Naace Newsletter - April 2021

Welcome to the April Newsletter. It has been a busy month in many respects. With increases in membership, both paid and free; and new SRF schools in the UK and abroad there is a sense that schools are still seeking to explore routes to progress or consolidate their approach to using educational technology. That we need to capitalise on the gains made of the past year is now a common discussion topic and certainly a theme at the recent Westminster Forum Policy Conference (see below), and I am sure the debate will continue at the EdTech Update and EduTech Europe online events of next week.

What is becoming apparent is that those schools that have had a consistent approach to monitoring and reviewing their EduTech use and provision over a period of time have approached the need for online learning over the last year with more confidence. The report from Russel Street School below and the fact that 10 of the 33 individual primary and secondary schools listed as part of the EdTech Demonstrator schools programme are current or past users of the SRF, are both illustrations of how the robust foundations encouraged by the Self Review Framework have a long term effect in terms of a school’s confidence and expectations of the use of EdTech to enhance learning.

Last week the Board of Management met to consider how the use of the SRF might be further encouraged and supported over the coming year. We are now planning for raft of initiatives that we hope will re-engage schools that have allowed their engagement with the SRF to lapse and to encourage and support new schools that want to begin their SRF journey. There is no doubt that working towards NaaceMark can be at times a difficult journey, and Naace understands that there is a temptation for schools to take their foot off the pedal after the significant achievement of NaaceMark, but if there is one thing to be learnt over the last year, it is that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels and Naace is committed to support schools no matter how long their EdTech journeys may be.

Laurence Boulter

Leading UK voices in edtech argue we have reached a pivotal moment in adoption and innovation

Some of the best minds in the education technology sector came together, at the annual Westminster Education Forum Policy Conference, to discuss standards, quality and accessibility, the experience of lockdown and next steps for edtech strategy.
The forum was chaired by Rt Hon Lord Willetts, who was joined by a number of keynote speakers including Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA and Ty Goddard, Chair of EdTech UK.

Delegates at the event engaged in topical conversation that brought to light a number of key challenges faced by schools and the sector, as well as pin pointing areas of opportunity. Themes included the need for a new strategy, digital connectivity, and a training and CPD skills gap.

In our latest blog, we have put together some of the key takeaways from the event which have highlighted an undeniable need to capitalise on some of the incredible learnings from the past year. Read more here.

Promethean gives schools chance to win £60,000 in edtech packages

Naace sponsoring partner, Promethean, has announced that its new Classroom Stories competition is open for entries, giving schools from across the UK and Ireland the opportunity to win one of 20 edtech packages worth up to £3,000 each.
The Promethean Classroom Stories competition aims to celebrate positivity in education by encouraging educators to share experiences which demonstrate passion, innovation, and imagination – rewarding the most inspiring submissions with a state-of-the-art Promethean ActivPanel®, training and support.

Entries will be judged by Naace’s very own Andrew Murden, Jim Wallis, Head of UKI at Promethean and Alex Bramley, a Year 6 teacher from Spire Junior School in Chesterfield.

To enter, simply record a short video (no longer than 2 minutes long) that illustrates something unique about your classroom or school, explain why it makes you proud, and upload to the Promethean Classroom Stories website before 25th June 2021. The Promethean ActivPanel is an advanced interactive flat panel display. With powerful software and connectivity, the ActivPanel helps teachers to engage students in the classroom as well as support those learning from home in hybrid teaching scenarios.

For details on how to enter and full terms and conditions, please visit www.prometheanworld.com/gb/classroom-stories

Join Naace Online this Month

The Schools & Academies Show, now in its 10th year, will unite the education community on the 27th – 30th April for a virtual experience like no other. Join us to engage with over 50 hours of content from 100+ of the education sectors most influential figures, ensuring you come away with the guidance needed to deliver outstanding teaching & learning, at a vital time when it is needed most. Register your free place here.

The EdTech Update online show will build on the themes explored in last year's first ever EdTech Summit Show. The show aims to reveal the successes and lessons learned during a challenging 2020; whilst exploring how educators are realigning digital strategies with teaching and learning. With over 65 experts, including a representative from NAACE sharing keynote discussion, best practices and tailored workshops, this is one event not to be miss. Register your free place here.

SRF School of the Month - Russell Street School, Milton Keynes

This addition of the newsletter includes insight from Jayne Van Rooyen who is the computing lead at Russell Street Primary school in Milton Keynes. Russell Street School have been using the SRF for some years and have recently renewed their NaaceMark award. Jayne is reflecting on how the school’s engagement with pupils during the period of online learning was supported by their subscription to the SRF. Jayne’s report illustrates how crucial it is for schools to constantly review their provision which, in this case, has eased the switch to an online curriculum in terms of resources and the skills required to access them. The deceptively simple example of the asynchronous “sunflower study” reveals commendable levels of confidence technology skills in both teaching staff and pupil alike.

Our work with NAACE began around ten years ago when we received our first ICT mark award. Since then, we have continued to develop our use of ICT in school and have worked hard on enhancing our Computing curriculum.

Due to our involvement with NAACE and the use of the SRF, we have ensured that our curriculum and resources are of the highest standard. Use of the SRF means that we regularly evaluate our equipment, resources and curriculum and this meant that during the recent school closures we were able to quickly loan laptops to all pupils that did not have them at home.

We have used Purple Mash as our learning platform for a number of years. This means that we are able to set work and give feedback quickly and efficiently. As we use it as part of our curriculum, the children are used to working online, saving their work and creating their own portfolios without any additional training. It is important for us as a school to balance screen time and practical activities and we feel that we manage this by setting projects which the pupils can work on practically and then apply their knowledge to completing activities online. A good example of this, was when the pupils planted a sunflower and then produced an online record of how it was growing.

By redesigning our curriculum and presenting it on our school website, it has meant that we have been able to ensure that the work that is being set as home learning matches the aims of curriculum.

If you are an SRF school and want to share any aspect of your achievements, then we would love to hear from you. We are not looking for dramatic whole-school initiatives or epic case studies (although you can send us these too). Sometimes progress happens in little steps, so tell us about those as well. One lesson, one teacher or the achievements of one pupil are sometimes all it needs to make an “Eureka!” moment - anything that you feel was stimulated by your engagement with the SRF.

Future of EdTech

Following our review and update of the SRF to include a greater focus on online learning, we have now looking at 3MLA. As part of the review process we have removed access to the submissions forms on the Naace website. If you are a school that is working towards a submission please do contact Naace my emailing membership@naace.org.uk and we will support you with alternative arrangements. If you are thinking of applying for the award and have not yet begun to prepare the evidence required then please look out for further updates.

Sponsoring Partner Spotlight - KAZ Type

With over 25 years’ experience in the education sector, KAZ Type have evolved into one of the leading education software companies providing touch typing solutions for both mainstream students, as well as students with special educational needs.

They believe in today’s IT led world, it is essential to equip all students with the fundamental but essential modern day ‘life skill’ of touch typing, as it gives them a huge advantage, preparing then for further education, the working environment and life.

For neurodivergent students, the skill offers a new and powerful medium for learning and communicating and helps level the playing field.All education licences use their tried, tested and proven Accelerated Learning teaching method and include:

Mainstream edition

Neurodiverse edition, developed with advice and guidance from the Dyslexia Research, teaching typing skills whilst minimising visual disturbances by means of a unique ‘preference screen’ - tailor making the course for maximum visibility comfort. It is suitable for students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADHD, ASD, tourettes, amongst others.

Additionally, they also offer a City & Guilds Assured edition.

Al licences are suitable for use on: Mac, PC, Chromebook, Tablet and iPad.

Their software has proven so effective that it was shortlisted as a finalist for several academic awards: BETT 2019, Teach Primary 2019 and Teach Secondary 2019.

Find out more about KAZ Type here: https://kaz-type.com/

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