Mark Wallbank Director, Procurement Strategy Becta

Steve CreedHead of Technical Evaluation and Assurance

Driving improvements in schools’ ICT services

Foundation for the future

Technology in education matters

It will only grow in importance

FACT

FACT

Technology will move from supporting existing curricula to driving new ways of learning and developing skills for the

future of UK business.

But is it really that simple?

• The simple presence of technology is not enough.

• Benefits will ONLY be realised where technology is deployed appropriately and used effectively.

• Implementing and managing technology isn’t easy, often not a core skill set within educational institutions and many require specialist help and support.

This presentation will outline how Becta is seeking to support institutions in making the most of technology whilst effectively avoiding many of the pitfalls associated with poor deployment.

Food for thought…

...not to mention the lost teaching opportunities!

Typical average hourly rate for a teacher = £20

If 1 teacher per school spends 1 hour a day ‘fixing’ ICT = c£3.6k per year

X 23,000 schools = £82.2 million

Drivers for change

• Improving outcomes

• Safeguarding

• Providing effective tools

Educational

• Financial

• Environmental sustainability

Efficiencies

• Capital investment programs

• 14 - 19

Structural/Political

• Digital identity

• Privacy

Security

• Personal ownership

• Customer expectations

Environmental

• Open standards

• Open source

• Cloud computing/software as service

Technical

The challenges of deploying effective ICT

Growing complexity of ICT

Reliability of technology

System interoperability

Getting value for money Out of hours access

Protection of sensitive data

Secure internet environment

Maintaining control

Becta has identified a number of significant challenges faced in deploying effective ICT in educational institutions.

These include:

• To raise standards at my school!

• For technology to be flexible, adaptable and to enable creative use.

• I want technology to empower my staff, enabling them to use it to impact positively upon all aspects of their work.

• I want to use technology to communicate, share and work in partnership with my families at school and at home.

• I want my data and information to be safe and secure, and for staff and learners to be safe online.

• I don’t want to worry that the technology won’t work, is not compatible, will be unreliable or that I can’t afford it!

Christine Terrey Head Teacher Grays School Newhaven, East Sussex

What do I as Head expect and demand?

 

How is Becta helping?

In order to determine the best way to provide support to educational institutions, Becta has undertaken extensive research and consultation to:

Identify the key elements of the current and future technology provision needs of educational institutions.

Identify the most appropriate delivery mechanisms to provide customers with flexibility and choice to support their ICT needs.

1

2

Specialist hardware/ software

Personal devices

Key elements of an effective learner-centric ICT system

Data

ServicesLearning

Services

Network Technologies

Connectivity Services

Infrastructure Services

Fully integrated user facing serviceSupports a range

of delivery mechanisms

Curriculum content

Technology that works first time, every time, for everyone, wherever and whenever they need it

High service levels

Approved/Accredited

Appropriate service levels

Conform to standards

Effectively managed -FITS

Underlying principles

• Represents the current and future technology provision needs of educational institutions.

• Identifies the components of an ICT solution for educational institutions and a need for it to be effectively managed.

• Supports a range of delivery models whether they are provided by non-commercial or commercial organisations, or a combination of both.

• Supports core services being located outside of the institution where appropriate to deliver improved efficiencies from new emerging ICT delivery models.

• Complements and supports existing provision such as institutional connectivity via the National Education Network and education sector services from JANET etc.

Underlying principles

• Core elements are well defined and expected to comply with defined standards and work to higher service levels.

• Core elements are dynamic and will evolve in line with technology advancements, supporting ongoing innovation.

• Innovation and local customisation:– Allows individual institutions to use new and emerging technologies, or

existing technologies in innovative ways to fit local need.

– Allows customised service level to be agreed on a case by case basis, determined at the local level.

– Compliance to standards required for the technology to work effectively with the core elements and provide a fully integrated ICT service.

Adoption of ICT services

Becta has identified that many of the challenges highlighted would be effectively addressed through the adoption of ICT services.

ICT ServicesUse of expert third parties who will

deliver, manage and be accountable to the institution for providing a

defined set of services to pre-defined service levels

Myths about ICT services

Some misleading myths related to managed ICT services have developed over recent years.

I will lose flexibility and control

It would constrain innovation and choice

over what and how ICT is delivered

Private sector are focussed on making profit at expense of

quality service

Private sector will not understand and

respond to school needs

We would lose school technicians and local

onsite support

We would lose our freedom to react

FALSE

Drivers for adopting a managed ICT service

Those already successfully using an ICT managed service have identified the key drivers for adoption as:

Lower more predictable costs

Bringing in external expertise

Focus on core competencies

Scalability

Improved service quality

Speed of implementation

Gro

win

g in

imp

ort

an

ce

Benefits of adopting a managed ICT service

Those already successfully using an ICT managed service have identified the key benefits realised as:

Learners having access to best resources

Meeting the needs of more users

Staff more confident in using ICT

Increased reliability of ICT

Greater use of ICT by staff and learners

Driving faster strategic change

Greater focus on learning Gro

win

g in

ag

ree

men

t

Greater efficiency

Quotes from ICT services users

I no longer worry about the network

and whether it works. (AST, ST Helens LA)

The responseto call-outs is very prompt, and a technician comes to

the school for halfa day every week to check everything is working well.

(AST, ST Helens LA)

You don't have that awful feeling when walkinginto a classroom and

wondering if the ICT is going to work.

(Staff member, Orpington College)

I would definitely do the same again. But you

need to go into it with your eyes wide open.

(Headteacher, Whitecross High)

Schools are very happy with the service they receive; one primary

school even described it as “brilliant”.

(Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council)

Its comforting to know you are not on your own.

(Headteacher, Ben Johnson Primary)

Fast responses and supportive help-desk staff

are valued highly by the schools.

(Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council)

What is Becta’s role?

By shaping the key elements of ICT services into a new configuration for effective delivery to the education sector, Becta can help to:

Ease the burden on institutional leaders.

Make more efficient use of teacher time.

Drive greater reliability of ICT systems with a clear focus to drive efficiencies:

– Operational– Financial– Environmental .

123

Current arrangements/realised efficiencies

• Through its procurement mechanisms, Becta has been supporting educational institutions for a number of years.

• Existing mechanisms widely used by education sector.

• Mechanisms have resulted in cash savings to the front-line of £250m during 2002/3-2009.

• Potential efficiencies by 2014 could amount to £270m - £380m per annum through reduced ICT services cost, workforce efficiency, and improved teacher productivity.

Why the change?

Current arrangements expiring during 2010.

Opportunity to look again and develop a flexible range of delivery mechanisms to support current and future customer

needs identified through research and consultation.

Proposed new delivery mechanisms

• Number of potential delivery mechanisms considered to determine those that would provide optimal support in delivering the vision and meeting customer needs.

• Immediate strategic priority identified as the development of:

Technical principles and functional specifications

Procurement advice and contract terms

National procurement frameworks

• Key feature will be the flexibility of new arrangements to meet different needs of multiple customer groups – arrangements available to all.

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Anticipated benefits

It is anticipated that adoption of the new arrangements will:

Reduce customer cash costs of procurement and achieve value for money

Reduce complexity and increase consistency for customers

Facilitate integration and interoperability

Help ensure adherence to technical specifications

Drive greater environmental efficiency

Approved education focussed suppliers

Emerging ICT delivery models

• Fundamental changes in computing models.• Not all ICT services have to be “onsite”. • Benefits through remote provision of services using simple internet

enabled devices (e.g. Webmail).

Managed underlying hardware and reliable, scalable services

Expensive resources and expertise centralised

Managed testing, deployment and software updates

Reduced environmental impact of ICT through scale of efficiencies

Locating resources in purpose-designed facilities

One route to enabling parental access

Mobile access to staff and students

Virtualisation/Aggregation of equipment

London Grid for Learning

• Using Microsoft Live@edu services for up to one million students across London.

• Schools using hosted service, including applications such as mobile, desktop and web-based e-mail — encourages students to collaborate, create online communities, and make learning and the sharing of information easier.

• Estimates the average secondary school could save circ. £18,000 a year.

Living the vision

Living the vision

Cottenham Village College (nr Cambridge) – Secondary school

• Installed Google Apps Education Edition - email and a range of other powerful online software tools.

• Pupils, teachers and parents happy and impressed.

• Most impressive gain is having an easy-to-use, mission-critical service that delivers the expectations students and teachers have of modern technology.

• Deputy head and director of ICT Peter Marshall, - message to school leaders "I think they need to seriously take on board just how significant effectiveness and reliability are to running the things that you want to run in schools”.

• Estimate a saving of possibly £20,000.

Living the vision

Warwickshire County Council

• The ICT Development Service provides services to around 5000 devices in more than 250 schools.

• Students used learning environments to do schoolwork and share documents from home but could only work on documents created in applications on their own computers.

• Through the use of a central virtualisation hub students and teachers can use programmes they need on any computer with an internet connection.

• Benefits include: anywhere anytime access, simplified environment, reduced support costs, reduced hardware costs, secured data.

Next steps

• New arrangements expected to start to become available from Autumn 2010.

• Further dialogue underway with customers and suppliers to determine final shape of new arrangements to ensure best possible fit.

• Once final structure has been confirmed details will be made available through Becta’s website, brochures, regional customer/Becta representatives and relevant events.

• Further details regarding the benefits of “Implementing managed services: Benefits and consideration” available from the link below:

http://www.becta.org.uk/publications/managedservices

Something to leave you with

Schools• What support does your school require to take its ICT vision forward?• Talk with your local authority to work together and consider

collaborative opportunities.

Local Authorities• Consider how best to act as the focal point to help drive changes

within your schools to achieve an effective learner-centric ICT system.

Industry• Think about how your organisation can work to support the vision.• Share your ideas with Becta and help to shape new arrangements.