Thematic report |
ICT at key stage 3: The impact of ICT on pupils’ learning at key stage 3 in secondary schools - July 2014
This report focuses on the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on pupils’ learning in key stage 3 in secondary schools. The first report, published in July 2013, focused on the impact of ICT on pupils’ learning in primary schools.The report evaluates standards in the National Curriculum subject of information and communication technology (ICT) and considers the impact of ICT as a key skill on pupils’ learning across the curriculum at key stage 3 in secondary schools in Wales. The report also considers the impact of ICT on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.
Recommendations
Schools should:
- improve the delivery and monitoring of ICT across the curriculum to ensure continuity and progression in pupils’ ICT skills;
- ensure that each element of the ICT programme of study is taught well across the key stage;
- improve the quality of teaching so that pupils develop their ability to work independently and make progress in developing their ICT skills during ICT lessons and in other subjects across the curriculum;
- provide relevant and sufficient professional development opportunities for all teachers;
- improve the accuracy of teacher assessment;
- liaise effectively with their feeder primary schools to ensure continuity in planning the delivery of ICT across key stage 2 and key stage 3 so that pupils do not unnecessarily revisit skills and become disengaged in lessons; and
- improve the liaison between the ICT department and other subject departments so that pupils have more contexts in which to apply and develop their skills.
Local authorities and regional consortia should:
- ensure that ICT curriculum support is available to all secondary schools;
- monitor the standards and provision of ICT as a subject and the effectiveness of its use across the curriculum; and
- support schools to improve the accuracy and reliability of teacher assessment.
The Welsh Government should:
- implement a relevant statutory framework for ICT from Foundation Phase to post-16 and review the National Curriculum subject orders to reflect current developments in technology; and
- assist local authorities and regional consortia to address the technical issues that constrain access to ICT resources in secondary schools.