Friday 13th March 2009
Ofsted report: ICT in schools improving but inconsistent
Purpose: Key points from report
Audience: Heads and ICT teachers
Last week, Ofsted released a thematic report, The importance of ICT: information and
communication technology in primary and secondary schools
2005/8.
The
picture was most positive in primary schools, where achievement and standards
rose as the survey progressed. However, there was a still a focus on
communication at the expense of other aspects of ICT. In secondary schools
students were adept at using ICT to present their work and communicate ideas,
but standards in using spreadsheets, databases and programming were low.
In
both primary and secondary schools many higher-attaining pupils were
insufficiently challenged. In Key Stage 4 students studying some vocational
courses often spent time demonstrating what they could already do rather than
acquiring new skills. And despite it being a statutory requirement, one in five
secondary schools made insufficient provision for students who chose not to take
an ICT qualification at Key Stage 4.
There has been a decline in the number of sixth form students choosing to
take computer studies. This has been particularly marked in girls, with 45 per
cent fewer taking an A-level in the subject in 2007 compared to 2004 as opposed
to a drop of 31 per cent in boys.
Assessment was the weakest aspect of ICT teaching and was inadequate in
one school in five. It was rare for schools to measure pupils’ attainment in the
subject on joining secondary school, track their progress, or assess the use of
it in other subjects so ICT teachers had little idea about how well they applied
their skills elsewhere.
The
report recommends that the DCSF should evaluate the level of challenge posed by
some Key Stage 4 qualifications while also finding ways to encourage more girls
to study ICT in the sixth form. The report concludes that it is up to school
leaders to find ways of getting ICT into more of their classrooms, to ensure it
is well taught and assessed, to promote higher standards and to get good value
for money from the investments they make.
The full
report can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/070035
