The DfE League tables published today make interesting reading.
Not only have they published exam results (and controversially brought in a new column for English Baccalaureate scores without telling schools at the time of the exams or options to start the courses that it was to be coming in) but they have also published financial data.
My school does very well academically; 2nd highest state school in our authority on 5A*-C including E&M in city (by just 1%) and joint 1st highest E-bacc which feels like winning a race we didn't know we were in, no one was competing against us and no one wanted the prize. Contextual Value Added scores are more impressive, if they were still published (what’s that all about, showed the 'wrong' schools were making progress by delivering a curriculum appropriate to the learners needs rather than ministerial whim??).
Our success with ICT is well documented (Becta Excellence Award 2009 for example) and this is an important part: the excellent Teaching and Learning through ICT as well as IT systems in school management and parental enagagement through new technology drives up the results (but IT is by no means the only reason for the success).
The interesting bit is our spend on ICT resources is £44 per pupil compared to £63 as a national median average. Heavy use of Open Source software like Moodle VLE is one reason, another is effective and efficient use of what we do buy to ensure impact on learner outcomes.
Please do contact us if you want to make use of our ICT Consultancy business
