The management of ICT presents a special challenge to school leaders. On the one hand, ICT is a National Curriculum subject with programmes of study at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 and the associated requirements for resources and time. On the other hand, ICT tools have the potential to enhance teaching and learning in other subjects. Pupils need opportunities to apply their ICT skills and knowledge to wider aspects of learning, to gain further ICT skills and understanding.
The strategic leadership of ICT therefore involves taking a whole-school overview of how ICT is used to:
Strategic leadership also involves taking considered and planned actions to improve ICT provision and to deepen the impact that ICT has on all pupils' learning. The term 'strategic leadership' implies the involvement of senior leaders in the school, supported through partnership with the governors and key middle leaders. These leaders play critical roles in ICT coordination and ICT subject leadership.
In addition, network management or service provision should be a central part of a school's ICT strategy to ensure that resource provision matches the school's vision for learning and teaching and its curricular intentions and planned outcomes for ICT.
The National Strategies support subject leaders via termly subject leader development meetings (SLDMs) organised by LAs. The materials for these meetings are available to download in Related links.
