Together with our consortium members, we have formally been announced as one of the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) Edtech Demonstrators, as part of a bid to support teaching and learning in other institutions.
The Ed-Tech Demonstrator Programme was announced last year as a £10 million DfE initiative to boost peer-to-peer support on the effective use of technology, and includes a network of schools and colleges across the country. The programme has now been tailored to help schools and colleges provide education remotely.
The remaining consortium members are: Suffolk Academies Trust (comprised of Abbeygate Sixth Form College and One Sixth Form College), CMAT (Cambridge Meridian Academy Trust) and ConnectEd Teaching School Alliance – led by Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
The Demonstrator Schools and Colleges will provide professional development, initially focussed on supporting the effective delivery of remote teaching practices to schools and colleges across the country – predominantly targeting those in most need of support. Led by us, the consortium will assist the DfE in supporting schools in the local area to provide support when it comes to engaging with students using digital tools and online content.
Nadine Payne, Partnerships Director and who submitted the consortium’s Ed-Tech bid said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been announced as an Ed-Tech Demonstrator and it has been fantastic to see us join forces on this. Our collaboration means we are a unique Demonstrator in that we have the expertise to provide support at primary, secondary and at college level. As partners, we felt it was important to use our knowledge and skills in online learning to support other institutions that may not be utilising online learning to its full potential.”
Dr Nikos Savvas, Chief Executive of Suffolk Academies Trust and West Suffolk College said: “Our vision is that we want our Colleges to be catalysts for social change, and the role of technology is very high on that agenda. For nearly a decade we have been working very closely with primaries and secondaries in our wider region to help inspire the future generation of scientists, engineers, coders and robot designers.
“This effort can be boosted now that we have become one of the country’s prestigious ED-Tech hubs. In fact, given everything the country has faced over the last few months, these hubs have become even more important as the focus will be on the delivery of remote teaching practices. Together, I think we can make a real difference!”
For more information on the consortium’s involvement in the Demonstrator programme please head to www.wsc.ac.uk/about-the-college/edtech-demonstrator