Tips for Writing the School ICT Policy

• Do the statements simply state a belief, or do they express a purpose for existence? • Do the statements clarify what action steps students and staff will be expected to take to achieve the vision? • Do the statements clarify how staff will engage in improvement efforts?

Your mission statement should encompass: • Values of all the staff; • The actions that the school will take and; • The areas the school will address such as curriculum and assessment.

All this will enable your school to achieve its vision.

The school ICT policy is an essential part of your school’s strategic planning for the ICT integration implementation. It is the school’s vision and mission in relation to this which will drive it, but the way in which it is written will make a difference.

A good way to start thinking about it is to ask yourself what you would have liked to have known about ICT when you first started working at the school.

You need to remember that it needs to provide students and new members of staff with assistance for their planning and delivery of ICT.

The following 8 suggestions by Fox (2003, p. 34) will provide you with further guidance.

1. Consult and talk to as many stakeholders as possible. These include new members of staff, teaching colleagues, head teachers and senior management along with school governors. Don’t forget you are also a stakeholder too. 2. Examine examples of existing policies. 3. Reread the present school ICT policy. 4. Draft a new version of the ICT policy and if