Improved parental engagement 2010 targets

So, by September 2010 all the secondary schools are expected to provide all parents with secure online access to:

• attendance and behaviour (both positive and challenging)
• progress and attainment
• special needs

Personally, I think the Becta toolkit on parental engagement could be more helpful with tangible ideas for schools. It all strikes me as being a little vague and non committal with statements like 'where possible drawing on the expertise and experience of other local or similar schools and practitioners' - are we sure that based on current level of information out there, other schools will actually know? Yes, the toolkit does a very good job at helping schools to secure the vision but it does not really go anyway to provide them with any form of technical specification to adhere to and shape a route to realising this for 2010. At Costello we are certainly going to be putting a great deal of time and thought into how our strategic plan will manifest itself for the future. I think part of the challenge is to make sure that technologies are used that give the end user control on what goes to who, when and in what format. Systems like this need to be dynamic, able to grow and adapt with the educational system. Education is in a continual state of flux and systems need to change at a comparable pace as and when required. Schools do not want to have to wait 6 months for a response to a change in direction and educational thinking because of the time taken for software companies to take onboard the changes made by government policy. They need to be empowered.

I liked the last part of the toolkit - Support with your learning journey (where's the shared ownership in that?. Think it should read - support you through our journey?

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