Outwood Family Chosen For EdTech Demonstrator programme

A multi-academy trust based in West Yorkshire has been successful in its attempt to become part of a Government-backed programme that focuses on improving remote learning and supporting digital capability.

Outwood Grange Academies Trust, established in 2009 and sponsors over thirty academies across the North of England, will become part of the Department for Education’s EdTech Demonstrator programme which will run until the end of March next year.

Each participant in the programme is expected to focus on supporting other schools and education providers to deliver remote learning during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as supporting digital capability beyond this.

Outwood Primary Academy Ledger Lane, an Outstanding-rated primary school based in Wakefield, will be the Trust’s main EdTech Demonstrator centre but it is expected that other members of the Outwood Family will be involved. The Trust will receive £150,000 funding towards achieving the aims of the programme.

Tristan Kirkpatrick, Outwood’s Director of Computer Science who led the Trust’s successful bid, said:

“This is a terrific opportunity for us to not only further build our skill-set, but also to help improve the skill-sets of others. 

“During this uncertain time, we want to step up and do our bit and we believe this is an opportunity to do that. By focussing our support on those who need it most, we can help them realise the potential of using online learning platforms and therefore ensure more children are getting the best education they can.”

The Trust has a good reputation for being innovative in its approach to using digital resources in education. Earlier this year, the Trust’s Software and Data team was recognised as ‘Ones to Note’ in the EdTech 50 Yearbook 2020 and last year the Trust’s founding school, Outwood Grange Academy, was praised in the EdTech 50 Schools Report. The team was praised for ‘developing imaginative uses of digital to support teaching and learning.’

This approach will be used to help the peer-to-peer support the Trust will provide as part of the EdTech Demonstrator programme to help others develop effective use of the commonly used online learning platforms.

The support within the programme will be given in a vast number of ways, including one-to-one bespoke advice, delivering webinars, giving group support and also providing written guidance and materials.

The Trust will be expected to reach a minimum of 40 schools or colleges with ‘direct support’ as part of the programme, and will aim to reach more with its broader resources, such as its recorded webinars and written guidance.

Outwood has a history of providing wider support which includes the Trust being one of the first to make its home learning resources available online following the school closures announcement earlier this year. These were made available to all, not just Outwood staff and students.

As part of the programme, the Department for Education will use its delivery partner London Grid for Learning, and their consortium, made up of the Education Foundation and the Sheffield Institute of Education, to ensure that the demonstrator schools and colleges are supported at a national level.

The latest announcement sees another 18 schools joining the first 20 schools, that were announced in April, on the scheme which is part of the government’s £10 million ed tech strategy.