The benefits of this could potentially include greater accessibility tools for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), increased collaborative and personalised learning, and the potential to reduce teacher workload – but as things stand today, there are some significant disparities in what schools have access to.

The extent of these inequalities and how they could be overcome have been discussed in multiple research reports and debates. Here, we’re going to explore some further findings and perspectives on the steps that can be taken to help all learners and schools realise the benefits of edtech more fairly.  

Infrastructure

The cost of setting up reliable digital infrastructure that can support digital solutions within education settings is a barrier that Pete Dring, Head of Computing at Fulford School, believes stretches budgets “beyond most people’s definition of what allows for sustainable strategic investment in technology”. The digital divide between those who have reliable, individual access to digital technology at home and those who don't, represents a fundamental challenge. 

In the 2023 Pearson School Report, only half of secondary schools reported having access to reliable WiFi across their entire site; a third have reliable access in only parts of their school site.  Moreover, one in six say pupils have no access to portable digital devices (compared to just 1% of primaries), and fewer than 1 in 10 have access to assistive technologies like screen and braille readers for use by students.  

There’s no question that if the playing field could be levelled so that every learner had access to at least one WiFi-capable device both at home and in school, along with access to suitable tech support, significant steps would be taken in closing the digital divide. Even the, this alone wouldn’t equate to an easy ‘quick fix’ – but some schools have been able to pursue innovative solutions of their own.  

According to one secondary leader in Cambridgeshire, the biggest driver of solutions are schools that are proactively interacting with the technology they have. “There’s a huge divide between the technology and the tools and the expertise that certain schools have got – though this isn’t always between state schools and independent schools. Some state schools have developed great partnerships with companies like Microsoft and Google to support investments, or local partnerships, for example”.  

Change is also being driven externally. Organisations like the Digital Poverty Alliance and The Learning Foundation frequently run campaigns to advocate for the embedding digital technologies across all stages of education.  

However, Emma Darcy, Director of Technology for Learning at the Chiltern Learning Trust believes that securing access to infrastructure is just one part of the picture: “equipment alone does not transform teaching and learning, or the life chances for children”.

Digital skills

To help ease the digital divide, many schools are placing greater emphasis on supporting learners’ digital skills in school.  

Emma Darcy and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) at Denbigh High School previously identified a gap in the curriculum for the teaching of ‘digital character’. This prompted them to introduce a ‘period 6’ into their curriculum once a week, dedicated to developing such skills among students.  

As Emma explains: “It’s not just about staying safe online or being prepared for your future careers, it’s having digital character skills, so when you have access to all the technology-based tools out there, you know what to do with them and how to make the right choices.”  

Along similar lines, staff at Fulford School in York last year developed an introduced ‘Digital Life Skills' as an informal qualification, through which every student can learn to properly apply the digital skills they’ll need to thrive at home, school and work. This year saw the school follow that with the introduction of its ‘Digital Literacy’ support in Year 7, targeted at those students who would benefit most from additional support in accessing online tools, plus additional timetabled computing lessons. 

The school additionally runs an award-winning STEM club, which prioritises access to underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, and regularly incorporates diverse career role models into computing lessons and homework activities so that every student feels they can aspire towards a successful tech career, regardless of their starting point.  

Speaking about the changes, Pete says: “We've got a long way still to go but we're working on creating routines and resources so that students who don't have the same level of access to digital support at home can still thrive without feeling singled out.”

Training and support

Our research also shows that just 15% of state schools have access to regular training on digital learning tools, though lots of schools are working to change this. Some are now running regular 20-minute group training sessions, while others are setting up digital steering groups to tackle emerging trends like AI.   

In Emma Darcy’s view: “This is where an effective digital strategy is crucial as it can give headteachers and senior leadership teams a roadmap of priorities to address and in what order. It is not possible to do everything at once, but if you have devised a digital strategy created in conjunction with your school improvement priorities, it means that the actions you take will have real impact.” 

Prioritising digital

As the world around us becomes increasingly digital, so too should education. Emma believes that there has to be impetus from the top with the right people saying ‘digital strategy is important and let’s do it’: “If Ofsted came in and asked to see a digital strategy, for example, most schools would prioritise this because they have to.”  

She believes this has never been more urgent and something that the DfE need to prioritise in supporting schools: “Schools and colleges need detailed support with developing purposeful and carefully considered digital strategies that take into account the challenges of budget and infrastructure and are tailored to their own unique environment. Teachers and support staff need to be trained and developed to use digital tools effectively to improve the quality of teaching and learning but also to support their own workload and wellbeing.”  

There are ways to solve some of the digital challenges facing schools and learners, but it is important to remember that not everything has to move at lightning speed. Emma points to initiatives like Digital Leaders and the Apps For Good Programme that can have a whole school impact and allow schools to demonstrate that they are taking a digital strategy seriously, while waiting for investment to catch up with aspiration.  

Like many, Emma believes that the most important thing schools and the education community can do is be outward facing, learn from others and decide where they would like to be in the coming years.