Cambridgeshire Education ICT Service Fortnightly Briefing
 Friday  27th March 2009 

Becta’s Data Handling & Security Guidance for School

Purpose:    Important Information  
Audience:  Headteacher and ICT Managers 

Cambridgeshire County Audit and Information Governance Summary of Becta’s "Good practice in information handling in schools"

This document aims to distil the key messages outlined in Data Handling Procedures in Government so they are applicable to schools and is intended for school leaders, senior leadership teams, network managers and other members of staff who have responsibility for handling and securing data. This summary guide provides a description of the procedures and suggests possible technical and operational solutions that can assist schools in minimising the risk of data security incidents and complying with existing legislation. These good practice guides should be read by school network managers and those responsible for implementing technical solutions. The underlying principle of this guidance is that schools should do everything within their power to ensure the safety and security of any material of a personal or sensitive nature.

For detailed information visit www.icttid.ccceducation.net > click on General Advice and Guidance Documents > select Data Handling & Security Guidance for Schools or search for portal resource 4684

 
Schools Network & Systems Security Health Check Update
 
Purpose:     Important Information 
Audience:   Headteacher and ICT Managers  
 
Cambridgeshire County Audit and Information Governance - Policy, Advice & Guidance. This report identifies each of the areas of concern and provides recommendations for changes to meet audit requirements including policy statements that would substantially contribute to promoting good practice. It also provides direction to advice and guidance for any school developing or reviewing their own ICT user and security policies.

For detailed information visit www.icttid.ccceducation.net > click on General Advice and Guidance Documents > select Audit and Information Governance - Policy, Advice & Guidance Summary or search for portal resource 3609

Building work or extending your network

Purpose:    Important Information 
Audience:  Headteacher and ICT Managers 

If you are planning any building work or intending to add new network points to your current cabling infrastructure, you need to ensure the work is carried out by a certified installer who can provide a system warranty to ensure the schools' existing CCN 20/25 year warranty is not made void.

For advice and guidance regarding Cabling Specification for Schools (New-build/Extensions), Electrical Specification for School ICT Cabinets or Schools CCN Information and Guidance documents please visit www.ictbuild.ccceducation.net  

eyeProfile not compatible with central hosting   

Purpose:     Advice about the eyeProfile software 
Audience:  Headteacher - Centrally Hosted Schools

We have been evaluating the eyeProfile software and discovered that the developers have changed the location in which data is kept.  Unfortunately this new location isn't compatible with the central hosting setup so we regret we are unable to support this software in a centrally hosted environment.

eyeProfile, like its predecessor eProfile, was designed to work on a single computer and not be shared, so the fact that eProfile worked on central hosting was by chance, not design.  Schools will need to install this software on one of their computers.  For further information please contact the Helpline on Tel: 0845 0450 973 

 
Question Level Data Entry Project 2009
 
Purpose:   Opportunity to take part in project 2009
Audience: Headteacher / Admin staff / Support Staff & Assessment Coordinators
 

We are intending to run our Question Level Data Entry Project this summer, as long as we have a viable number of schools wanting to take part. 

If you are interested in having our staff enter question level data into RAISEonline on your behalf from your pupils' SATS or optional test papers, please either telephone 01480 376670 or email ict.courses@cambridgeshire.gov.uk  giving your school name, contact name, contact email address, telephone number and permission to share the school RAISEonline Administrator password.

Some schools would like to enter the data themselves as they would like to have the analysis earlier. If this is your situation, we will be supporting you by running courses on how to set up and enter this data into RAISEonline. Please click on the link: RAISEonline - Question Level Data Entry in RAISEonline if you would be interested in this course.

If you would like more information about either of the above, please contact Maggie Dutton, Helen Lygo or Kath Ryans on 01480 376655.
 
Analysing data with RAISEonline 

Purpose:    The first release of unvalidated Key Stage 2 2008 data is now available
Audience:  For information for Headteachers

Interactive reports and Full Reports for schools with end of Key Stage 2 data have been updated.

Updated analysis is provided in two ways:

  • The RAISEonline Full Report can be downloaded from the homepage. This is a static document containing a range of contextual and attainment reports relating to your school which will also be used by Ofsted inspectors to inform the pre-inspection briefing.
  • The interactive reports, available by accessing the Reports & Analysis tab, allow for greater in-depth analysis of school-level information held within the Full Report, to see how individual or groups of pupils have contributed to school-level measures. This provides you with options to investigate your school’s strengths and weaknesses as part the self-evaluation process. 
For the release of unvalidated data, this data will be automatically copied to the School own dataset available to each school, except where the school has already created at least one pupil for the 2008 Key Stage 2 year group. In the latter instance the schools will need to use the data management facility 'Reset Data' to copy over the new 2008 data 
 
 
AfL and ICT: Assessing Pupils Progress in ICT (APP)  
 
Purpose:    The first release of unvalidated Key Stage 2 2008 data is now available
Audience:  SLT, Assessment Coordinators, ICT Coordinators
 
The National Strategies have released materials to support teacher assessment of ICT. 
Although aimed at KS3 it defines progress from level 3 onwards and across AFs (ICT Aspects). It is consistent with APP in core subjects and will be of interest to Primary colleagues to support transfer and transition.
 
Background and materials are on the new National Strategy site or direct links:
 
These APP materials will support the new version of ICT Work Gallery currently under development for release next term. (Old version can be viewed here).  Further details to follow.  For further information please contact:  maggie.dutton@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire Online Training Search 
 
Cambridgeshire Online Training Search (COTS) is a database of training opportunities provided by the Local Authority.  It can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet without the need for a password; its powerful search engine will help you to find suitable courses.  Eventually, all providers will be using this database, please check the Providers list for the services currently represented.  You will already find the complete listing of courses offered by CAS, CREDS, SLS, Education ICT Service, ISSIS, Cambridgeshire Youth Work and Connexions.  Go to: COTS to access this service now.
 
ICT Service Blog and Helpline Blog
 
The information in this briefing is also available through our blog. This means that you do not have to wait for the fortnightly distribution; news items go online immediately. Other relevant information about ICT is posted there too.  It is also possible to use the blog to comment on items and to give us feedback.
 
There is a link to the blog from our website or you can visit it directly at http://educationictservice.blogspot.com/  If you use a newsreader such as Google Reader, you can subscribe to the blog using the link in the left-hand column; your news reader will automatically highlight new blog items for you. If you would like to learn how to do this, contact the Helpline.
 
For up to the minute Helpline information, please visit the ICT Service Helplines Blog by searching for Resource id: 3750 from the Education Portal or by using this link: ICT Service Helplines Blog. You can subscribe to this blog in exactly the same way. 
 
More ICT News on the Portal...
 
Do you regularly check the ICT News page on the Portal? It features all the latest ICT-related news of importance to Cambridgeshire's schools.
To take a look, simply search for resource ID: 584 from the Portal front page, or click on 'News' on the ICT Service home page (www.ict.ccceducation.net).
 
 
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