On 23 November 2023, a debate was raised in the House of Lords asking the government what assessment they have made of the role of educational technology (edtech) being used in UK schools. This article lays out the details of the debate and the report findings
Specifically, the debate enquired about impact in relation to educational outcomes and social development. Few would argue the need for this robust debate given that parliamentary sources record UK schools spending around £900 million a year on edtech, and historically, impact evidence has been anecdotal and often influenced by political or commercial agendas.
However, a ground-breaking new report, launched by LEO Academy Trust on 14 December, raises the bar for all those seeking to understand the impact of digital technology when used in school contexts. The report, entitled ‘Changing Learning. Changing Lives: What happens when EdTech becomes PedTech’ is a 180-page review forensically probing all aspects of multi academy trust life. The research, led by Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith, sets out findings which address the impact on teaching and learning, attainment and progress, inclusion and equity, as well as drawing out the impact on recruitment and retention, teacher workload, financial efficiencies, environmental sustainability, attendance, behaviour, SEND, mobility, MAT growth and many other areas besides.
Key headlines include that LEO’s approach to the use of digital technology have resulted in:
The attainment of children at LEO schools significantly outperforms national norms in national tests, with the gap between national averages and LEO widening each year (rising from 14-23% over the last three years)
The proportion of children achieving greater depth in national assessments in reading, writing and mathematics at LEO being more than triple the national average over the last three years, with the outperformance between LEO and national figures widening each year
Digital tasks increasing classroom efficiency by 23%, allowing the repurposing of time for more targeted and inclusive learning – leading to the significant attainment gains outlined above
The number of children on the SEN register requiring expensive intervention programmes has reduced by around a third because of embedded inclusive practice facilitated by digital technology
Attendance figures across LEO are higher than the national average, and net mobility at LEO just 4% compared to an average of 20-48% across other London schools
Staff satisfaction is consistently 15-20% above national benchmarks with LEO seen as an employer of choice – leading to exceptionally high levels of staff retention, high quality candidate appointments, and significant recruitment cost savings
The reduction in worksheet printing and number of exercise books saves approximately 400 trees per year equating to a trust wide saving of around £78 per child per year (just over half the cost of the Chromebook provision)
A consistent and sustained increase in number on roll with LEO schools being targeted as the school of choice by families.
Phil Hedger, CEO of LEO Academy Trust explained, “Having embarked upon our digital journey across the trust some years ago, it was important to us to understand exactly what impact that investment had made. We knew our results had gone up, teachers were saving time and the trust was growing, but we wanted an independent, critical assessment so that we could learn from it and inform our strategic planning”.
The research itself took place over 12 months, drawing upon a combination of 4,500 survey responses, 606 documents, 154 observations, 65 interviews, 24 focus groups and hundreds of hours of professional discussion and reflection. A group of 17 researchers worked together to unpack assumptions and activities forensically – with in depth observations of classroom practice, timing of digital versus non digital activities, comprehensive data analysis and diligent triangulation of perspectives from children, staff, parents and the wider community. The results set out powerful insights, alongside data informed narrative explaining the source of impact, and forward-facing recommendations.
Prior to its release, the impact study gathered a great deal of interest across the sector, with schools and those supporting schools keen to understand the ingredients for impact and how they can be replicated or scaled up nationwide. Key themes illustrate how pedagogically-led decision making results in impactful uses of digital technology (PedTech).
John Murphy, former CEO of Oasis – one of the largest multi academy trusts and co-founder of the National Institute for Teaching, said, “In education, we have to be fiercely ambitious for every child we serve. This report is pivotal – it is a celebration of everything that LEO Academy Trust has learnt and achieved to date for the children across their schools, and the findings will ignite a new fire in the education world”.
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