IT

Made to measure

Good ICT facilities can make a huge contribution to making a school effective. But how do you define and identify “good”? Actually, current ICT standards provide a useful benchmark, writes Paul Sypko

The quality and reliability of a school’s information and communications technology (ICT) resources can be pivotal in determining the effectiveness of its teaching, learning and management. Parents, pupils, teachers and support staff alike are enthused when a school has excellent and well-run ICT facilities. It’s probably not too much of an overstatement to say that the atmosphere of a school changes when the headteacher is proud to talk about the school’s use of ICT.

Most people can instinctively tell when a school is doing something right with the way it uses ICT, but actually defining what that means is more difficult in practice. It’s also important to have a clear definition of what “good” ICT means to the school – otherwise how will it make sure it achieves (and sustains) it?

A world of ICT standards
Adopting best practice from recognised ICT standards is a good place to start. The challenge is in knowing which ones to use.

Standards are abundant in the world of ICT, and they each have different – and often highly specific – purposes. Many of them overlap, and some achieve the same outcomes but in different ways. Furthermore, different people and organisations often have different opinions as to which standards are the most relevant for their organisation.

An experienced ICT manager may, for instance, feel that it is most appropriate to use relevant sections of the widely used and well regarded Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) published by the UK’s Office of Government Commerce. ITIL gives a detailed description of a number of important ICT practices, with comprehensive checklists, tasks and procedures that any organisation can tailor to its needs. Others may take the view that, while applicable, it is perhaps too detailed or not specific enough to the needs of a school.

Similarly, there are various standards for individual, specific areas relevant to an ICT function: for example, project management (such as Prince 2) and information security (ISO 27001).

Becta, the government agency that promotes effective and innovative use of technology in learning, has made the job easier with its ICT Mark and associated self-review framework. Also of relevance is its Information Management Strategy Framework, which focuses on the way in which a school uses information management systems to collect and manage data to support teaching and learning. Both of these are relevant, practical and effective for independent schools.

ICT Mark and self-review framework
The Becta ICT Mark is an accreditation scheme that recognises a good standard of effective use of ICT. The first step in achieving the award is to work through Becta’s self-review framework.

A self-review using the Becta framework is a worthwhile exercise in its own right. It can provide useful points for future development, and can help you gain a better understanding of your school’s strengths relative to best practice in other schools.

The self-review framework is split into eight high-level categories. Each category has a number of sub-sections that contains a set of descriptors. These are statements that reflect a nationally agreed set of standards, and summarise different levels of attainment in the way that your school is using ICT. By comparing your school’s ICT against these statements, you can identify priorities for development. You can then also use it to address the gaps: by reading the descriptions for the levels above where you are now, you can identify and plan the steps you need to take to progress.

What now?
Schools that follow recognised standards and have accreditations such as the ICT Mark are more likely to be regarded as “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted. The time and effort involved in carrying out a self-review can be minimal, and the benefits are substantial – so start today.

Paul Sypko is a consultant with BlueSpark Consulting. He specialises in helping not-for-profit organisations in the strategic and operational use of ICT. Paul can be contacted at paul.sypko@bluesparkconsulting.com.

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