Agenda item

To submit a report by the Deputy Chief Executive.

Councillor Llinos Medi, Leader and Portfolio Member for Social Services presented the report by the Deputy Chief Executive incorporating the first Digital Schools Strategy for Anglesey that sets the Authority’s vision underpinned by overarching principles and key priority areas for the provision of ICT services for schools.

Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this matter and in items 7 and 8  below, Councillors R. Meirion Jones and Ieuan Williams were not present for this item nor for the remainder of the meeting.

In light of the Curriculum for Wales, digital competence alongside literacy and numeracy will become a mandatory cross-curricular skill which must be embedded in any adopted curriculum. Digital competence focuses on ensuring that learners have the ability to learn, understand and use technology confidently, creatively and critically. As the cyber threat to educational establishments continues to evolve, it is imperative that a collaborative approach is in place to ensure the security of this critical data. Consequently, digital technology needs to be embedded securely in all areas of curriculum delivery.

The overall vision of the strategy is to support digitally enabled schools to ensure learners thrive and realise their long-term potential. The strategy also sets out the role of the local authority in delivering this vision and is intended for all school learners, teachers, support staff, governors and members of the whole Anglesey school community. As part of the process of developing the strategy there has been engagement with a member of the ICT Forum (a representative of the primary school head teachers) and with the Island’s secondary head teachers and the Head teacher of Canolfan Addysg y Bont and a summary of the responses is provided. Robust governance arrangements will be established to ensure the realisation of the strategy and progress will be reviewed quarterly through a summary report on actions, outcomes, impact, successes and issues. An annual progress report and review of the strategy will be undertaken.

The Deputy Chief Executive advised that the importance of the digital world and its technology is becoming more apparent with every week and this applies to Anglesey as much as anywhere else. The past two years, especially the pandemic period has shown how the Authority, its personnel and capabilities have adapted to deal with the crisis by making the maximum use of technology to ensure that life carries on not least in education. Digital competence is now an essential skill and the greater pupils’ digital attainment on leaving school then the grater their chances of meeting the needs of the future as those evolve and change. The strategy has been formulated to provide direction to everyone within the school and learning community and it will be delivered in partnership with all the key players within the education system. Whilst the successful delivery of the strategy is important for all the Authority’s partners in education it is especially important for young people in enabling them to make progress in education and/or in the work environment and also as citizens, contributing effectively to society and to their communities. The Strategic Circle at page 5 of the strategy encapsulates the Authority’s vision and the key elements in implementing it. Given the speed of change in the real world, the strategy is geared towards the here and now rather than the long-term and will need to be adapted accordingly. The staff of the Council’s IT and Learning Services are to be congratulated on creating a clear, concise and easy to understand strategy which is the product of considered thought and which has been put together in the midst of maintaining day to day responsibilities.

The Executive’s members welcomed the Digital Strategy for schools as providing valuable investment in schools’ digital technology thereby putting education on a sound footing for the future. Reference was made to the speed of developments over the past 18 months and to the adaptability which the Council has shown in adjusting to the new digitally based ways of working; the importance of maintaining this momentum was emphasised.

It was resolved –

·         To approve the draft Digital Schools Strategy.

·         To authorise the additional funding requirement of £135,439 in order to implement the strategy.