Module 9 Activity 5: Learning communities: Exploring ICT integration lessons from other schools

Rosa Street Primary School is located at Rosa Street Spennymoor County Durham, DL16 7NA. The use of ICT is an integral part of the National Curriculum. The school has an ICT Policy that incorporates the use of computers, hardware and software to acquire, organise, store, manipulate, interpret, communicate and present information.

Access and Deployment – At Rosa Street Primary School, ICT network infrastructure and equipment have been sited so that

Ø  each class has its own points of access where individual work can be closely monitored

Ø  larger groups can work in the ICT suite

Ø  a cabinet of portable laptops can be used both in the ICT suite and in the classrooms

Ø  class teachers are equipped with their own personal laptop for professional use

Ø  currently, class 9 pupils have their own Q1, within school and to take home

Ø  children have access to their own email accounts, which can be monitored by staff.

Resources – The school acknowledges the need to continually maintain, update and develop its ICT resources and make progress towards a consistent, compatible PC system by

       maintaining a minimum of 16 computers on the network in the ICT suite

       ensuring all classrooms have at least one working PC

       investing in software that will support the use of ICT across the curriculum

       investing in software that will effectively deliver the strands of the ICT curriculum

Coordination/Management – The school is equipped with an ICT coordinator with responsibility to produce an ICT development plan and the implementation of the ICT policy across the school. The Head Teacher is responsible to monitor the plan while individual teachers are responsible for ensuring that all pupils in their classes have the opportunities for learning ICT skills and using ICT across the curriculum.

Staff Training – The ICT coordinator assesses and addresses staff training needs as part of the annual development plan process or in response to individual needs and requests throughout the year. Individual teachers should attempt to continually develop their own skills and knowledge, identify their own needs and notify the coordinator. Teachers will be encouraged to use ICT for planning, assessment, reports, communications and class labelling.

Additionally, Rosa Street Primary School has several rules and policies that governs the responsible use of ICTs.