Primary Review: Naace position paper

Naace Position Paper: 14th February 2007

Context and overview

On 13 October 2006, the Primary Review was launched with the support of Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The Review takes place during a period of massive educational and social change nationally, and against the background of considerable international challenge and uncertainty. It focuses on ten important themes, at the heart of which are questions of educational purpose, value, content, process, quality and standards in a fast changing world. It aims to stimulate debate about the condition and achievements of state primary education in England, and about its future purposes and character.
The Review starts with three broad perspectives: children, the world in which they are growing up, and the education which mediates that world and prepares them for it. Of these core concerns the third is of primary interest to the Naace membership. Ten themes then follow to draw attention to further detail, these are subdivided into core and contingent themes. For every theme and perspective there is a set of questions. These indicate in more direct terms what we need to investigate, and what we need to encourage those providing evidence to comment on.

The Naace response

5.1 Theme 1 - Purposes and values

The use of technology within primary education can do much to influence the overarching issues of what Primary Education is for and the core values and principles that it should uphold and advance, particularly in relation to accessibility and personalisation. Whilst Naace members have a direct interest in these core values and principles, the focus of this position paper is on learning and teaching and the use of technology within the Primary Sector.

5.2 Theme 2 – Learning and teaching

The pedagogical implications of new approaches to teaching and learning using technology explored within this theme are of significant interest to the Naace community.
Naace believes that the appropriate use of technology greatly enhances teaching and learning within primary education through the motivation of the learner. Motivation is crucial to the learning process and is the most important prerequisite for learning. For many children, schools are failing to provide this effectively. Naace recognizes that ICT in itself is not a panacea and that there are lots of other ways of motivating people but there is strong evidence that ICT is motivating to many; to motivate children to undertake learning activities; and to motivate teachers to find new ways of teaching.
The use of ICT can mitigate against the risk of personal and situational circumstances impeding on the learning process by opening up the wider world to children whose home life does not allow for this; and through the provision of a communication channel to provide help that is not available at home. However, this assumes that sufficient financial and human resource is harnessed to enable this. The availability of revenue funding in addition to capital is essential so that technologies such as learning platforms, once purchased, can be populated with content that changes regularly and that is personalised and relevant to the individual circumstances of the children within our schools.
The Naace membership has identified below, a small number of examples of how a child might be motivated to learn through the use of technology, of course there are many more:

• Through the well thought out computer program the child is able to enter into a different world and make decisions as they navigate interactivity though it. They can see the consequences of their decisions. Children can go to far away places or dangerous situations that would not be otherwise practical (looking inside a volcano for instance). Whilst a computer program is not a substitute for a real field trip, it can also prepare the child for the real thing;
• The power of the computer enables the child to grasp all sorts of ideas as a first draft and then rework the ideas into more thoughtful and consolidated notions. One wonders what kind of prose famous authors of the past would have produced if they had had access to a word processor. For the challenged prose maker, this is a very valuable tool in extending thinking. Word processing enables the capture of fleeting thoughts and the polishing of poor prose, at all levels. This provisionality can instil confidence in novice writers in particular, as they need not feel they have to get it right first time;
• On many occasions in the past children have collected a lot of data from around them, but because of the sheer volume of data were not able to really work upon that data to extract information. With the right software that raw data can now be processed and made into interesting findings. The child can experiment with the data and make more of the material. Drawing graphs and charts is an important skill that should be taught, but probably more importantly is the skill of understanding what the graph is saying. Computers provide freedom for the children and teachers to look at the data and understand more from it;
• Information technology also makes the collection of data easier. The computer never tires or sleeps, it can collect data quickly, in difficult conditions, and for any length of time. In investigating melting ice the temperature can be read every few seconds, as opposed to every five minutes. The temperature can be read in the Arctic as well as the classroom;
• Information technology has resulted in increased enthusiasm amongst boys for writing; and
• The use of sound in talking word processors and literacy games has helped with children who have learning difficulties and with children for whom English is a second language.

The above are all descriptions of good practice within our primary schools. However, Naace urges caution that without adequate resources in every school, and teachers trained in the use of these resources, there will continue to be a divide in the education system. Evidence proves (Becta Review 2006 and BESA Information and Communication Technology in UK State Schools review 2006) that there is still significant variation in ICT spend within primary schools and that we are now, despite the dramatic changes to the technology landscape within schools, no further forward in confidence in its use from 2002. As a result some pupils will be lucky and reap the benefits of ICT, other will simply have a taste of what is possible. All these children will be living in a technological world, but may not be equipped to survive in it. We must therefore make every effort to minimise the variations currently in evidence within our primary schools so that ICT can become an enabler for all.
ICT is critical to developing more complex thought and creative thinking. To do this its use must be taught systematically and intelligently, with sufficient recognition of its limitations. It is a principal task of teachers to educate children to be critical readers and users of all information material, especially the World Wide Web.
Personalized learning can maximize a child’s development by ensuring that tasks and guidance address the next steps that child needs to take, and the Naace membership recognize that an understanding of the learning needs of pupils in their wider context is key to the personalisation agenda. ICT can assist but it is the expert input of the teacher to plan the learning and to monitor its progress which is the key to success in this area. Even with the help of ICT this will mean more hours of work if we are to realize the personalized learning vision for every child. Naace has provided a full response to the Gilbert Review: 2020 Vision and a copy of this response is attached as Annex 1 to this paper.
The Naace membership feel strongly that ICT should have an important place within the primary curriculum as a specialized subject and this is part of a much wider concern that the Association has in relation to the status of ICT throughout education. This issue is addressed in full within the Naace response to the Gilbert Review, and also within the Naace response to the change in status of the KS3 On-line Assessment for ICT which is attached as Annex 2. The embedding of ICT within other subject areas as a tool for learning must not reduce the importance placed on ICT as a tool as well as a discrete subject in its own right and it is important that the use of ICT as a tool within primary education is taught within relevant contexts.
As we are living in a world where technological change happens rapidly, we are not in a very good position to speculate over ‘a number of decades’ about what children will need to prepare themselves for their future. Technology will assist but ‘softer’ issues will perhaps be more important. The ability to adapt and adopt will be of enormous importance and the ability to see beyond repetition of the obvious.

5.3 Theme 3 - Curriculum and assessment

The Naace membership feel that in the past there has been a lot of good support given to support the needs of teachers in the use of technology throughout the curriculum, and for ICT as a specialist subject through the current national curriculum and attendant foundation, literacy, numeracy and primary strategies.
However, Naace is becoming increasingly concerned about the place of ICT as a subject in its own right, and the way in which ICT consultants are supported in their work by the Primary Strategy. Naace is also concerned about the progress of the embedding ICT agenda and the support to schools and LA colleagues with this process.
The Naace membership has enjoyed some excellent training opportunities over the past few years, examples being the National Whiteboard Network events, Learning and Teaching with ICT and support to Advisers at ICT subject Leaders events. However this seems to have changed dramatically over the past year. Events are being cancelled and pilot schemes such as ICT progressions and the ICT transition pilot, appear to have been shelved.
The national strategies are further sharpening their focus on improving standards in English, mathematics and inclusion and this has necessitated a reappraisal of priorities in the spring term to maximize capacity against these core areas of work. Unfortunately this has resulted in the cancellation of ICT specific events; and future plans for mathematics and literacy will embed ICT in practice. ICT will therefore no longer appear as a separate strand in primary and all work in this area has been halted. This is an area of serious concern for Naace.
ICT is increasingly important in education, from the very way an institution operates, to access to resources and learning opportunities. Naace members have worked hard on the embedding agenda but there is much more to do.
The Naace membership are clear that e-assessment can assist with recording progress and attainment and hope that the decision to change the status of the KS3 ICT Online test leads to a balanced and sensible assessment that supports learning objectives and encourages professionalism from teachers. If this occurs then it will be an excellent opportunity to take forward our aims of on-line assessment on demand for all subject areas. In relation to whether e-assessment is appropriate for primary, the use of formative e-assessment is seen to be very valuable, as a contribution to the teacher's formative assessment and the Naace membership are now beginning to debate the merits of an earlier focus on ICT functional skills at Key Stage 2 and how this might impact on KS4.
One of the possibilities here is to look at a contingency for assessment as learning so that feedback loops are built in and the onus of assessment is on the learner.

5.4 Theme 4 - Quality and standards

The Naace membership are concerned that there is no consistency of provision across the nation in terms of both resources and CPD for our workforce.
The Becta Review 2006 provides evidence in relation to this in three key areas:

• Critical variation.
• Whole-institution change.
• Sustainability and affordability.

In terms of critical variation, the Becta review identifies that

“In those institutions which are not yet e-enabled, the use and effectiveness of learning and teaching with ICT is dependent on individual practitioners… the experience of learners within the same institution is likely to be variable.”

Naace is concerned that the experience for a child, both between and within schools can vary so greatly and is working in partnership with Becta to address the issue of e-enablement and e-maturity of the workforce as a matter of priority.
Whole-institution change is another area that Naace wishes to bring to the attention of the Primary Review. Naace believes that the flow of participants in the National College of School Leadership’s ‘SLICT’ programme is an important facilitator of whole institution change, as is Becta’s Self-Review Framework. But, it is important, however, not to underestimate the skills, capabilities and pure determination required to implement technology effectively at an institutional level.
Sustainability and affordability has to be the biggest challenge facing the sector in terms of using technology effectively. Significant investment has been put into ICT in education and it is of vital importance that serious thought is put into sustaining infrastructure and resources in the long term by both senior managers and policy makers.
Consideration also needs to be given within the whole issue of sustainability to the role of technicians within ICT and the place for managed services as a solution. Naace is holding a think tank on this issue in April 2007 and would be happy to feed back the results of this think tank with the Primary Review team at a future date.
As mentioned above, initiatives such as the Self Review Framework and Primary SLICT have been exceptionally valuable in assisting primary schools to become e-mature. There is however, much more to be done to raise awareness of these initiatives, and to persuade schools of the benefits of participation. Too few are aware of the them and a significant majority of those that have, have not really embraced it to date.

5.5 Theme 5 – Diversity and inclusion

The Becta review has identified two issues within the area of learner access and capability. The first relates to the growing digital divide among young people, whereby those with good access at home are demonstrating accelerated progress in the use of technology, whereas others still have limited skills. This is an issue that we need to address but that requires action much larger than just on the school scale. Many schools are doing excellent work in this area – 20% of secondary schools already have schemes to lend out computer equipment to pupils and Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools, launched the Computers for Pupils scheme on 9th October which will help even more.
The second issue identified within the Becta Review in relation to learner access and capability is the growing divide between the experience young people have of technology in educational institutions compared to that at home. This is related to the issues of the differential between the ICT skills of learning and teaching practitioners and young people. Undoubtedly the differential between the ICT skills of teacher and children is going to be one of the biggest challenges facing us as we move forward. This is the one area of the school curriculum where the teachers simply do not have the upper hand. Naace is eager to support work in this area to provide a national CPD programme to meet this challenge.
The use of technology across the nation is not consistent and even children who have computers at home have a wide range of capability in using them. Many use them only for playing games and parents are often unable even to install new software. Naace members have also provided evidence that some children who have indicated they have access at home have been unable to complete homework in time because dad or brother or mum or sister have needed to use the computer too.
The use of learning platforms, personalised learning and e-portfolios can assist in ensuring all children have equal access to high quality primary education, no matter what their ability and interests but it is essential that time is given to ensure that staff can put relevant and updated work onto them to enable this. Members have reported that children love being able to upload work so it can travel between home and school but most do not spontaneously indulge in extra research unless it is part of homework. At this age, why should they.
To do more to improve access for our children will take sustained funding for ICT, both in capital and revenue terms. Machines wear out and staff require training to keep up to date. Open access to the institutions we currently call schools; through the primary version of the Building schools for the Future Programme (Primary Capital Programme); and free wireless broadband are other areas which will assist with access in the longer term.
The need for schools to secure the engagement of those children and families which are hardest to reach is of vital importance to Naace and ICT can play an important part in this. The Naace response to Care Matters, contained within Annex 3 to this report, pays particular attention to this, with a focus on those children in care.

5.6 Theme 6 - Settings and professionals

The theme of resourcing schools in terms of ICT has been discussed at length within section 5.4 and issues connected to support have been addressed within section 5.3. We have therefore concentrated our response within this section on issues relating to the professional development of the workforce to provide support to the application of technology.
The lottery funded NOF training showed how difficult it is to implement a one size fits all approach to training. The part that workforce development will play in maximising the use of technology to engender the systemic change necessary to realize the Government’s vision for personalized learning cannot be over emphasized. Naace strongly believes that the time is now right for a national CPD programme for our teaching workforce. This should be based on a more practice-based approach, within the workplace setting, and at the time when the teaching is taking place. This will be a first and important step to improve the transfer of knowledge between schools and teachers. Such a programme will also empower teachers to adapt pedagogical practice to accommodate the challenges that arise from informal learning through the use of technology in the home. To assist with this, Naace is seeking to implement, in partnership with Higher Education, a national CPD Programme that is available on-line, based on action based enquiry and where the content of qualifications is agreed by the learner, their academic mentor and senior manager within their workplace setting.
It is very important that any CPD programme is aligned closely to the TDA teacher standards to ensure that they provide sufficient reward and motivation to the teaching workforce.
Naace strongly feels that there is also a place for recognition schemes and quality marks in raising the status of teaching as a professional career and we are working closely with Becta to research the development of recognition schemes for individuals working within schools and also for those that support schools. The Association already works in close partnership with Becta to manage the ICT Mark as part of the Becta self review framework that was discussed in section 5.4.

5.7 Theme 7 - Parenting, caring and educating

Learning platforms and mobile technologies have a lot to offer to strengthen home-schools relationships but depend on staff time and home access. This is an area that we have discussed at length within section 5.5 of our response.
The Naace membership has seen no definite pattern to whether access to technology in the home environment affects educational achievement during Primary phase. We have anecdotal evidence that some children who have access at home have poor attainment AND poor IT skills, and that parental support seems to be the more influential factor at the primary stage.

5.8 Theme 8 – Beyond the school

The major response that Naace would wish to make in relation to this section is contained within our response to the DfES consultation Care Matters. This is attached as Annex 3.

5.9 Theme 9 - Structures and phases

Naace primary members have reported poor experiences of coherence between primary and secondary phases of education. Whilst members have some sympathy with the reasons for this (there are often 20 different feeder primaries doing different things). They would advise against any attempts to bring cohesion through placing requirements on primary schools to train children to use particular software as this would stifle creativity. The use of e-portfolios may assist in this area but these would need to be ubiquitous to have any impact on coherence.

5.10 Theme 10 - Funding and governance

Overwhelmingly, the Naace membership felt that technology is not adequately funded in primary schools and have suggested a number of measures that might best assist this phase in sustaining its use.
In particular, the use of revenue funding in addition to capital would enable the development of the workforce to meet the personalization agenda; and would provide reliable equipment for each child to work at a computer whenever appropriate; to ensure that we are able to make full use of the opportunities ICT gives us.
Whilst Government funding will provide learning platforms for all primary schools by 2008, members have suggested that future costs of subscribing to these platforms should also be provided nationally to avoid further critical variation for the child
Naace feels that the autonomy of teachers, heads, schools, LAs to make unilateral decisions about embedding technology has not worked and that it is now time to try something new that addresses the mismatch between nationally dictated goals and locally financed schools. We will only make effective use of ICT when we are ALL able to use one reliable machine per child and be able to give staff the time and support to use the equipment well.

Annexes