Information and communications technologies are embedded in our society. Children are growing up at a time of rapid technological change and are adopting these technologies as a matter of course, at school, at home and in their leisure time. Schools have a responsibility to ensure that children develop the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding in order to be successful citizens of the future. In line with “Every Child Matters” children will need ICT capability to achieve economic well being and will need to understand electronic communications in order to enjoy and achieve and to stay safe.

The purpose of the NELC Primary Framework for ICT is to assist teachers in both understanding what ICT capability is and in further developing planned curriculum opportunities where that capability can be developed. It is to assist teachers in understanding standards in ICT and to raise children’s attainment within the context of a personalised curriculum.

This is intended to be the possible basis of a scheme of work for a school and is designed to supplement the current QCA Scheme of Work. Although the QCA scheme provides a structure to deliver ICT capability this is of its time and many schools have moved from this to further embedding planned opportunities to develop capability within appropriate curriculum contexts. This document will assist schools as part of the process of reflecting on, and further developing, their current practice

It makes explicit a progression of capability from the foundation stage through to Key Stage Three. These are shown as year group expectations enabling all teachers to gauge a range of expectations that may be appropriate for their children. The resource provides year group learning descriptors and cameos of practice to illustrate both the breadth of experience and standards in ICT capability. Subject based examples show how opportunities to develop capability can be planned into both discrete and subject based lessons. Schools will aim to offer children the full breadth of national curriculum entitlement and this document sets out progressions of capability by core themes.

Schools have a statutory requirement to teach children ICT, however it is up to schools to decide how this is best delivered being tailored to individual circumstances. Some schools offer discrete lessons on a weekly basis whilst others plan to develop capability in the extended curriculum. Some schools utilise mobile technologies offering a flexible range of potential models of use. Capability is best developed when there is a real reason to both develop and apply the particular aspect of ICT and when children have access to resources as a normal part of their learning. A definition of best value would be when the resources and learning spaces available enable children to learn effectively as individuals, in groups, as and where appropriate. The exemplars in the resource all attempt to show the appropriate use and development of ICT for a real purpose. True capability is developed when children have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the technology and how it can assist them in their learning and communication within a range of contexts. The planned curriculum should include opportunities for children to develop their ICT capability. This means that teachers need to be clear about what the learning objectives are to develop that capability, and assess children’s progress in learning techniques, applying these techniques in their learning and in developing their higher order thinking making qualitative judgments about when and when not to use ICT.