Schools across Rhondda Cynon Taf came together on Monday, June 24, to showcase effective practice in digital learning. RCT schools have been working together to develop innovate practices to support the development of digital skills within the Curriculum for Wales. Pupils were presented with the first RCT Pupil Digital Leader Award, the culmination of a programme they’ve taken part in to improve digital leadership within schools. The scheme comes as part of the RCT Digital Strategy for Schools, funded by the Welsh Government HWB fund.
Digital learning has become an integral part of the school’s curriculum and the RCT Digital Team for Schools has developed its first Digital Leader Network to support primary and secondary schools in their journey to effective digital learning. The Welsh Government Hwb EdTech programme has invested over £100 million to support the transformation of digital infrastructure and provide access to digital devices across all maintained schools in Wales.
The event took place at Tonyrefail Community School where Headteachers and Digital Champions from over 50 schools attended to take part in a range of workshops. The workshops delivered by RCT schools showcased effective practices, developing collaborative school-to-school digital projects, embedding digital learning within the Curriculum for Wales, and using Hwb tools to enhance and support learning. An online safety workshop was delivered by the Welsh Government Digital Resilience Team showing how they developed digital learning with safety in mind and the different ways that pupils and teachers can remain safe while learning digitally.
These were the schools and workshops delivered at the event:
- Developing Authentic Pupil Voice with Flipgrid - Maerdy Primary School
- Planning for progression within the Digital Competence Framework -Craig Yr Hesg Primary School and Maes-Y-Coed Primary School (representing the Pontypridd High Cluster)
- Embedding Digital Competence Framework within Curriculum for Wales - Ss. Gabriel and Raphael Primary School
- Developing Digital Competence Through Local History/Community Projects - Llanilltud Faerdref Primary School
- Effective School-to-school Collaboration - Treorchy Primary School
- Developing Effective Online Safety Practices - Hwb Digital Resilience Team
Learners from RCT schools were invited to share best practices and receive the first ever RCT Pupil Digital Leader Award which was presented by Tim Britton, Head of Achievement in RCT - Primary Sector. The award was given for achieving a range of milestones during the RCT Pupil Digital Leader Programme.
The schools receiving the award at the event were:
Brynnau Primary School
Williamstown Primary School
Cwmbach CIW Primary School
Craig Yr Hesg Primary School
Trehopcyn Primary School
Trerobart Primary School
Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary School
Darran Park Primary School
Porth Community School
Treorchy Primary School
Ton Pentre Junior School
Ss. Gabriel and Raphael Primary School
Glenboi Primary School
Mountain Ash Comprehensive
Pontyclun Primary School
Llantrisant Primary School
James Protheroe, RCT Lead Officer for Digital Learning in Schools, said: ‘From helping others stay safe online or develop digital skills, to communicating with parents and the local community, these learners play an important role in leading digital learning in their schools.’
The showcase event will continue as an annual celebration of digital learning across RCT, to share further knowledge and best practices in digital learning.
Councillor Rhys Lewis, Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and Welsh Language, said: “A truly successful day for RCT schools sharing best practice and learning about the future of digital learning. Welsh Government HWB and partners were fantastic in supporting this scheme and teaching the schools about online safety, while promoting the support available to teachers integrating digital learning into the curriculum.
“I’m very proud of the pupil digital leaders and eager to see the future of the programme and how it develops future learning within RCT Schools, setting the pupils up for the future.”
Posted on 09/07/2024