ICT in Schools Bulletin
February 2015
Safer Internet Day - 11th FEBRUARY
Safer Internet Day 2015 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 10th February with the slogan ‘Let’s create a better internet together’.
Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.
Globally, Safer Internet Day is celebrated in over a hundred countries, coordinated by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, and 31 national Safer Internet Centres across Europe.
The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together in helping to create a better internet. Ultimately, a better internet is up to us!
Safer Internet Day Resources Click here
Website: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
Blogging in Early Years
Website: http://ukedchat.com/
How to be ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted!
Primary Schools with Naace ICT Mark three times more likely to be judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted!
Press release:
Author: Chris Stott
There is a strong correlation between ICT Mark schools and positive inspection outcomes.
23 January 2015
Primary schools that achieve the Naace ICT Mark (a quality mark for schools that have completed the Naace self-review programme) are almost three times more likely to be judged ‘Outstanding’ over primary schools without the ICT Mark, according to a recent survey conducted by Naace (the national association for everyone promoting learning with technology in a connected world).
Research has found that 92 per cent of primary schools and 88 per cent of secondary schools with the ICT mark are inevitably judged ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. This compares with 81 per cent of all primaries and 70 per cent of all secondary schools, as discovered by Naace after studying official Ofsted reports.
Naace is a community of schools, teachers, those who work in schools and the education technology industry. The Naace ICT Mark is an award designed to help develop the use of technology within your school to support the good use of technology. Once your school has been successfully assessed, you will gain the Naace ICT Mark accreditation but it can only be offered to those schools that have already completed the Self-review Framework (SRF) structure with their organisation. The SRF is an online tool that provides a structure for reviewing your school’s use of technology and its impact on school improvement. It is available to all maintained and independent schools and academies both in the UK and internationally. The purpose of the Self-review Framework is to support school improvement through a reflective practice that allows schools to measure and improve their provision against a well-researched and evidenced set of criteria, such that students become digitally literate and are 'able to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communications technology'. Once your school has reached the threshold level in the SRF you are eligible to apply for the ICT Mark which is valid for three years from the date that the award is confirmed.
Mark Chambers, CEO at Naace, said "I am delighted to see that schools engaging with the Naace Self-review Framework and committing to the achievement of the ICT Mark as part of their school improvement agenda are significantly more likely to achieve an outstanding assessment from Ofsted."
If you would like to know more about the ICT mark please contact the ICT in Schools Team who are experienced assessors and can support you in your journey to achieve the mark.
Phone: 0191 427 2120
Kodu Kup - now open!
This year’s Kodu Kup UK competition is now open. Many of you will be familiar with format of what has become the world’s biggest Kodu competition. There are a few changes and a new theme. Click here to find out more.
The Kodu Kup is open to any child enrolled as attending a UK school and who are aged between seven to fourteen years of age at the date of entry.
This year students not only have to create a great game, but develop a business plan for a game franchise and create and produce a least one single piece of merchandise that promotes their game
The closing date for all entries is Friday 29th May.
Website: www.kodugamelab.com