Next phase of Edtech demonstrator programme unveiled

The Department for Education has unveiled plans for the next phase of its edtech demonstrator programme.

A list of 44 demonstrator schools and colleges, and how funding will be allocated and spent is published in new DfE guidance. 

This year the programme will support remote education, but also education recovery.

They will also work with schools to reduce workload, aid school improvement, improve resource management and make the curriculum “accessible and inclusive” for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Department for Education confirmed that each demonstrator will receive between £70,000 and £150,000, the same as was the case for the first phase.

The amount of funding awarded to demonstrator schools will depend on the number and type of schools they will support as well as the type, level and intensity of the support they will offer. However the programme is not designed to support schools to buy new IT infrastructure or pay for marketing materials.

In the second phase of the programme, demonstrator schools will offer three tiers of support to other schools.

Light support, or around six hours training over a term, will be for schools requiring rapid support on remote education, catch-up and recovery provision.

Medium support, or around 15 hours of training over the next academic year, will help schools identify one or two areas where technology can be adopted and have maximum impact for teachers and pupils.

And long-term support, or around 30 hours of training over a year, will see demonstrators work with schools to develop a sustainable digital strategy, embedding technology – particularly digital platforms and devices – as part of a wider change programme.