Information for Heads, Senior Managers and Governers
The ICT initiative is closely linked to the DfEE Standards funding programme in England for the National Grid for learning. Through the Standards Funds, LEAs are being granted extra funds to improve their schools' IT equipment and network provision. Schools will be eligible to access NOF's training on condition that they have an ICT strategy in place and a minimum requirement of IT kit.The initiative will be run over three years from summer 1999. Applications by schools must be made before March 2002 but payments for the scheme can continue beyond 2002 until the end of the financial year 2002-2003.
A school's ICT strategy should set out how the use of ICT will improve teaching and learning and teachers' professional development.
School ICT plans should include:
- the use of ICT in school management
- an audit of levels of equipping, network use and teacher development currently being undertaken
- draft targets and outcomes that are consistent with those in 'Connecting the Learning Society'
- set out the school's policy on protecting pupils from on-line access to undesirable materials
- plans for the upgrading and eventual replacement of infrastructure items
In addition teachers will need to set aside time to work on supported self-study. This will include working on material set in the unit and gathering evidence from their own teaching and planning.
It will also include working with a tutor mentor by email, or phone or if the teacher has a difficulty at tutorial session.
It is helpful if the school can consider the workload and implication of attendance at meetings during this period of time which will last approximately 3 to 6 months depending on the skill, expertise and competence of the teacher.
TeacherLINC is designed to guide teachers through to the expected outcomes by completing a single module. However, you may find that a small number of participants will benefit from completing 2 modules. We have priced TeacherLINC so that you should have enough funds left when your staff have completed training that 1 or 2 may be able to complete a further module, possibly at a slightly reduced rate i.e. no Face-to-Face training is required in the second module.
