Local authorities

Nominations for online reporting advocates

A new opportunity for your schools

You will know about the Ministerial expectation about using ICT to improve parental engagement from regular dialogue with your regional delivery adviser and the DVD resource kit you received at the summer term regional forums. Those of you that were unable to attend have been sent a copy by post.

We know through Becta's annual Harnessing Technology Schools Survey (HTSS) and through conversations with you that schools are putting the underlying infrastructure and technologies they need to move forward with online reporting in place. We have a network of schools around the country that are happy to share their experiences. We want to extend this network as schools have asked for additional support in identifying effective practice and implementing affordable solutions at a local level.

We'd like to get more schools actively involved in developing ways in which ICT can support better parental engagement, so we're inviting each local authority to nominate schools who they feel would be equipped to join the online reporting network. Schools nominated will have direct access to our existing advocate network, which includes:

• regular newsletters and updates about developments
• invitations to Becta online reporting conferences and events, eg - the national primary online reporting briefing event on 12 November 2009
• access to the Becta online reporting advocates community website
• access to the latest support tools and resources
• opportunities to share their practice with a wider regional or national audience
• work with Becta's partners - for instance being represented on the ICT Register or receiving support in working towards the Parental Engagement Quality Standard offered by the SSAT.

In return, the advocates actively encourage and support schools in their local area to get on board with the online reporting agenda. The advocate school role includes sharing information about their progress in online reporting, contributing to case studies and supporting other schools through collaboration and networks of shared practice.

Advocate school criteria

Please nominate advocate schools in your local authority on the following basis:

• Up to three schools - one secondary, one primary and a special or alternative provision school. If you have more schools you feel are suitable please add a supplementary list
• Schools should be able to clearly demonstrate the progress they are making towards online reporting, eg - putting policies in place, consulting with parents or developing workforce involvement
• Schools that play a leading, influencing, advisory or decision-making role within the local authority in relation to parental engagement, ICT investment or online reporting.

Please contact your Regional Delivery Adviser with your nominations as soon as possible.

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