|
The
school ICT policy
'Policy'
- a course of action, guiding principle, or procedure considered expedient,
prudent, or advantageous
A school's policy
for ICT will describe the school's approach to achieving the vision
for ICT.
The components of a school's ICT policy are described by Becta as including
: strategic management, curriculum organisation, equal opportunities,
curriculum administration, human resource management, physical resource
management, management information system and evaluation.
 Developing
a whole-school policy for ICT
This section lists the issues that need to be considered and suggests
sample wording.
The ideas here should be adapted to ensure that the policy is appropriate
and relevant for your school.
Writing an introduction
Consider
- who is the policy for?
new
members of staff
parents
and the local community
external
agencies and organisations
Consider - what do we wish the policy to achieve?
To
ensure all staff understand and agree on the approach to ICT
To
assist planning and promote development
To
explain the school's position to outsiders
To
assist the governors in the allocation of funds
Sample Wording
"This policy document sets out the school's
aims, principles and strategies for the delivery of
Information and Communication Technology. It will form the basis for
the development of ICT in the school over the next five years. This
policy was developed in the spring term 2002 by a staff and governors'
working party chaired by the ICT coordinator. It was formally adopted
at a staff meeting on 1st June 2002.
Reference is made to the School's Assessment and Health and Safety policies.
Full details of our software and hardware resources and maintenance
procedures are included in the staff handbook."
The significance of Information and Communication Technology
Sample Wording
"Information and communication technology
(ICT) prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in
which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access
to varied and developing technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore,
analyse, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and
with discrimination. They learn how to employ ICT to enable rapid access
to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and
cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative
and independent learning; with pupils being able to make informed judgements
about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and consider its implications
for home and work both now and in the future."
(National Curriculum for England DfEE/QCA 1999)
Consider - what
is the scope of 'information and communications technology'?
Sample wording
"We interpret the term 'information communication
technology' to include the use of any equipment which allows users to
communicate or manipulate information (in the broadest sense of the
word) electronically."
The school's aims for ICT
When deciding on the school's aims for ICT, internal, local and national
factors should be considered.
Consider - what internal factors will influence your aims for ICT?
the
school's general aims
the
NGfL vision statement
the
school development plan
special
features of the curriculum
strengths
and interests of staff
Consider - what local factors will influence your aims for ICT?
LEA
targets
school
partnerships
intake
characteristics
support
available for, for example, special needs
Consider - what national factors will influence your aims for ICT?
National
Curriculum requirements
OFSTED,
e.g. feedback from inspection
national
training targets
national
standards targets
Sample wording
" The overall aim for Information and
Communication Technology is to enrich learning for all pupils and to
ensure that teachers develop confidence and competence to use Information
and Communication Technology in the effective teaching of their subject.
Information
and communication technology offers opportunities for pupils to
 Develop their ICT
capability and understand the importance of information and how to select
and prepare it.
Develop their skills
in using hardware and software so as to enable them to manipulate information.
Develop their ability
to apply ICT capability and ICT to support their use of language and
communication.
Explore their attitudes
towards ICT, its value for themselves, others and society, and their
awareness of its advantages and limitations.
Develop good Health
and Safety attitudes and practice."
The school's curriculum organization
(A description of how the school uses a scheme of work and assessment
methods (reference to the QCA units and/or the Key Stage 3 strategy)
Consider...
How
will the school deliver the National Curriculum ICT requirements?
How
is ICT capability developed through subjects or ICT lessons?
How
does ICT support and enrich learning across the curriculum?
How
does ICT contribute to cross-curricular themes?
Sample wording-
Primary
"Once a term a class will work on completing
one or two units of work based on the QCA Schemes of Work. (This will
be the objectives not necessarily the activities listed.) The study
will last for half a term (see whole school overview).
Individual
QCA units are used to form the basic medium term plans on which are
highlighted: health and safety, SMSC, Key Skills etc. Adaptations are
made to ensure the plan is progressive in developing pupil capability.
These are used as working documents to identify time markers, additional
resource needs and to indicate whether optional activities have been
undertaken. Once a unit has been completed, the planning sheet will
be evaluated by the coordinator and class teacher, to inform future
planning.
Each
class is allocated a time in the ICT suite to accomplish their ICT scheme
of work units. This scheme is integrated to ensure that delivery of
ICT is linked to subjects and takes on board the statutory requirements
of other national curriculum subjects. Each class is also allocated
additional time in the computer suite to apply the use of ICT to other
subject areas. A half-termly timetable is displayed within the ICT room
for staff to sign up for additional time where appropriate.
Individual
machines in classrooms support the development of ICT capability by
enabling further development of tasks from the ICT room; encourage research
and allow for the creative use of ICT in subjects. This is highlighted
in the ICT plan and in subject plans.
Each
class is split into approximately three equal groups. Each group is
taught the relevant skills appropriate to their ability. These sessions
are delivered weekly for approximately 20 minutes. (The same one hour
a week is thus spent teaching ICT to the whole class) Practise of this
teaching is then planned into various lessons during the week. The contexts/activities
will change for the different groups but the ICT objectives will remain
the same, thus accomplishing the ICT scheme of work units. This scheme
is integrated to ensure that delivery of ICT is linked to subjects and
takes on board the statutory requirements of other national curriculum
subjects. "
Sample wording - Secondary
"Children arrive in school with variable ICT experiences: the
systems are different and sometimes the software is different. We view
these prior achievements as an advantage and aim to build on them.
ICT lessons are taught in all years In addition ICT Capability will
also be delivered within subjects in every year group. The ICT Coordinator,
in discussion with Heads of Department, will timetable the use of the
school resources to ensure this will happen.
A
skills and techniques curriculum from the QCA schemes will be the basis
of the ICT curriculum and this will be built upon by applied use in
subjects - eg
Year 7 ½ term ½ term ½ term ½ term ½
term ½ term
ICT Using ICT Information and Presentation Models: rules and investigations
Data: designing structure etc. Processing text and images Control: Input,
process and output
Cross-curricular ICT through Eng History Maths Geog RE
Year
10 and 11 GCSE IT
All pupils study a short course GCSE (Key skills ICT). There are three
option groups for pupils to study a full Applied GCSE.
(Describe here how ICT is used in subjects at KS4)
Sixth
form
A programme of flexible modules, targeted at experience and requirements,
is available to support subject delivery. Eg a module on the use of
ICT to analyse statistics. A level ICT will also be offered.
ICT
is organised in the school through working within the scheme of work
which is based on the National Curriculum programmes of study."
Curriculum Management
These are
some responsibilities relating to ICT, which need to be allocated
managing the implementation of ICT policy
ensuring staff access
to ICT
ensuring continuity
between year groups
ensuring ICT progression
liaison with feeder
and/or receiving schools
purchasing/organising
ICT resources
identifying the
ICT support needed by staff |
arranging in-service support
reviewing the ICT
policy
assessment of pupils
meeting statutory
requirements
curriculum development
overseeing equipment
maintenance
health and safety
policy and practice |
Sample Wording
"The
Subject Leader will facilitate the use of Information and Communication
Technology in the following ways:
By updating the
policy and scheme of work;
By ordering/updating
resources;
By providing INSET
so that all staff are confident in how to teach the subject and have
sufficient subject knowledge;
To keep staff abreast
of new developments;
By taking an overview
of whole school planning to ensure that opportunities occur for pupils
to develop an information and communication technology capability and
that progression is taking place;
By supporting staff
in developing pupils' capability;
By attending appropriate
courses to update knowledge of current developments, and by keeping
links with the Advisory Team for Information and Communication Technology;
By contributing
to the School Improvement Plan on an annual basis
By management of
the technician if available and communication of problems to NGfL team.
Making sure all
staff understand system for logging faults and use of the Internet/email
Monitoring the curriculum
Maintaining records
of software licences and their deployment.".
Curriculum Enhancement
Sample Wording
" Through
the scheme the school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and
cultural development, key skills and other aspects and the general teaching
requirements: use of language, and health and safety."
Access to ICT
Consider...
How is ICT equipment
deployed in the school?
Is provision made for
pupils to use ICT equipment outside lessons?
Are pupils able to use
ICT equipment unsupervised?
Are there open-access
areas such as the library?
Is there a loan scheme
for portable equipment?
Are staff able to take
home portable equipment for preparation and practise?
Sample wording
"The school has a computer network room
which is timetabled for classes throughout the week
Each class base is equipped with two computers on trolleys which are
also linked to the main network.
They are moved into adjacent areas to extend provision when the
class to which they belong is working elsewhere.
Additionally there is a bank of laptops which link to the computer network
by wireless technology.
All computers will be equipped with hard disks on which a suite
of core software is installed to enable functionality when equipment
is detached from the network."
Inclusion
Consider...
How does the school
ensure that all children have opportunities to use ICT according to
their needs?
How does ICT help to
give children with special educational needs access to the whole curriculum?
How does ICT support
gifted children?
How are gender issues
handled?
What account is taken
of pupils' use of ICT at home?
Sample wording
"All pupils, regardless of race or gender,
shall have the opportunity to develop ICT capability. The school will
promote equal opportunities for computer usage and fairness of distribution
of ICT resources. Children with a computer at home are encouraged to
use it for educational benefit and parents are offered advice about
what is appropriate.
Efforts
are made to ensure that text created at home can be transferred to a
classroom computer once a teacher has been notified. The school will
monitor the level of access to computers in the home environment to
ensure no pupils are unduly disadvantaged. (Groupings for computer usage
should generally follow the same pattern as for all lessons. It is appropriate
to match pairs of equal ability, rather than have a more able ICT users
always guide a less able pupil. This generally leads to passivity and
dominance. However it is appropriate to plan to have peer tutors for
some lessons where the objectives also enable the more able user to
learn by specifically teaching).
Positive
images of computer use by people of both sexes will be promoted. The
school recognises the advantages of the use of ICT by children with
special educational needs.
Using
ICT can:
address children's
individual needs
increase access
to the curriculum
enhance language
skills
Staff
should structure their teaching materials to match a learning difficulty.
If the situation arises, the school will endeavour to buy appropriate
resources to suit the specific needs of the child."
Recording, assessment and reporting
Consider...
How does practice with
ICT reflect the school's policy on recording, assessment and reporting?
What additional demands
do you take account of?
Do you keep a school
portfolio of work in ICT?
Is the portfolio hard
copy or electronic?
What mechanisms are
there for moderated assessments - agreement thrilling?
How much, if any, evidence
of individual ICT work is kept? For how long?
Do you have an agreed
format for record keeping?
How are student assessments
reported to parents?
Sample wording
" As
the class teacher works through the scheme of work they will record
progress against the short-focused tasks where appropriate and assess
the children's progress in the integrated task. This assessment will
be used to support teaching and learning. Assessment will be based on
some, most and further in line with QCA recommendations.
Some
evidence is to be kept. This may include a description of the context
and an explanation of how the pupils completed the task. Photographs,
discussion, saved work and printouts (if any were produced) of differing
pupils work. This will be known as a Portfolio of Exemplar Assessments
and will accompany the children throughout their time at the school.
It will be based on the advice on the national curriculum action site.
ICT
work will be marked in line with the school policy on marking.
For
reporting purposes, which will be at the end of Key Stage xx, a level
of each pupil's ICT capability will be given. This will be based on
the attainment target level descriptions."
Monitoring and review
Consider...
How is current practice
monitored to ensure that the existing policy is implemented?
How is ICT teaching
monitored?
How is planning monitored?
How is marking monitored?
How is ICT use monitored?
How are schemes of work
reviewed and developed?
How are staff development
needs identified?
How and when will the
ICT policy be reviewed, and by whom?
Sample wording
" Monitoring
is carried out by the headteacher (member of senior management) and
the ICT coordinator, in the following ways:
Informal discussion
with staff and pupils
Observation
of ICT displays
Collection
of class ICT files
Looking
at the work in their individual paper files or notebooks
Classroom
observation
There
is an annual review of this policy by the ICT coordinator
A major review involving all staff will take place every three years."
Health and Safety/Security
Consider...
Give reference to legislation
Refer to common school
practice
Include security of
equipment
Make reference to security
of Internet use
Sample Wording
"Before being allowed to work in the computer
suite(s) all children are made aware of the arrangements if they hear
the fire alarm. A copy of the evacuation route and location of fire
extinguishers can be found on the wall of the suite. Portable equipment
will be checked annually and computers three-yearly under the Electricity
at Work Regulation 1989.
Children
will also be made aware of the correct way to sit when using the computer
and the need to take regular breaks if they are to spend any length
of time on computers. Computer Room Rules are also on display within
the ICT room for reference along with specific rules for the use of
Internet and E-mail. The school also has a 'Responsible Use of The Internet
Policy' document.
The
Health and Safety at Work Act (1 January 1993), European Directive deals
with requirements for computer positioning and quality of screen. This
directive is followed for all administration staff. Whilst this legislation
only applies to people at work we seek to provide conditions for all
children which meet these requirements.
Computers
and televisions/videos are covered at night and are either stored in
cupboards or taken home by staff during holiday periods. The school
has an alarm system installed throughout. Each computer system has individual
security against access to the management system. The files and network
system are backed up regularly. The virus checker is updated regularly."
Copyright and licensing
This will
need to be referred to - but there is a need to check LEA policy. All
software loaded on school computer systems must have been agreed with
the designated person in the school.
Consider...
Is all software used
in strict accordance with the licence agreement?
Personal software should
not be loaded to school computers.
The school must agree
to respect the intellectual ownership of software.
Refer to Copyright Designs
and Patents Act 1988 and 1991 European Software Directive.
(These will usually be embodied in a separate detailed school policy).
Give reference to web
sites and the Internet - NGfL policy should encompass this
Possible Appendices:
Hardware and software resources
Assessment sheets
Acceptable use policy/letter
to parents
Computer room rules
|
