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BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)


ICT in English Maintained Schools Comment by PETER DOYLE, Policy Manager at BESA


One of the biggest benefits of membership of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) is our commitment to surveying the market to identify key trends in spending behaviours and patterns of schools. Our most recent edition of the ICT in English Maintained Schools report is part of a series that has been run by BESA for over 25 years.


The 2024 edition paints a mixed picture across the two main phases of schools. Whilst both the primary and secondary sector are making cuts overall, the effect


on expenditure in specific cost centres is mixed, reflecting the changing investment priorities of schools precipitated by the pandemic. One of the key indicators for technological investment is the average device count in a school. In the primary sector, schools before the pandemic (2019) held around 80 devices on average. This number rose dramatically during the pandemic to over 120 as schools benefited from increased device provision from central government. Primary schools continue to increase the number of devices they have in school which now stands at over 160 devices.


Secondary schools on the other hand appear to be reducing the number of devices they have on-site. Whilst higher than pre-pandemic, a declining number of devices over the last two years, suggests that secondary schools appear to be slowly returning to levels of provision similar to that before the pandemic. It should be noted that unlike primary schools, secondary schools have maintained a higher per-pupil level of devices due to the specific requirements of this sector.


One area which we continue to see improvement in nationally is the provision of broadband. In 2022 the government committed to every school having access to gigabit capable broadband by 2025 – including schools in rural areas. Our research finds an increasing year-on-year trend in schools reporting good quality broadband connections with schools in rural areas getting increasing parity with urban schools in satisfaction with their connection.


Despite this schools continue to report challenges with their internal networking. Specifically, it is concerning that one in three schools still have challenges with Wi-Fi connectivity. It’s important that schools are able to realise the benefits of ultrafast broadband with a high-quality network on the premises. Failure to provide this can lead to ‘bottlenecks’ in bandwidth, inhibiting the benefits of what would otherwise be a high- quality internet connection.


This year’s report shows that secondary schools are continuing to invest in EdTech software platforms (including MIS, learning platforms and productivity suites) following a 14-year trend of year-on-year real terms increases in expenditure on software licenses.


This contrasts with the primary sector which has massively reduced spending in this area. This is the first year that total expenditure on software licenses in the secondary sector have overtaken expenditure in the primary sector.


Overall trends indicate that schools are cutting budgets that they do not want to. Total spending across all ICT cost centres has gone down this year by £175m – which is the lowest in real terms since 2010. Our research shows that schools do not think current levels of ICT provision is enough, with just one-in-five schools indicating that they are ‘well resourced’. Cost pressures on schools such as teacher pay and increases in energy costs have placed external pressures on budgets, preventing schools from investing in the ICT infrastructure and resources they need. In a period of great technological change the promise of emerging technologies, such as generative AI, holds huge potential that will not be realised without effective ICT provision. BESA calls on the government to back schools with the funding they need to unlock this potential.


If you’d like to find out more about how you can access our research directory, get in touch with us at besa@besa.org.uk.


September 2024 BBC TEACH


Don’t stop moving (and reading)


Here, ALEX HARRIS, Executive Producer at BBC Teach, shares how BBC Teach is encouraging creativity to get children writing - plus lots of new ideas for keeping kids moving this autumn term.


‘500 Words’ returns this autumn! The UK’s biggest children’s story writing competition


will be open for entries on Tuesday 24 September. There will be two age categories: 5-7- and 8–11-year-olds. The brief for children is simple: write a story they would love to read in 500 words or less (yes, it can be less than 500 words).


We want to encourage children of all abilities to enter. The competition is not about spelling, punctuation or grammar but creativity.


The finalists will be invited to go to a glamorous grand final in February next year. The bronze, silver and gold winners in each category will have their stories read out by celebrities. They will also take home an illustration of their story by a top children’s illustrator and a bundle of books for themselves. The gold winners’ schools will receive 500 books.


And every story which is submitted (excluding the winners) will be entered into a random draw. One child will be invited to the final, along with their parent/carer. They will also receive a bundle of books, and their school will receive 500 books.


Of course, 500 Words wouldn’t be a success without the support of our thousands of volunteer judges who mark the first round. If you’d like to get involved this time, keep your eyes peeled on the 500 Words website.


We know the weather in the UK – certainly this summer – isn’t always conducive to outdoor PE. So, we’ve produced a series of videos for indoor use called Let’s Move with Naomi and Nigel. These are designed to be played in a school hall or classroom (although the space will need to be cleared and swept first). They have been specially designed to help you deliver dance lessons with KS1-aged children as part of PE.


Each 20-minute film is themed around a topic such as space or oceans. They are presented by Naomi Wilkinson and Nigel Clarke, both familiar faces from children’s television who have an expertise in dance. The films combine sections in which the children will follow the instructions given by Naomi and Nigel. They will also be given a chance to move independently using the music as a stimulus.


Naomi and Nigel’s encouragement is intoxicating – I defy you to resist joining in with your class! Each dance session begins with a warm-up during which the children join in, copying the pair’s movements. This is followed by a series of progressive sections featuring clear instructions, and examples of dance movements for the children to try and build on during passages of music. Children are encouraged to use their imaginations while experimenting with movement. The videos end with a cool down for the whole class to enjoy together, to regain a sense of calm, ready for the next part of their school day.


And if you’re thinking, ‘I’d rather lead my own session’, we have a CPD resource called Step-by-Step to help with that too. Whether you are completely new to teaching dance or you are just looking for new ideas, Step-by-Step is here to help. It is aimed at the non-specialist teachers of 5–14-year-olds and requires no previous knowledge or skill in dance.


www.bbc.co.uk/teach www.education-today.co.uk 15


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