ITSS win national award

[webman]

ICT Excellence Awards 2008 - Support for schools - joint winner

 

IT Support Services, Durham County Council

 

This category aims to reward those organisations who support school improvement with ICT, encouraging the systematic and innovative use of appropriate technologies to deliver learning and teaching, communicate with the wider school community and improve administrative efficiency.

 

The judges noted a very high standard of entry this year, with a wider use of Becta’s Self Review Framework as a means of promoting best practice, and an emerging strong emphasis on intelligent e-safety, balancing protection for children with ease of access.

 

The link goes on to say ...

 

The IT team has also developed the Durham Learning Gateway (DLG). Some 81 per cent of the schools in Durham (238 schools) currently access the DLG.

 

I find this somehow hard to believe, unless they're being pedantic and clever with their definition of DLG. The same system used for the "Learning Gateway" is also the DCC extranet.

 

It seems that to win this award you just have to appease Becta, follow their guidelines and make sure your paperwork and procedures match Becta's. Systems actually working (on a technical level) or fit-for-purpose-ness mustn't enter the equation.

 

Should Becta canvas for the opinion of the people who actually use their services?

Edited December 8, 2008 by webman

[Sylv3r]

Should Becta canvas for the opinion of the people who actually use their services?

 

I guess that is what the in-house ITSS questionnaire was for. However, they mustn't have received my response.