The government’s recent announcement that it is to suspend the curriculum for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has set schools thinking about how they will approach the subject in the future.

Some of the reasons why the education secretary, Michael Gove, was so keen to scrap ICT as it is currently taught and examined are to be found in a report published by Ofsted at the end of last year, ICT in schools 2008–11, which concluded that achievement in ICT was inadequate in almost a fifth of secondary schools.

The report, which drew on evidence from inspections in 167 primary, secondary and special schools in England between 2008 and 2011, found that governors often played a key role in the successful teaching of ICT and its provision across the school.

Clear vision

In the outstanding schools, headteachers had worked with parents, pupils, staff and governors to create a clear vision for the role of technology in supporting the learning experience and improving the outcomes of all pupils

Having a clear vision for the role of technology in supporting the learning experience and improving the outcomes of all pupils was seen as an important starting point and inspectors found such a vision in three-quarters of the schools they visited. But, in the outstanding schools, headteachers had worked with parents, pupils, staff and governors to create that vision. Armed with this plan and effective self-evaluation, these schools were able to develop costed plans and review arrangements in order to make effective progress in ICT and in improved outcomes for pupils.

In these outstanding schools, where staff, governors, parents and students had jointly developed ‘an exciting and ambitious vision’, Ofsted reported that ICT was seen as ‘a vital subject and a school-wide tool to prepare students for further learning and for work in a technology-rich, interconnected world’.

Key role

Governors often went on to play a key role in the achievement of the school’s vision for ICT, for example by drawing on their individual ICT expertise in industry or higher education. In the outstanding schools, Ofsted found that governors were actively involved in self-evaluation and development plans. There were also instances where the chair of the governing body had taken a particular interest through visiting lessons regularly and even, sometimes, assisting in the teaching of ICT. Inspectors reported that governing bodies in these schools had worked hard to ensure adequate budgetary provision for investment in ICT and for it to be regularly updated and renewed.

In the best examples, governors also had a role in developing the virtual learning environment (VLE) and joined staff, pupils and parents in using it for a variety of applications, such as planning, reporting to parents and producing newsletters.

Challenging and consulting

ICT also provides governors with an opportunity to carry out their function of challenging the head and school leaders in their pursuit of effectiveness. Ofsted found governors and senior staff in a number of schools challenging how and why a service was being provided by committing time to investigate the school’s detailed ICT requirements before considering the purchase of specific products or services.

Governors with a background in business or ICT were often very useful, particularly in developing plans for investment and development in ICT and continuing to evaluate its impact.

Increasingly, schools have been consulting staff, pupils and parents on future priorities for ICT. In a number of schools visited by Ofsted, task groups of senior staff and governors had invited views from staff and pupils on the effectiveness of current ICT provision and further requirements.

Teaching ICT

As well as following this good practice in establishing and implementing an ICT strategy, governors will also be concerned to look in more detail at how ICT is taught as a subject in their schools in the light of the criticisms voiced by Ofsted and the education secretary. Inspectors reported that in 30 of the 74 secondary schools they visited nearly half the students reached the age of 16 without acquiring an adequate foundation for further study or training in ICT and related subjects.

The teaching of ICT was judged outstanding in three of the secondary schools visited and good in 32 but was no better than satisfactory in just over half. In these schools the use of assessment to track pupils’ progress was poor, which led to teachers and pupils lacking an understanding of current performance and what was needed to improve. Inspectors found weaknesses in teaching more demanding topics, such as databases and programming, in both primary and secondary schools, which they said highlighted the need for schools to provide subject-specific support and professional development to improve teachers’ confidence and expertise.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector at that time, Miriam Rosen, said: ‘In a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, young people need to be given the opportunity to learn ICT skills in an interesting, challenging and relevant way. Schools should provide a range of ICT courses that are suitably matched to students’ needs, support them with their learning and prepare them for higher education and for skilled work in a technological age.’

Recent curriculum and qualifications reforms have not led to significant improvements in the teaching of ICT, and the number of students progressing to further study in ICT-related subjects is in decline

Michael Gove picked up on the findings of Ofsted in his statement to Parliament announcing the public consultation on his proposals to disapply ICT from the National Curriculum. He added: ‘Evidence indicates that recent curriculum and qualifications reforms have not led to significant improvements in the teaching of ICT, and the number of students progressing to further study in ICT-related subjects is in decline. Furthermore, the ICT curriculum in its current form is viewed as dull and demotivating for pupils. Its teaching may not equip pupils adequately for further study and work, may leave them disenchanted or give rise to negative perceptions that turn them off the subject completely. At the same time we know that the demand for high-level technology skills is growing, and many employers in the IT industry are concerned that the way in which ICT is taught in schools is failing to inspire young people about the creative potential of ICT and the range of IT-related careers open to them.’  The DfE e-consultation Removing the duty on maintained schools to follow the information and communication technology (ICT) Programmes of Study, Attainment Targets and statutory assessment arrangements can be downloaded from the consultations section of the DfE website.

One place schools might want to turn to when developing ideas for what their ICT provision and teaching might look like in the future is the National Association of Advisors for Computers in Education (Naace) , a professional association for those concerned with advancing education through the appropriate use of information and communications technology. Naace was at the British Educational Training and Technology (BETT) show in January launching its own ICT curriculum for Key Stage 3 when Michael Gove used the showcase to make his own surprise announcement. Naace immediately welcomed the move and said its members would ‘relish the freedom to develop their own innovative, challenging schemes of work for IT and computing in their schools, perhaps using or adapting those developed by Naace itself and other organisations.’

The organisation added: ‘Freedom though, brings responsibility. After dated schemes of work from QCA and undemanding GCSE specifications, many teachers and schools are likely to need support in using the liberty given them by Mr Gove to provide the best possible education for their pupils. Naace, its members and partners stand ready to help.’

Faced with a clean sheet of paper on which to create a new vision for ICT in their schools, governors will be open to all the help and advice that is on offer.