Harnessing Technology regional forum for local authorities

November 2009

Updates from Becta:

Events

AST conferences

• Becta is hosting a series of conferences for ASTs and their LA support colleagues.

–Birmingham - 23 February - National Motorcycle Museum –Bristol - 3 March - Marriott City Centre–Manchester - 5 March -The Midland Hotel–London - 10 March - The Brewery

• Find out more online

E-safety events

• Anti-Bullying Week, 16 -20 November - focus on cyberbullying

• Safer Internet Day, 9 February

• CEOP free half-day update sessions - LSCB e-safety leads invited.–London, 20 January–Liverpool, 24 February–Bristol 10, March–Newcastle, April TBC–York June, TBC

• Empowering children and young people in a digital world: 2010–National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, 10 February 2010– Find out more online

BETT 2010: 13-16 January

• Regional advisers will be available in the LA Lounge and on the Becta stand• Book early to attend our seminars at www.bettshow.com

BETT 2009 13 January 14 January 15 January 2.00pm keynote Next Generation Learning – an entitlement for all. Graham Badman

12.30pm keynote Title TBC Niel McLean and contributors

11.00am keynote Fit for the future: shaping learning for the 21st century. Vanessa Pittard and contributors

1.15pm seminar How schools are using technology to make Next Generation Learning happen. Chaired by John Taylor

10.45am seminar Setting the vision for ICT in capital programmes. Colin Penfold

12pm seminar Home access: extending opportunities for teaching and learning. Nick Shacklock

2.30pm seminar Home access – a local story. Nick Shacklock

2.45pm seminar Developing teachers for Next Generation Learning. Malcolm Hunt

2.30pm seminar Better communication – brilliant outcomes. Mick Thomas and Terry Waller.

2.30pm seminar Driving improvements in schools’ ICT services. Mark Wallbank.

5pm seminar Making it all work together. Paul Shoesmith.

Learning and Technology World Forum

• 11 – 13 January 2010, London, UK

• DCS’ from Becta’s LA Strategic Advisory Group are invited.

• For more information visit www.latwf.org

Updates from Becta:

Learning platforms

New learning platform support

• New supporting resources for schools available from January 2010

• In the event of an emergency closure: –DCSF information and advice on planning

for school closures is available online.–In February 2009 Twynham School was

forced to close due to heavy snowfall. Whilst closed 94% of staff and 86% of learners used the learning platform to login.

Updates from Becta:

Harnessing Technology guidance

The Harnessing Technology Grant – renewed guidance for schools and local authorities• Separate documents for schools and local authorities

• Revised not re-written

• Consistent advice and guidance

• Set within the context of other funding streams

• Clarifies the capital nature of this Grant

• Linked to Becta and DCSF guiding frameworks

• Online and printed copies available

• Designed to help LAs and schools work together to get value for money and realise benefits from technology

Updates from Becta:

Procurement update

Microsoft Subscription Licensing

• New Subscription Enrolment Schools Pilot (SESP) - 6 July launch: –Access the new pilot via the Buying Solutions Educational Software

Licensing Framework

• Choose how much of their ICT estate to license (previously entire estate)– not licensing devices with competitor technologies (e.g. MacOS, Linux..)– not licensing devices incapable of running the licensed software

• Creates opportunity for schools to use Open Source alternatives

• User-based licensing option - ability to use within the institution & home

JISC Collections for Schools - update

•Resources available via high quality online subscription services:

–copyright cleared image and video libraries –curriculum-mapped games and simulations –newspaper archives –general reference information invaluable for

all subject areas

•Broader subject-focused resources for:–Art, Citizenship, English, Geography,

History, Literacy, Maths, Modern Languages, Music, RE, PE, and Science

PAS 122 – AV Installation Specification

• Driven by complaints of poor installations of IWBs and projectors

• Previously no existing standards to cover AV

• Becta led collaboration with BSI and industry

• Not a supplier accreditation – it is a specification that purchasers should insist installers adhere to (e.g. ITT requirement)

• Wider adoption and awareness required to embed the standard

Functional Requirements & Technical Principles • Developed from functional and technical specifications

–Published in 2005

• Functional Requirements–Describing the full set of functions that are required by an institution in order to

have in place reliable, robust and sustainable ICT services to successfully support the delivery of Learning, Teaching and Management–The document has been written for a non-technical audience

• Technical Principles–Describing the full set of functions that are required by an institution and will be

adopted as requirements in order to have in place reliable, robust and sustainable ICT services to successfully support the delivery of Learning, Teaching and Management–No technical standards in the main body but listed in the appendices

Functional Requirements

• Documents to use the terms “shall” and “should” to include the mandated and recommended level of obligation for each function, i.e. mandatory (shall) or recommended (should)

• Functional requirement example:–I need to access learning materials whenever and from wherever I want.–Teaching staff will need access to resources that they have created, that

have been shared with them, or that have been purchased. Access should be via a single username and password and shall be available from anywhere outside and inside the institution, for example from home and from any wired or wireless machine within the school or college. Access to the resources shall be controllable through rights and permissions, time constraints, and user profiles. For example, access could be restricted to ‘all teaching staff’ or ‘all members of the maths department’.

Technical Principles

• Documents to use the terms “shall” and “should” to include the mandated and recommended level of obligation for each function, i.e. mandatory (shall) or recommended (should)

• Technical Principles example:–Unnecessary network ports shall be closed and the default setting should

be 'deny all‘.–Before a LAN is extended to include wireless LAN (WLAN) technology, a

feasibility study and site survey shall be done.–Wireless LANs shall only be used to supplement and not to replace wired

networks

Requirement & Principles Consultation

• Online consultation now in progress - running to 30 November

• Final documents to be available on the Becta website in early 2010

• Documents could be used by LAs and institutions to help develop their own ICT Infrastructure strategy.

Next Generation ICT Services – developing the way forward• Two of Becta’s major procurement arrangements (Infrastructure Services and

Learning Services Frameworks) expire in August and December 2010.

• Need to identify the most effective mechanism to secure the best value ICT goods and services in place to meet education sector requirements for the future.

• Becta held a series of focus groups to understand the ICT challenges:–Secondary school / LA event in March 2009–Primary school / LA event in April 2009–Industry event in June 2009–ICT Services Suppliers’ briefing on 17 September 2009

• Online community established to continue engagement with range of schools, colleges, LAs and industry

The ICT Services Offer

Best practice FITS

e.g. Service desk – Operations management – Incident management – Change management – Configuration management - Workforce management

Management information Connectivity services Learning platforms

Institutional infrastructure

Commercial providers supporting

Customer issues

reliability of technology - systems working together

growing complexity of technology - out of hours access

Improving learning

opportunities for all learners

Range of potential delivery models

School / College

LA / RBC Commercial

provider

Next Generation ICT

Services

Connectivity services

Institutional infrastructure

Management information

Learning platforms

Cloud computing

Virtualisation

Technology that works first time, every time, for everyone, where ever and when ever they

need it

ICT Services Offer

Curriculum content

Specialist hardware,

e.g. data

loggers

Personal devices

High service level (95% plus)

Approved/Accredited

INNOVATION & LOCAL CUSTOMISATION

Appropriate service levels

Conform to agreed standards

Delivering Next Generation ICT Services

• Initial stage involves the development of updated Functional Requirements and Technical Principles

• Currently undertaking a thorough options re-appraisal (based on latest stakeholder feedback) to identify the most appropriate delivery model(s)

• More details can be found on Becta website or our procurement framework community.

• Continuing consultation process with all stakeholders including industry, LAs and schools since start of 2009

• Further specific consultation is in progress

• Potential opportunity for LA’s to align procurements with the emerging delivery models

Updates from Becta:

SIFSIF

SIF update

• Data Model 1.2 now released and work has commenced on Data Model 1.3 due for release June 2010

• Implementation Toolkit now available from the SIFA UK website• Next SIF Association UK Quarterly Meeting Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th

December 2009 • A new membership pricing structure has been approved by the SIF

Association Board of Directors• Visit SIFAUK Website for two new publications “What is SIF” “How SIF Works”• Expecting announcement soon following on from the statement of intent and

further work by the DCSF • If you have any other comments or questions, please email

sifauk@becta.org.uk• SIFA UK Website www.sifassociation.org/uk

Updates from Becta:

Framework for IT Technical Support (FITS) 2.0 launch

FITS 2.0 - Developments

• The FITS support and management courses are now approved by the QCA and are NVQ level qualification that are internationally recognised.

• The first train the trainer course has been delivered which was attended by 15 training partners. This will enable national coverage over the next few months.

• The first course will be delivered to Northampton during November and the first exam at the start of December.

• There are likely to be at least 100 people taking the accreditation in January, 2010.

• FITS has now been established as an independent Not for Profit organisation to promote FITS within the UK and later internationally.

• www.thefitsfoundation.org

Updates from Becta:

Data handling security guidance - latest version

Good practice guides

• Keeping data secure, safe and legal

• Technical guides–Information risk management and protective markings–Data encryption–Secure remote access–Audit logging and incident handling

• Data security Dos and Don'ts

• In discussion with Cabinet Office to adapt online training tool and make available to schools

• Becta > Schools > Leadership and management > Data management

Typical information Technology available Notes on Protective Markings

School life and events School term times, holidays, training days, the curriculum, sports events and results, extra-curricular activities, events, displays of pupils’ work, lunchtime menus, extended services, parent consultation, homework resources, school prospectus

Common practice is to use publicly accessible technology such as school websites or portals, and downloadable or emailed newsletters.

Services such as email and text messaging can also provide updated information where parents opt for this.

Most of this information will fall into the NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED category.

Learning and achievement Information on how parents can support their individual child’s learning, individual learners’ academic achievements, assessments, attainment, progress with learning, learning behaviour, personalised curriculum and Individual Education Plans for learners with special educational needs

Schools will make information available by parents logging on to systems that provide them with appropriately secure access.

Examples include: a secure area of the school’s network, a learning platform, or access through a portal to management information system data. Schools could also send communications to a personal device or email account belonging to the parent/carer.

Most of this information will fall into the PROTECT category. There may be learners whose personal data requires a RESTRICTED marking or higher (for example, the home address of a child at risk). In this case, the school may decide not to make this learner’s record available in this way.

Messages and alerts Alerts and messages regarding information held by the school, such as individual learners’ attendance, behaviour and special educational needs.

Email and text messaging are increasingly used by schools to contact and inform parents. Messaging systems integrated with management information systems and learning platforms are able to manage what information is available online or sent to parents using email and text messages. Learning platforms or portals might be used to provide secure access to further detail and context.

Most of this information will fall into the PROTECT category. Although it may be possible to encrypt email or text messages to parents, schools should not send detailed sensitive information in this way. A telephone call or face-to-face meeting may be more appropriate.

Table 3: Data security and online information for parents/carers

Home Access

Latest information

Local authority conferences

• Becta hosted three conferences for local authorities on Home Access – over 250 delegates attended and over 100 authorities represented.

• Some areas where more detail was requested:

–Rollout and marketing plan–Delivery partners –Eligibility criteria–Aggregation –Looked After Children

Looked After Children

National rollout

• Grant Administration Service announced on 16 October–Capita awarded contract

• Becta is currently reviewing Marketing Strategy and Implementation plans

• Proving period end November – December 2009–Main launch activities in January 2010–When all eligible families can start to apply–Main marketing to start–Support for LAs and schools–Home Access Regional Marketing Team available for support activities–Information packs for schools made available

The offer

Home Access Grants for low income families to cover the cost of a Home

Access package comprising:

Approved suppliers to

provide these packages

designed to support learning

Assistive technologies for

those with additional needs

Eligibility

Are you a parent or guardian responsible for and living with a child

Yes

...in years 3 to 9

... who attends a state school in England full time

... who did not get a computer from Computers For Pupils or the Home Access programme in the pastDo you receive at least one of the following Yes

Free School Meals for your child

Income Support

Income Based Jobseekers Allowance

Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and an income of less than £16,040Guaranteed Pension Credit

Income Related Employment Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act

Grant administration service

• Capita will provide the grant administration service–Designed to remove burden from schools and local authorities

• Responsible for:–driving demand –issuing and evaluating applications –delivering grants to families–enquiry and helpdesk support

• Will benefit over 270,000 households by March 2011

Approved suppliers

–Bli Education – Centerprise (3 mobile, Phones4U, Apollo, Hughes,

Brighthouse, Retra)– Comet– Misco– Positive IT Solutions (Cartridge World)– XMA (T-mobile)

• First wave of provisionally approved suppliers and their partners are:

Learning and development

Becta is responsible for:• Providing parents, carers and guardians with advice and guidance including:

–how to guide on every desktop –dedicated Home Access web-space for families–monthly newsletter and direct mail via approved suppliers

•Supporting LAs and schools to recognise the wider benefits of Home Access for their families

•Working with partners such as DCSF, BIS, TDA, QCDA and UK online centres

Looked After Children

Looked After Children

• Looked After Children in foster care will be catered for by the main Home Access programme.

• LAs (care workers) will identify a need and apply on the learner’s behalf at key review points in the Careplan and Pathway Plan reviews.

• Eligibility for Looked After Children spans years 1 to 13 inclusive.

• Looked After Children (and others) who benefitted under Home Access for targeted Groups will not be eligible under the national programme.

• Detailed guidance will be made available later in November. This will be sent to the LACES teams or equivalent contacts in authorities and be available for download from www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess

Ownership of LAC equipment

• In nearly all cases equipment will stay with the foster family.  The four exceptions are:

–Child has been awarded enhanced assistive technology and so is bespoke to their needs– Child is in a critical phase of education and loss of equipment would

severely impact attainment– Child is leaving care, but requires kit to continue with education.– If the designated care worker thinks it is appropriate

• In all of these cases the decision is made by the designated care worker..

Home Access for Targeted Groups

• 110 local authorities took part in the Home Access for Targeted Groups programme which ran in parallel to the Home Access pilots

• Over 21,000 learners benefited – including looked after children, young offenders, Gypsy Roma Travellers, pupils in National Challenge schools and those in alternative provision

Aggregation

• Aggregating local authorities are:–Shropshire–Hull–Durham

• Details of school’s aggregation will now be communicated to schools and academies

School level aggregation

• Any school – other than an academy – will have to be affiliated to the e-Learning Foundation to run an aggregation scheme.

• e-Learning Foundation will provide additional advice and support, as well as providing schools with opportunity to combine Home Access with a wider parental contribution based scheme.

• e-Learning Foundation also has access to additional funds to support schools build wider programmes to include those ineligible for Home Access grants. School level and Individual Support Grants available from e-Learning Foundation www.e-learningfoundation.com

School level aggregation

• Schools will have to submit an application to Capita who will evaluate them and if successful register their aggregation scheme.

• As with local authorities, schools will have to communicate the opportunity to families, ensure legal requirements are followed and purchase equipment from approved suppliers.

• The deadline for applications is 28 February – however school applications will be evaluated and (if successful) registered as and when submitted. They can operate their aggregation scheme as soon as they are registered.

Communicating schools aggregation

• Schools aggregation pack will be available on request from 1 December from: www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess

• Opportunity will be included in 26 November DCSF email to Headteachers

• Local authorities should make schools aware of the opportunity

• Becta will also be:–attending e-Learning Foundation conference (20 Nov)–attending the SSAT Annual conference (25-26 Nov)–working with a range of partners such SSAT and NAACE to communicate

to schools

The programme will provide three models of support:

• Software – pre installed on all Home Access packages applications such as ‘text to speech’, ‘text prediction’, ‘mind-mapping’ and screen magnification

• Package 1 – provides the user with an adapted mouse and keyboard as well as reading stickers on the keyboard as required

• Package 2 – supports the more profound learning needs not supported by Package 1 with items such as a touch screen and joystick mouse.

Assistive technology offer

Assistive technology software

• Becta is exploring procurement opportunities to enable local authorities and schools to purchase the AT software:

–MindView 3 –Read&Write 9 –iZoom

Working with local authorities

• New resources developed for local authorities

• Local authority resources DVD which contains:–Background information–Key information on how Home Access works–Real life stories, videos and other assets

• Stakeholder map to help authorities identify who their key partners are

• Home Access National Indicator Map which maps local authority national indicators for 2009-10 according to the impact Home Access can have on them

• All available at www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess

BreakBreak

Regional good pratice

Capital programmes

Becta awards schemes

• ICT Excellence awards–schools and LAs

• BETT awards–supports software purchasing decisions

• Teaching awards–get in touch with winning practitioners

• BSF awards–Becta sponsored–case studies available

• Register your interest online and check out good practice examples on Becta’s YouTube channel.

• Nominate your schools!

Introducing ‘vital’ – DCSF ICT CPD programme

Chris Brown

> Programme Overview

Autumn 2009

> A Blended Model

> OU and e-skills UK

> National and Regional

> ICT as Generalist and Specialist Subject

> Primary and Secondary Sectors

> Collaboration and Partnership approaches

> Pedagogy and Practicality

> Approach

> National Board and Regional Networks

OU offices as administrative hubs

> Provision> Face to Face and On-line Courses> On-line Community> Frameworks/Accreditation Routes> Signposting

> Timings

> Partnership work begins Sept-Dec 09

> Soft Launch events – Oct-Dec 09> Register interest at www.vital.ac.uk

> Hard Launch- BETT Jan 10

> Opening of centres/regional work-Jan –April 2010

Lunch

Regional good practice

Cambridgeshire’s Experience of Developing a Primary Learning Platform

Gareth Davies and Sally Elding

Parental engagement and online reporting

Discussion and activity

•Parents will be contacted by a staff member at secondary school before their child starts at the school;

•Parents will be able to attend information sessions at the new school;

•Every child will have a personal tutor who knows them in the round, and acts as a main contact for parents;

•Parents will have regular, up to date information on their child’s attendance, behaviour and progress in learning;

•Parents Councils will ensure that parents’ voices are heard within the school;

•Parents’ complaints will be managed in a straightforward and open way.

Department for Children,

Schools and Families

The Children’s Plan

Building brighter futures

Presented to Parliament

by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and

Families

by Command of Her Majesty

December 2007

Parental engagement - context

• Every parent will have opportunities, information and support to exercise choice with and on behalf of their child

• They will have the information and support they need to be involved in their child’s learning and development

• There will be a Home School Agreement outlining their rights and their responsibilities for their child’s schooling

• They will have access to extended services including support and advice on parenting.

Extract from the Forward to The White Paper June 2009- Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

The White Paper

Parental engagement and Ofsted

• Ofsted’s new inspection judgement form includes:-The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers

Grade DescriptorOutstanding •Parents and carers are exceptionally well informed

•School provides tailored guidance and information•Parents and carers are able to communicate with the school through a wide range of media

Good •Parents and carers are kept well informed •clear and accessible channels for parents and carers to communicate with the school

Satisfactory •School has a generally positive relationship with parents and carers•Regular exchange of adequate information with parents and carers

Inadequate •School does not take sufficient account of parents’ and carers’ views•Communication between the school and parents and carers, or particular groups of parents and carers, is poor

What schools should be doing now

• Talking to their parents, carers, pupils and governors about: –what information they want–when they want it –how they want to receive it

• Schools should also do the following:–Assess current technology and expertise–Review and update school policies–Agree a strategy and action plan with all stakeholders–Provide support for staff to take ownership–Talk to their LA to discuss specific plans that may already be in place

• Only then should schools approach ICT suppliers, advisors and consultants to investigate possible support for the school vision.

Responses from Parental Engagement LA Survey

Activity

• What should an LA be doing to support parental engagement?• Review draft descriptors in groups.

2a – 5 Knowing how

parents/carers are being

supported to engage with

learners.

The LA has a poor understanding of the requirements for parental engagement. It has little or no knowledge about the use of technology in engaging with parents/carers.

The Local Authority is working towards a strategy for supporting the use of technology to engage with parents/carers. It has knowledge about what some schools are doing .

The LA has a strategy for supporting the use of technology to engage with parents/carers. There are some systems being used which enable it to know about the use of technology engaging with parents/carers. The LA is confident that the majority of schools are meeting online reporting expectations.

The LA has implemented a comprehensive strategy for ensuring that technology is used effectively to support engagement with parents/carers. It uses a comprehensive range of effective processes to gather information about the use of technology in engaging with parents/carers by schools.

The effective implementation of a strong strategy has enabled all schools to meet online reporting expectations. The Local Authority gathers detailed and robust quantitative and qualitative information about the effectiveness of the technology being used to engage parents/carers. The innovative approaches used are promoted within and beyond the region.

Element 2: Learning & Teaching

What kind of information & technology?

Attendance

Behaviour

Attainment

Progress

SEN

Resources available

• Secondary schools DVD resources

• New parent pack

• New schools pack

• Keep using the LA DVD resources and ask your Regional Delivery adviser forsupport.

Final comments

Close