• Time to fulfil the role of ICT co-ordinator effectively.
• Still too many schools where the ICT co-ordinator lacks sufficient subject knowledge.
• Getting Senior Management Team (SMT) to understand what is really involved in the ICT curriculum.
• Teachers unable to show a clear understanding of the potential of the technology.
• All staff realising that there is more to ICT than training children to use hardware and software.
• Encouraging subject co-ordinators to take increased responsibility for ICT in their subject area.
• Addressing the skills gap between children and teachers.
• Increasing teachers’ confidence in assessing progress in ICT.
• Staff development and training. NOF.
• Making ICT an integral part of teaching and learning in the classroom.

Russell drew the conference’s attention to some current problems with ICT in schools:

• Lack of integration of ICT with schemes of work in other curriculum areas.
• Providing quality access for all children on a regular basis.
• Commitment to long term NGfL funding to enable realistic plans for upgrading and replacing equipment.
• Poor computer to children ratios. (1:15 target 1:11)
• Educational software developed by educationalists and not accountants. Software realistically priced.
• A lack of free high quality curriculum related material on the Internet.
• The speed of Internet connections in most primary schools.
• Challenges in ICT.
• Lack of space in schools not designed to accommodate a suite of 15 computers.
• Lack of funds to create the infrastructure for a truly networked school.
• Lack of affordable, quality technical support.

He concluded by saying that there are plenty of challenges ahead and a large number of these challenges need to be addressed at a national, local authority and school level. ICT is a subject still in its relative infancy. He finished by saying that “ICT should be for the children that we teach and not for ourselves.”

Russell’s presentation is available on our website.

Russell Ingleby
Executive member without portfolio.
ICT co-ordinator, 
Westmoor Junior School,