Case Study: Washwood Heath Technology College achieves 82% 5 A*–C GCSEs and improved student engagement with SMART Technologies

Getting the most out of SMART with bespoke training courses

Washwood Heath Technology College, a culturally diverse school of 1,400 students in an area of social and economic deprivation, faced an Ofsted “Notice to Improve” and challenges including high levels of English as an additional language (EAL), above-average need for free school meals and special support, and variable staff skills in using classroom technology. Leadership focused on boosting engagement, raising aspirations and embedding personalised learning supported by ICT, but recognised that teachers needed targeted training to make the technology effective.

Following a competitive tender, the school appointed Steljes to deliver a tailored staff-development programme based on individual Training Needs Analyses and five core units (SMART Notebook, Microsoft applications, SMART Boards/laptops, lesson content and the VLE), with ICT Training Passports and certified trainers. High uptake and positive feedback led to improved teaching practice, greater student engagement and a strong jump in results—82% of pupils achieved 5 A*–C GCSEs in 2009—and the school committed at least 50% of its annual budget to ongoing staff development.