MANAGING ICT MANAGING ICT
In the second of
of information for school reports. Schools have always
collected and managed a range of information about
a series of five
pupils; online reporting makes more effective use of
this data.
A recent report by the government’s top behaviour
articles, Becta’s
advisor recommended the use of online reporting and
text alerts to provide instant feedback to parents. Sir
Stephen
Alan Steer’s report said that new technology had the
potential to assist in tackling poor behaviour and cutting
Crowne gives us his view
truancy by giving instant feedback to parents, allowing
them to intervene early when necessary and monitor
as to how technology can
their child’s attendance and punctuality.
His recommendations recognised how important
technology can be in engaging parents and helping
improve the information
them to support their children. In the last year, Becta has
offered support to more than 600 secondary schools to
flow between schools,
use technology to help with attendance and behaviour
interventions.
parents and learners
Online reporting can help schools to engage with
parents who are busy or less motivated, or perhaps feel
uncomfortable in a school environment. Schools need
to encourage learner independence while maintaining
CHOOLS THAT are using technology parental involvement, but some parents worry about
S
effectively to support teaching are the lack of opportunity for involvement in their child’s
reaping the rewards in terms of pupil education as children grow older. Close parent teacher
engagement and results. But the links are as necessary for adolescents as they are for
changes brought about by learning five year olds.
with technology are not confined to the
classroom. Parental engagement is high
Keeping
What next?
on the education agenda, and technology is key to the In order to develop effective online reporting to parents,
provision of timely and useful information to parents schools will need to think about the relationship between
about their children’s school experience themselves, parents, and learners. They need to consider
Research has consistently shown that children where they are on the journey towards online reporting
achieve more highly when their parents talk to them and allocate responsibility within their leadership team
about their school work and their wider experience for addressing the issues around parental engagement.
of learning. Schools can use technology to inform
and enrich this engagement by enabling parents to
access information about their children’s attainment
and progress, attendance, behaviour and special needs,
wherever they have access to the internet.
In fact, by September 2010 all secondary schools are
in touch
Schools need to review how staff currently engage with
parents, as well as how information is managed across
the whole school. It is important to work together with
all stakeholders, including staff, parents, governors and
learners, to agree the way forward.
Online reporting is already making an enormous
expected to provide this information to parents through difference in schools that are using it effectively. Becta
secure online access. All primary schools are expected is here to help all schools ensure they are taking full
to follow suit by September 2012. advantage of the benefits that online reporting can bring
It is important to stress that online reporting This should help children to feel that their parents are convenient way. Feedback from parents has been very to pupils, parents and staff. SecEd
will not replace or duplicate traditional methods involved and care about their achievements. positive, as it makes it easier to stay up-to-date with
of involving parents, such as parents’ meetings or their child’s progress. • Stephen Crowne is the chief executive of Becta, the
annual reports. Nor should it place an extra burden
The benefits
And it is not just about benefits to parents and pupils. government agency that promotes the use of technology
on teachers. We know that with increasingly complicated parenting Schools that are already using ICT in this way have in education.
The aim is to provide parents with up-to-date structures, schools sometimes find it difficult to identify experienced long-term time-saving benefits for staff.
information at appropriate points through the year, who they need to talk to about each pupil’s progress. The “anytime, anywhere” aspect of online reporting
Further information
in order to maintain their interest and enable a richer Online reporting can make it easier for schools to allows teachers more flexibility, and can help eliminate For more advice and guidance, visit www.becta.org.
dialogue between parents, their children, and the school. provide information to the most appropriate person in a the paper chase that often accompanies the gathering uk/schools/parentalengagement
An opportunity to recognise and celebrate people
who are at the heart of a successful school
Case study: Online reporting
Cardinal Wiseman Catholic Technology College is taking. This means that by keeping up-to-date,
in Birmingham has specialist college status, and parents can have a much more focused conversation
Headteacher's PA of
has just been re-designated for four further with teachers when it comes to parents’ evenings as
years as a specialist technology college. It has 610 they are already aware of the issues.
pupils between the ages of 11 and 16, and has A lot of parents in the area have not had good
received national recognition for its “real-time” experience of schools and learning themselves,
the Year Awards 2008
reporting system, which enables parents to use and so are not necessarily confident of coming
the learning platform to monitor their children’s into school and speaking to teachers, so the online
progress. The school is in a high deprivation reporting system allows them to feel connected with
One of the most vital jobs performed in any secondary school is that of the PA or
Sponsored by
area with almost 50 per cent of pupils receiving their child’s progress through the internet.
secretary to the headteacher. The PA is invariably the confidante of the head and a key
free school meals. The ICT co-ordinator, John Teachers are able to identify problems with
link with the staffroom, the governors, parents and pupils. Good PAs are an invaluable
McGowan, talks about the school’s journey individual pupils through online reporting, as they
asset and few schools can operate efficiently or effectively without them.
towards online reporting. can see data on academic progress and disciplinary
incidents in one place. Therefore they are better
In acknowledgement of this essential and important role, SecEd is proud to organise,
“Our teachers had been using an online reporting positioned to target problems effectively. The most
in association with the DCSF International School Award, which is managed by the British
system to produce the school’s annual reports, but recent Ofsted report praised this tracking as very
Council, the SecEd Headteacher's PA of the Year Awards 2008 which will celebrate the
four years ago the software was developed into a accurate. This tracking can also apply across groups.
web-front e-portal, so that our staff could access the
achievements and success of the modern headteacher's PA.
For instance, middle ability girls have been the
system from home. All teachers were given laptops, most under-performing group over the last three
and most were enthusiastic about the new scheme, as years. Consequently, this group has been identified
Only personal assistants or secretaries to the headteacher of a secondary school may
it meant that they could be much more flexible about in the current years 10 and 11 and is being closely
enter. Nominations will only be accepted by the head or deputy head. To enter, a Organised by
when and where they worked. Training sessions monitored by the key stage co-ordinator and heads
statement of not more than 600 words must be written, explaining why the nominated
were set up initially to help staff unfamiliar with of department.
PA deserves the award.
SecEd
the new technology, and since then, we have run One of the areas where the school has had
targeted top-up sessions where needed. particular success has been in reducing truancy
This system, which gives access to information rates. This has been due in part to the use of an anti-
on pupils, was opened up to parents three years ago. truancy system. Pupils are registered electronically,
Nominations should be sent to Pete Henshaw by
It was initially trialled with a group of 12 parents and if they are not in school within half an hour, an
no later than 17th October 2008 at either of the
drawn from the Keeping Up With Pupils sessions that automatic phone call is made to a home number or a
following addresses:
we had been running, in which parents were invited parent’s mobile. Within 12 months of its introduction,
to learn more about the subjects their children were attendance rates rose from 90 to 93 per cent.
By email: pete.h@markallengroup.com
taking. We received a lot of very positive feedback As a result of online tracking, the school was
about how intuitive the system was, so it was decided successfully able to predict GCSE achievements,
By post: SecEd, MA Education, St. Jude's Church,
that no mass training was required for parents. and by targeting weaker pupils, increase attainment.
Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PB
Parents are now able to engage more effectively Between 2005 and 2006, 30 per cent of pupils
with their child’s progress through school, and achieved A* to C grades, whereas the following
have enthusiastically embraced the e-portal facility academic year, 49 per cent of pupils achieved these
to monitor attendance, punctuality, behaviour and grades. This was above the national average, as well
academic progress using their own usernames and as being well above the area’s average. With this
passwords. They can use this, as well as the award- year’s GCSE results this has now risen to 64 per cent.
winning website, and the headteacher’s weekly Not all parents have access to a computer at
newsletter, to keep up-to-date with events and school home. However, this spring, the Computers for
activities, making them feel that they belong to the Pupils scheme has given laptops to all pupils in years
school community. 7, 8, and 9.
Online reporting allows parents to see their As the availability of the internet in parents’
child’s achievements immediately, as well as homes becomes more widespread, communication
A high-profile celebratory lunch will be held on 21st November at
showing incidents of both positive and negative with parents will be further enhanced. The learning
behaviour. If a child is involved in an incident, platform was launched about eight months ago, and
the Landmark Hotel, London. This will be attended by the shortlisted
parents are aware of the event, but can also be eventually all lesson plans and teaching materials
candidates as well as educationalists. reassured by seeing what course of action the school will be available online.”
pa ad.indd 1 8/9/08 15:01:02
10 SecEd • September 11 2008
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