An eye opening interview with Jonathan Bishop, the CEO & Executive Headteacher of Cornerstone Academy Trust.
- Best value doesn't mean cheapest.
- It's not about directly balancing reduced printing costs against buying Surface Pros - the aim is to improve T & L and build staff efficiency while spending effectively.
- He talked about needing fewer staff though, which I thought was controversial. Or at least freeing up staff time to do other things. I think different folks may hear that message differently though, depending on whether they are a CEO or a technician! Remember that Cornerstone outsource their technicians...
- More expensive devices work better and longer e.g. power requirements
- He prefers one-to-one devices to whiteboards - you don't have to turn your back!
- He took no prisoners in suggesting that some schools should have done more with ICT - it's not optional. Digital Divides don't just come from families with low incomes - you can have a school down the road who have not prioritised IT enough.
- He borrowed the money to buy the Surfaces (well, he leased them). £4K per pupil on average should allows £200 to be spent on a device annually.
- Teachers are saving time by marking assessments with the students on their surfaces, rather than taking them away to mark.
- MATs have millions (perhaps billions) of pounds sitting in their bank accounts for emergencies. He thinks some of that money should be spent on ICT projects.
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