Creating Value In Schools
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As part of the Plan for Change and Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the government is promising funding to improve connectivity and help narrow the digital divide in schools and colleges.
The DfE is also consulting on its digital and technology standards, in an effort to prioritise technology infrastructure, risk management and harnessing the opportunities technology presents. The consultation closes on 23 May, 2025.
The DfE wants all schools to be meeting the six core digital standards by 2030.
The government is pledging £45 million to improve connectivity in schools.
£25 million is for upgrading wireless networks; the 2023 Technology in Schools Survey found just 63% of schools reported having a fully functional Wi-Fi signal throughout the school.
The remaining £20 million is to complete delivery of fibre upgrades to 833 schools.
The government also want to make digital standards a requirement for all schools, and have launched a consultation around their ambition for all school colleges to meet six core digital standards by 2030:
These are part of the 11 digital and technology standards, published in 2022 to support schools and colleges in their use of digital infrastructure and technology. But despite 72% of school IT leads being aware of the standards, only 16% reported meeting them.
The consultation includes questions around readiness to meet the six standards and support needed in order to do so.
The DfE’s digital leadership and governance standards recommend that schools and colleges have a digital strategy, reviewed annually, which includes a vision for technology use and a long-term maintenance plan. For this to be in place, it's first necessary to appoint a member of the senior leadership team to be responsible for digital technology.
The 2023 Technology survey indicated that 55% of primary schools and 68% of secondary schools had a digital strategy in place.
The survey indicated that leaders with a digital strategy were more likely to report that technology had already reduced staff workload and expected that it would reduce staff workload in the future (see consultation document, page 11).
The consultation document includes case studies from schools and trusts, with examples of:
As part of the consultation, the DfE is seeking more examples of effective practice. Remember that the consultation closes on 23 May, 2025.
