Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy September 2021 onwards
Developed digital skills of Staff and Pupils
Improved access to digital learning
Enhanced learning outcomes
Increased curriculum opportunities/ assessments
‘Empowering our learners with the correct skills and technology to enhance their love of learning’
1|Page
Content: Introduction Digital Strategy Overview The reasons for Microsoft Surfaces? Development of teachers’ resources Cost, insurance and breakages What happens when I leave Elstree at the end of Year 8? Storage / Day to day use Keeping safe in an online world
Headmaster – Mr Sid Inglis Director of Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Pilkington
1 2-4
Head of Digital Learning – Mr Graham Wootten
4-5
Director of Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Pilkington
5-6
Bursar – Mr Geoff Arthur
6
Head of Digital Learning – Mr Graham Wootten
6
Deputy Head – Mr Simon Attwood
7
Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead – Simon Attwood and Sarah Attwood
7
Will my child use books and pens again?
Director of Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Pilkington
7
How will I order my device through school?
Head of Digital Learning – Mr Graham Wootten
7-8
1. Introduction from Mr Sid Inglis – Headmaster Dear Parents, We are excited to launch our ‘Digital Teaching and Learning Strategy’ for September 2021 in this guide for parents. We have invested heavily in digital technology over the last year and my thanks go to the Elstree Governing body for making this happen. As we move forward past ‘Lockdowns’, ‘Blended Learning Programmes’ and ‘Remote Learning Programmes’, we wish to harness the best parts of teaching in the digital domain and carefully integrate it into our creative and traditional teaching methods across the school. This has been carefully thought through with many Senior Schools and other Prep Schools consulted so that we take an ‘appropriate’ step forward in our development. Our pupils are always our primary focus and increasingly Senior Schools work in an online world. We must prepare our pupils robustly giving them the skills not only for Senior School but indeed life beyond. According to a recent World Economic Forum Report, nearly a third of the most important skills sets in 2025 will be comprised of Digital technology. We have noticed our pupils thriving online and we look forward to this united approach moving forward. We hope that this initial step with Year 7 and 8 will flourish further in the future. Best wishes, Sid Inglis Headmaster 2|Page
2. Digital Learning Overview Mr Andrew Pilkington – Director of Learning and Teaching We hope that this document will give you the rationale for our New Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy at Elstree. We are planning to integrate digital learning further into our teaching and assessment practices from September 2021 in the following way: • Staff training through INSETs, one to one tuition and Echampions support in place. • Microsoft Teams development across the Pre-Prep/Prep School. • Allowing meetings and staff briefings to happen safely online. • Pupil IT skills enhanced across all subjects enabling the old IT lessons to be 'Coding and Problem Solving' lessons thus enhancing the curriculum. • Pupils prepared for Senior School life handing in work electronically to teachers. • Pupils engagement with our remote learning programme has been impressive. If we can balance the best classroom methods of teaching with appropriately implemented technology, engagement in learning will flourish further. • Marking can be made more personal with audio feedback and 'live' marking whilst pupils work on documents. This is rewarding for the pupils. • Collabroative learning can flourish with teams of pupils working on projects together. • This digital technology will breed organic creativity amongst the pupils.
Developed digital skills of Staff and Pupils
Improved access to digital learning
Enhanced learning outcomes
Increased curriculum opportunities/ assessments
• Devices allocated to pupils in Years 7 and 8. • Year 8 can bring in their own device as a 'transition year' in September 2021. • Each full time member of staff has a Microsoft Surface to enhance teaching. • Vivi Connection to projectors in classrooms so staff and pupils can collaborate. • Digital Learning suite and trolley of devices will become more availible for Years 1-6. • SENSO enables teachers to see each child's screen and monitor progress. • Digital learning and IT skills will improve across all subjects and complement what is learnt in IT lessons. • IT will embed into the curriculum quicker. • Coding and problem solving will take a greater role in the curriculum as IT skills are taught more widely. • The curriculum can have more variety and be current, especially in subjects like Science and the Humanities. • Assessments can be administered more switly with personal targets and feedback provided with ease. • Pupil voice can be heard through questionnaires more regularly using Microsoft Forms.
(Andrew Pilkington –Digital Learning and Teaching Overview January 2021)
The Covid pandemic has shown us what is possible with improved access to Digital Learning and we intend to nurture this development moving forward. The Governors have recently invested in Microsoft Surfaces for all Staff members and thorough ongoing INSET training is planned. With the staff becoming well prepared, trained and equipped, we wish our learners to have improved access themselves when the time is right in their educational journey. From September 2021 all of our Year 7 and 8 pupils will have a Microsoft Surface/Electronic Devices in class. Our hope is that this will empower our learners to help them accelerate their academic progress and meet more learning outcomes. At Elstree we believe in an ‘enquiry approach’ to learning and this balance of technology with tried and tested traditional teaching methods will prepare our pupils in a well-balanced manner for their future lives. A focus on how technology can enhance learning outcomes in each lesson will be at the forefront of our minds. Sometimes the answer will be ‘no’, a different traditional teaching method will help the pupils further and so digital devices will not be used every lesson. In addition, pupils will still be expected to hand-write much of their written work. Our IT suite, laptops and trolley of devices will become much more available for the younger years as a result of this change in Years 7 and 8. Therefore this strategy will enable more digital learning delivery further across the school and so this strategy improves access for all pupils.
3|Page
Finally, “When digital transformation is done right, it’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar.” George Westerman, MIT Sloan Initiative on the Digital Economy This plan has been formulated carefully over many years, but arguably one positive of the recent pandemic has been the rapid acceleration of our plans. None of this would be possible without our Head of Digital Learning Mr Graham Wootten. He will provide you with all of the necessary details regarding the devices and how they will be managed from September 2021. The September 2021 cohort of Year 8 pupils will be a ‘transition year’ with Year 7 pupils being the first full cohort through using the new ‘Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy’. Do digest this information and do not hesitate to get in touch with me via email should you wish at apilkington@elstreeschool.org.uk. Do pencil into your diaries if you wish an optional ‘Digital Strategy Information Evening’ via Zoom on 27th April at 7pm. Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73686095519?pwd=NlZxNTZ2c25sTjBITXdRbGJTNzY5QT09 Meeting ID: 736 8609 5519 Passcode: 1ddVmN Best wishes, Andrew Pilkington
3. The reasons for Microsoft Surfaces rather than other competitive devices on the market? Head of Digital Learning – Mr Graham Wootten For pupils to be able to fully embrace technology in their learning and to benefit from all the advantages this brings, there are some key features that any device needs to have. One, of course, is portability, another is a touch screen (or digital inking technology). By selecting these as key criteria, we move into a particular subset of devices. Another criteria has to be build quality and reliability and so a ‘branded’ device became important. By choosing a good quality brand, we have assurances over the quality of the components, as well as warranty and user support. Finally, since we shall be basing our Digital Learning Strategy on Microsoft 365. It makes sense to have a device that is built to be fully compatible with that service. The Microsoft Surface range fully integrates with the Office suite of applications, including Teams and OneDrive. Reasons for purchasing through the school and not a ‘Bring in your own device’
(BYOD) scheme? Modern technology needs to be connected to the Internet for it to offer full functionality. While this brings the huge advantages of collaborative learning and access to high quality learning tools, it also presents challenges in terms of keeping children safe and focused on their learning. In school, we have specialist software that allows the teacher to view computer screens and even lock a computer if the pupil should be watching the teacher, instead of their personal screen. One such piece of software is an extension of the school web filter that helps the IT department to actively monitor and control which sites (and in the case of sites such as YouTube, which parts of those sites) pupils have access to. We are alerted if a child accesses inappropriate material, or indeed receives an
4|Page
inappropriate message and these safeguards continue when the child is at home, such as during the holidays. As new tools are developed and purchased by the school, a school connected device can be installed with new software and updated centrally, keeping children’s educational learning material up to date and working perfectly. However, equally important is our ability to prevent unauthorised downloads and installations that might distract pupils from their learning. In order to be able to have these safeguards installed on your child’s device from the very beginning, it is important to purchase through the school, so that the device is connected to our systems before it is even taken out of the box. All of these steps will be taken by the school with no charge before the pupils pick up their ordered devices.
4. Development of teachers’ resources. Director of Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Pilkington Resources for ‘the learner’ There are many apps / programmes and online support materials for each curriculum subject that can inspire, support and enhance the learning outcomes for our pupils. The careful selection, application and use of these programmes by Heads of Department and the Head of the Pre-Prep is critical in enhancing our learning outcomes and importantly developing self-regulated independent learners. Carefully designed tasks for pupils to work on collaboratively can accelerate pupil progress dramatically. Many meta-analysis have shown the impact that collaboration can have. More information can be found here on this topic: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learningtoolkit/collaborative-learning/ Resources for ‘the Teacher’ There are times when Digital Learning can speed up, differentiate and personalise learning swiftly. A simple example of this would be learning global locations (280 place names for CE by Year 8) in Geography. A quick paper copy test at the start of the lesson will no longer be required as pupils can access purpose built online tests that give them instant feedback in a much more fun game manner, these can be seen here as an example: https://intranet.elstreeschool.org.uk/geography/global-location What does this do? It enables progression in learning and ultimately, Elstree pupils become selfregulated learners by the time they leave. This is a clear goal as part of our Elstree Learner Profile. Fun starters and plenaries will become more of the norm with Kahoots, online whiteboards and Microsoft Forms, all informing the teacher with formative assessment information that will inform the teaching for the following lesson. Feedback from learners about how they are learning (metacognition) is very powerful both for the learner and the teacher. Digital devices enable this in a very easy and approachable way. Personalised feedback will become the norm. We all know pupils respond well to a one on one or ‘verbal feedback’ more powerfully than written. This has become very apparent in our teaching in the recent remote learning period during this Lent Term. Recorded comments by teachers and targets set and agreed without talking in front of other pupils in class will give a more personal experience. The power of chat features and communication tools will enable pupils to inform their 5|Page
teachers how they are feeling should they not feel comfortable in class. There is certainly a ‘personalised’ advantage to embedding this technology. We very much hope that target setting becomes more powerful in this domain in the future.
5. Cost, insurance, theft and breakages – Bursar – Mr Geoff Arthur The ultimate plan is for all students of Year 7 and 8 to have a school managed Microsoft Surface device. The Surface Go, listed below, is adequate for the Elstree learning programme. However, the school recognises that some families will have bought new devices to see them through the Lockdown period of Remote Learning, so this policy will be initially relaxed for the September 2021 Year 8 cohort of pupils. Further to this, we also recognise that some senior schools will expect pupils to have devices in Year 9, so for this reason, and to suit differing budgets, the following options are provided: Year 8 (2020/21 only) Bring your own device (BYOD) option: (Please see the guidance given in Section 3) Surface Go: M3 version / 8GB RAM / 128 GB HDD - £598.801. Surface Pro: i3 version / 4GB RAM / 128 GB HDD - £916.801. Surface Pro: i5 version / 8GB RAM / 128 GB HDD - £1009.201. 1. Prices
correct at time of print but subject to change as the IT retail world changes by the day.
The above prices include a keyboard cover and VAT, but an option of the Surface Pen (£76) and a carry case (£20) are also recommended. Order to be placed by 31st May 2021. Payments to be made in the following instalments: Payment 1: (deposit) June Payment 2: (final balance) August Once all payments have been made, the device will become the property of the family. When the child leaves the school all school configurations will be removed and the device reset. Parents are expected to insure the device for accidental damage and are strongly encouraged to purchase the extended 3 Year Warranty (an additional £85.20 / £97.20). Many household insurance policies will insure office equipment that can be taken off site and so parents will need to check this with their insurers. Should breakages occur, the school will investigate the matter as we would for any other equipment loss. Should damage occur as a result of misbehaviour, the school will deal with this in accordance with the School’s Behaviour Policy. However, the school cannot take financial responsibility for loss or damage to devices and parents will need to take responsibility for any repairs or replacements needed. For devices purchased through the school and enrolled within the school system, all maintenance and updates will be carried out by the Elstree IT Department.
6. What happens when I leave Elstree at the end of Year 8 with the device? Head of Digital Learning – Mr Graham Wootten When a pupil leaves the school, assuming all financial payments have been made, they will take the device with them. The device will be removed from our school system, so that it is no longer managed by the school. At this point, the device will be reset, with all school policy restrictions removed. 6|Page
7. Where will my child store their device during the working day? Deputy Head – Mr Simon Attwood Each Form room will be equipped with a secure storage and charging location, supervised by the Form Teacher which can be locked overnight (for boarders) and during extended periods, such as during afternoon games. However, at other times, pupils will be responsible for their own device in school as they are their pencil case and sports equipment. There will be times in the school day when the devices will not be allowed to be used without staff supervision (break times etc). Again, the School will follow normal school procedures and policies in embedding this best practice so that it becomes the norm to use your computer when asked, not when you want to.
8. How will the school ensure that my child is safe in the online world? Deputy Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead – Simon Attwood and Sarah Attwood In addition to the technical safeguards outlined in Section 4, the use of personal devices in school remains subject to the Acceptable Use Policy for Electronic Devices. The children are taught to communicate in a respectful way and to not share information about themselves and others. They use their own accounts to access all material, but some categories or information (such as Social Media) are not allowed, and are taught how to generate and manage secure passwords. Devices will not be allowed in dormitories or changing rooms and may only be used in supervised areas (ie. they will not be allowed into the woods at break time). There will be sanctions for a child who breaks the spirit of the scheme, including those who test or try to circumvent the safeguards put in place to protect them. Finally, our Acceptable Use Policy which all pupils sign will be paramount to the child playing their part in staying safe. All our main policies can be found here for reference: https://www.elstreeschool.org.uk/about-us/policies/
9. Will my child still hand write their work and read from books? Director of Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Pilkington I think as a parent it is important to see these Electronic Devices as ‘a tool’ similar to a calculator, hockey stick or pen. They must be utilised by teachers when it aids the learning outcomes and our focus on this as an Academic Leadership Team is a priority over the forthcoming academic year. Schemes of work are reviewed termly and academic reviews occur on a cycle of rotation to ensure ‘best practice’. Exams are still hand written and therefore timed assessments with a pen are very important. I think we will see some incredibly creative pieces of work arise from this project as it unfolds, the recent pandemic is testament to this. At Elstree we do see our learning programme as very personalised (we know every child very well, the beauty of a small school) and therefore this ‘tool’ will be another domain of school life that will enable a child to shine and show their brilliance.
10. How will I order my child’s device through the school? In order to take advantage of the best pricing from Microsoft, as well as to enable our IT department to configure all the devices ahead of the new term, we ask that you complete the online Form using the link on the next page. Please complete the form once for each child you need a device for. If you later need to make a change to your order, please contact the school at: ITSupport@elstreeschool.org.uk
7|Page
The prices listed in this document and on the form are correct at the time of publishing, but are subject to change. Please place your order by 31st May 2021. Click here to complete the form, or scan the QR Code below.
8|Page