Specialist Schools & Academies Trust seminars

Friday
11:00
SSAT at BETT: Leading School Led System Transformation

David Crossley, SSAT

This session will explore the impact and potential of the Raising Achievement Transforming Learning and Leading Edge Partnerships in school-led transformation.

12:30
SSAT at BETT: New School - Old School?

Tony Parkin, SSAT

Building schools for the future, harnessing the technology, extended schools and community learning hubs, personalising learning - schools are transforming and turning visionary phrases into new realities - though we need reality checks!

14:00
SSAT at BETT: Working Together - Collaborative Technologies Raising Achievement in UK Schools

Dave Moran and Paul Hynes, SSAT

The session will showcase ideas for using cheap (and often free) technology to aid collaboration and impact on students learning. The theory and pedagogy of the new collaborative opportunities will be backed by real examples happening in schools now.

15:15
SSAT at BETT: Virtual Learning - Real Solutions

Mike Cameron, SSAT

Taking the example of one (real) school, this seminar will look at the journey taken to get to where it is with their Virtual Learning Environment. With input from a senior leader at the school, the focus will be on the pedagogical, management and workforce changes that have made the venture a success.

16:15
SSAT at BETT: Making Personalised Learning an Everyday Reality

Guy Shearer, SSAT

Case studies from across the Specialist Schools and Academies network, signposting successful strategies that are helping to make personalised learning a practical reality.

In terms of your own continuing professional development, what would you hope to gain by attendance at any of the above sessions? Could more be done to showcase the Specialist Schools and Academies at BETT? Post your views and help shape future BETT seminar programmes.

Special Needs, Inclusion seminars Wednesday

Wednesday
10:45
Technology in Transition

E A Draffan, BDA

Introducing ways of helping students with dyslexia to make the most of the assistive technologies available to enhance coping strategies throughout their educational career. Examples will be provided to show how to use specialist software alongside general technologies found in schools, colleges and universities - some free, some expensive!

12:00
Personalised Learning for All

Carol Allen, NASEN

Personalised learning has been a key feature of effective working practice for students who experience barriers to learning for many years. This session will look at how the same principles can be extended to support staff and voluntary helpers to provide an inclusive learning environment for all by using ICT and technology. Practical examples and ideas will be demonstrated.

13:15
The Right to Read: Reasonable Adjustments for Reading Impaired Students

Ian Litterick, BDA

What does the law say? How can you help your visually and other reading impaired students, including those with dyslexia to access the written curriculum under SENDA? Present reality and future vision for services, techniques and technology for providing reading materials in accessible alternative formats throughout education.

14:30
Special Schools - Becta's Self-Review Framework and the ICT Mark

Chris Stevens and Sally McKeown, Becta

Chris and Sally will outline the ways in which special schools should approach using the Self-review framework to reflect their good practice and how they will achieve recognition through the ICT mark for work they do with pupils who have the most complex needs.

What ideas or practice would you hope to adapt and incorporate into your own classroom practice from attendance at any of these sessions? Are there enough SEN/Inclusion sessions in the BETT seminar programme? Post your thoughts and help shape the discussions about the future of the BETT seminar programme.

Becta Seminars, Thursday

Becta leads the national drive to improve learning through technology. They do this by working with industry to ensure we have the right technology for education in place. They also work to support the education workforce to make the best use of technology to improve learning. So that every learner in the UK is able to benefit from the advantages technology brings, thereby helping them achieve the best they can.

Each day at BETT, Becta will be delivering a number of seminar sessions.

11:00
The role of Local Authorities and Regional Broadband Consortia in aggregated procurement

Mark Wallbank and Chris Faulkner, Becta

This seminar will cover the best value purchasing arrangements that Becta is setting up to deliver infrastructure, learning and data services to the schools sector. It will consider the role that Local Authorities and Regional Broadband Consortia can play in aggregating procurement to provide schools with quality and value for money in their ICT systems.

What would you hope to gain from attendance at this seminar? What is your experience of your own Regional Broadband Consortia ? Post your comments to share with the BETT community.

12:45
How to improve your primary school using Becta’s self-review framework

Bernie Zakary, Becta

This session will explore how school leadership teams can improve their Primary School through self-review and planned use of ICT. In Spring 2006, Becta launched the self-review framework. This session will offer guidance on the best practice processes and principles that can assist you in improving your school through ICT. This will be illustrated and supported by exemplars and experiences from Primary Schools on how the self-review framework has helped them make improvements in ICT. For some this has included achieving the ICT Mark. Be prepared to help your school by registering with the self-review framework now at:

http://matrix.becta.org.uk/selfreview

What is your experience of the self-review process? What information would you hope to take back to school with you by listening to Bernie? Let us know what you think before and after the seminar.

14:00
How to drive and develop quality in FE using ICT

Andy Black, Becta

This session will explore how Further Education leadership teams can improve the provision that they provide through self-review and planned use of ICT. This session will offer guidance on the best practice processes and principles that can assist you in improving the quality of your provision, through review of ICT and the developing quality standards. This will be illustrated and supported by exemplars and experiences from college leadership teams on how quality frameworks have helped them make improvements in ICT. Be prepared to help your college by registering on the Learning and Skills frameworks now at: http://matrix.becta.org.uk

What would you expect to gain by attending this seminar? What are your views about the use of the Learning and Skills frameworks ? Share your thoughts with the wider BETT community.

15:15
Planning for personalised online learning: what does it mean for my school

Robin Ball, Becta & John Morris, Headteacher, Ardleigh Green Junior School

This session will consider how to plan for the use of learning platforms to support personalised learning including developing the strategic vision, preparing for and managing change, and transforming learning and teaching.

What further knowledge and understanding would you wish to take away with you by attendance at this seminar? What is your view about Personalised Online Learning? Join the discussion by posting your thoughts.

16:15
How to improve your secondary school using Becta’s self-review framework

Andrew Sierant, Becta

This session will explore how school leadership teams can improve the Secondary School through self-review and planned use of ICT. In Spring 2006, Becta launched the self-review framework. This session will offer guidance on the best practice processes and principles that can assist you in improving your school through ICT. This will be illustrated and supported by exemplars and experiences from Secondary Schools on how the self-review framework has helped them make improvements in ICT. For some this has included achieving the ICT Mark. Be prepared to help your school by registering with the self-review framework now at:

http://matrix.becta.org.uk/selfreview

As a secondary teacher, what is your experience of the self-review process? What information would you hope to take back to school with you by listening to Andrew? Let us know what you think before and after the seminar.