundance of EdTech available to schools, many still lack the basic computing resources to make use of it, or


suffer from poor internet connectivity, which renders useless any tech that requires an internet connection. Encouragingly, the government recently announced £4.6 million of


investment in a push to improve the capacity for EdTech in UK schools. The programme includes the coming together of the new EdTech Leadership Group, chaired by former Paralympian Baron Chris Holmes, who said the funding “represents a great opportunity to work together to ensure every student and our entire education system can access the benefits that technology can bring.” But what considerations must be taken into account when it comes


to the development and implementation of technology in the classroom? Here are five key areas to consider.


• Infrastructure Good infrastructure is the foundation for all EdTech, and it means having both high-speed internet connectivity and the right devices for staff and students to guarantee success. As outlined above, a lack of one or both acts as a huge brake on


EdTech deployment from the outset. Older and sprawling buildings can suffer from slower connectivity in certain parts of the premises; this needs to be fixed before an organisation-wide deployment takes place.


• Teachers It is easy to get carried away by shiny EdTech which offers exciting, interactive learning experiences and rich multimedia, but often the technology which has the greatest effect on teachers’ working lives is rather less flashy. Automating tedious or error-prone repeat tasks, or enabling the rapid tailoring of materials to different learners, for example, frees up an enormous amount of teacher time and can dramatically improve efficiency and morale alike. Put teachers first when it comes to making EdTech procurement decisions, right down to the granular level of daily working routines.


• Data Ultimately, EdTech replaces manual processes with digital ones, and in turn means that information previously stored in disparate places and formats can be centralised, consolidated and made available to many more stakeholders. From there, the possibilities are huge. How could new data sources help you better analyse learner performance, engagement and trends? How could you harness that data for genuine operational improvement? Taking a data-centric approach to EdTech procurement can enable you to have a simultaneously short- term and long-term view of its benefits.


• Inclusivity EdTech should be available to all the stakeholders within a school or college. Staff of all disciplines, and learners of all levels. Choose technology in line with the mixed needs of your entire organisation, and consider how it can be tailored and customised where necessary.


• Maintenance and support Far beyond the initial implementation, you need to think carefully about the ongoing life of your EdTech, and the amount of resource it will require for servicing, patching, upgrading and training. Cloud- based solutions in particular can mean far greater flexibility and scalability, and fewer headaches over the life of your deployment.


September 2019


The new Ofsted Framework and teacher


wellbeing Comment by DAWN JOTHAM, pastoral care specialist, EduCare


With Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework (EIF) coming into effect in September 2019, there has been plenty of debate and serious concern raised about teacher and leadership workload and the increasing impact this will have on staff wellbeing. The main changes within the EIF include:


judgement categories covering “Quality of Education”, “Behaviour and Attitudes”,


“Personal Development”, and “Leadership and Management”; inspection timings changing with initial communication between the lead inspector and headteacher now taking place for 90 minutes the day before the inspection; ‘good’ small schools avoiding two-day inspections; schools having until summer 2020 to review and revise their curriculums following the “Quality of Education” judgement; and how schools tolerate and manage bullying and harassment and their provision of pastoral support. While the updates have been made to ensure children have access


to the full curriculum and teachers have secure subject knowledge to enable clear progression within subjects, what can we do to make sure we aren’t simply adding to workloads and are instead better supporting the health and wellbeing of those working in, and leading, our schools? And how can schools evidence the support being provided, and what impact will this have on budgets? There has certainly been a greater emphasis on mental health and


wellbeing of late, yet this has been largely focused on learners themselves, rather than teachers and school staff. The new EIF points towards a prioritisation for staff and pupil wellbeing. After all, wellbeing is key at every level and inevitably has a knock-on effect; a happy teacher leads to happy pupils. Currently not enough is being done – especially at a time when teacher morale is low, workloads are increasing, and funding cuts are rife. So, what advice can we share with schools to help them best support teacher wellbeing in the new academic year? Teacher wellbeing will be judged as part of the ‘leadership and


management’ criteria, and within this, schools striving for ‘outstanding’ will need to consider highly effective and meaningful engagement with staff at all levels, identifying any issues, and ensure they are consistently dealt with appropriately and quickly – particularly workload issues. In addition to this, staff should consistently report high levels of support for wellbeing issues. Therefore, as a first step, it’s important for senior teams to assess


the current landscape and practically ensure that: • Robust policies and procedures that protect staff and pupils from bullying and harassment are in place.


• An in-depth induction process is implemented. • Teachers are provided with a mentoring programme. • Staff are supported, listened to, and involved in shaping initiatives from the senior leadership team.


• The safety of teachers and pupils is prioritised. • Any high rates of staff absences or illnesses are identified and addressed. Wellbeing is conducive to a happy and healthy learning


environment. Therefore, we have a duty of care to make sure teachers and staff are well supported while remaining compliant with Ofsted’s new EIF. These questions will help to identify any gaps and areas for development, and from this, leadership teams can prepare an action plan in order to ensure that the whole school takes a holistic approach to wellbeing. This will inevitably help to create an ethos where all of those working within the school feel confident in reporting and evidencing this support when inspections take place.


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