Empowering learning through technology

Audience

Digital Education in Wales outlines a shared commitment of Local Authorities, the Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW) and Welsh Government to empower learners to achieve their full potential through a robust and stimulating curriculum, exceptional pedagogy and the transformative power of digital innovation.

It is intended for local authorities and wider school improvement partners. It will also inform school leaders, teachers and other practitioners in maintained schools, pupil referral units (PRUs) and education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) settings.

Introduction

In an era characterised by an ever-increasing reliance on technology, the concept of digital literacy has become fundamental. It is the foundation upon which our school learners can navigate a fast-evolving digital world and actively contribute to a technologically advanced society.

Wales has a rich history of technological innovation and entrepreneurship. From the sinking of the Atlantic communication cables at Abermawr in the 1800s, to Donald Davies’ groundbreaking work in the 1960s which laid the foundation for the internet as we know it today and the development of the Raspberry Pi since 2012, Wales is uniquely positioned to embrace digital innovation. The nation has a solid foundation to build upon and a strong commitment to invest in digital technologies and skills that will reap benefits for all.

Digital technologies offer boundless possibilities for schools. Expanded access to information, immersive experiences and opportunities to foster creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking can enhance and enrich authentic learning experiences. This is part of our ambitions in Curriculum for Wales. It also offers the opportunity to enhance collaboration locally, nationally and internationally for our practitioners and learners.

To harness the best of what digital has to offer, we must leave no one behind. Embracing digital presents the opportunity to build a truly equitable educational experience for all learners. Our digital vision aims to ensure equal opportunities for every learner in our schools to reach their full potential and supports their individual needs.

Digital can provide learners with access to a comprehensive education through the medium of Welsh and English. This bilingual approach is pivotal in providing an inclusive educational experience, aligning with our efforts to promote and increase the use of our language.

Digital can play a key role to support learners during periods of disruption in continuing their education and supporting their well-being. Throughout the challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we witnessed the remarkable resilience of education as it shifted online. This transformation supported schools in continuity of learning even in the face of adversity and will enable us to respond to any future challenges effectively.

The advantages extend to our practitioners, providing the opportunity to reduce workloads and alleviate pressures. We must seize this opportunity to maximise the return on investment that digital education presents, empowering our workforce to focus on the art of teaching.

As we embrace the use of digital technology in schools, challenges and complexities are inevitable. Striking the right balance between digital and traditional teaching methods, ensuring we mitigate against a digital divide, and giving utmost importance to safeguarding, security and privacy of learners and professionals are all critical considerations. We can overcome these challenges with thoughtful planning, strategic adoption and a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement.

Background

As a nation, we have enshrined in law the well-being of our future generations setting out a commitment to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of our children and young people. The Digital strategy for Wales sets out a national vision to embrace the opportunities digital offers and improve the lives of people and communities. The strategy outlines the importance of digital skills and digital inclusion as part of its 6 missions.

Over the past decade, we have embarked on a transformative journey for education, with ambitious reforms aimed at redefining the landscape of learning and recognising the important role digital plays in achieving our goals.

Through our development of Curriculum for Wales, investment in digital technology through the Hwb programme and commitment to enhance the professional development of our practitioners, we have sought to create an inclusive, equitable and future-ready education system that equips learners with the tools they need to thrive in a digital world while maintaining their identity and heritage.

Our national mission set outs our ambitions for education in Wales, achieving high standards and aspirations for all learners. Through this we seek to tackle the impact of poverty on attainment and ambition, ensuring every learner is supported to reach their potential.

Providing our learners with the experiences, knowledge and skills needed for employment, lifelong learning and active citizenship in an evolving world, shaped by rapidly developing technologies is essential.

Curriculum for Wales is a clear statement of what we see as important in a broad and balanced education in pursuit of the four purposes of Curriculum for Wales. The cross-curricular skills frameworks are a fundamental aspect of this, recognising their role, alongside health and well-being as key enablers of wider learning. We recognise that digital competence will increasingly be as important as literacy and numeracy in unlocking all learning. The Digital Competence Framework (DCF) is designed to support learners to be confident users of digital technologies, communicate effectively, and become responsible and ethical digital citizens.

Digital technologies play a central role in empowering education settings and partners to deliver unique and personalised experiences that support learners to achieve their full potential. Embracing technology effectively can support learning across the curriculum and help learners use technology in a way that nurtures their social and emotional well-being. Building on the importance of digital skills in Curriculum for Wales, as learners transition to post-compulsory learning, our Digital 2030 strategic framework sets out a vision, aims and objectives for digital learning in the post-16 sector. Co-constructed with the sector and Jisc, it provides a foundation to support the effective use of digital technology and pedagogy. In 2022, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language launched a call to action, asking all further education institutions to develop strategic plans for digital learning, building on the experiences of the pandemic. 

Through our Hwb programme, we have made significant investment in schools to transform education technology provision. We have ensured all maintained schools have access to superfast internet connectivity and future-proofed digital infrastructure. This investment has been guided by national standards developed with leading authorities, such as the National Cyber Security Centre, to ensure the safety and security of learners and practitioners within schools remains paramount.

Alongside our significant investment in infrastructure, we have developed our national teaching and learning platform, Hwb, providing a range of bilingual digital tools and resources to all maintained schools. Through a sector-led approach, we have sought to inspire our teachers and learners to confidently embed digital practices, while developing a digital culture, competencies, skills and knowledge that are critical components of Curriculum for Wales.

Building digital resilience in our children and young people is fundamental. Equipping them to be safe online, with the skills to think critically and navigate the digital world safely and responsibly, continues to be a firm priority. Our digital resilience in education action plan, sets out our cross-governmental commitment to enhance the safety of children and young people online. The action plan details the work we have undertaken to date and provides a focus for our future work. We continue to evolve our plan to meet the risks and challenges that emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), pose to education. As AI becomes more integrated into learning environments, it is essential to not only harness its potential for educational growth but also address its associated risks. 

The pandemic, particularly during the initial stages, resulted in significant disruption to the learning of children and young people. Through Hwb, schools were well positioned to transition to remote learning as well as providing technology to digitally excluded learners. However, we must do everything we can to ensure that disruption on this scale should never take place in our schools again. The risks to the learning and well-being of our children and young people are too great. Through our learning continuity guidance for schools we have supported them to develop contingency plans to mitigate the impact of any disruption through the use of blended and hybrid approaches to support learners.

Our workforce played a critical role throughout the pandemic. The commitment they demonstrated helped learners to stay safe and benefit from continued learning. Remote learning required our practitioners and professionals to rapidly upskill their pedagogy in digital environment. We must build upon these foundations through high-quality professional learning.

The development of our National professional learning entitlement ensures all practitioners have access to professional learning to enable them to successfully realise Curriculum for Wales. This includes developing the knowledge, expertise and confidence to support learners to develop their digital skills. We have developed a dedicated professional learning area on Hwb to enable practitioners to access high-quality, research-informed professional learning. We have made significant progress embedding digital as a core component of our education ecosystem in Wales. Our achievements have laid strong foundations that enable schools to harness the power of technology. However, as the digital landscape continues to evolve, new and emerging technologies including generative AI offer opportunities to enhance but also present challenges for education. We must keep pace and take a progressive approach to ensure the education system benefits from the latest digital advancements to meet the needs of our diverse learners.

This approach is our next step in outlining a shared ambition for digital transformation in our education system that will lead us forward and ensure schools are empowered to support every learner in Wales to reach their full potential. 

Our vision

Our vision is to support a system-wide transformation to provide equitable and inclusive access to digital tools and technologies enabling learners within schools. By providing a national approach to set out and guide this, we are ensuring learners can fulfil the four purposes of the curriculum. We encourage leaders to proactively identify opportunities and develop the potential of digital tools and technologies to support and augment their schools’ curricula, learners’ progression and working practices for the benefit of all.

This approach provides an umbrella for the key areas of curriculum and assessment, leadership and professional learning, and education technology. To ensure the success of this vision, there is an emphasis on the importance of a collaborative approach and cohesive direction. This will enable us to advance the digitalisation of education seamlessly and significantly in schools, benefitting learners and developing resilience and agility within our workforce.

With digital being both the fourth industrial revolution and the fourth utility, our education system needs to adapt to take advantage of the opportunities and tackle the challenges that it presents. This will entail thorough planning, implementation and reviewing of initiatives across the education sector extending beyond schools to include essential collaborative working with our strategic school improvement partners. This document outlines our commitment to enhancing the digital capability and maturity of schools to meet the diverse needs of all learners fostering an inclusive and equitable approach.

An advantage of digital technology is the ability to widen access and raise engagement of young people in their learning. It is essential that we take an inclusive approach to technology without compromising the quality of education for any learner. The power of digital tools to personalise learning, provide targeted support and encourage independent learning is evident in many schools. This must become the norm for all learners. Digital technology can enrich our learning opportunities. We must capitalise on the promise of digital to make experiences more meaningful and working practices more effective. Schools should consider their vision for learning and teaching considering learner progression across the curriculum with digital in mind. This could be through the creation of learner digital portfolios to share achievements, or the effective use of AI including large language models as sources of information in the classroom. For learners including those with additional learning needs (ALN) and/or English or Welsh as an additional language (EAL/WAL), the potential of digital accessibility tools should be realised as an additional support mechanism for their learning.

To fully realise the benefits of digital technology, it is crucial to upskill the workforce across schools and educational settings. As technology continues to evolve, practitioners and school staff need ongoing professional development to confidently integrate digital into their teaching practice. Equipping practitioners with the necessary skills and knowledge will not only enhance their ability to deliver high-quality, technology-enhanced learning but also ensure they can navigate the ethical and practical challenges associated with digital education. Investing in workforce development will empower schools to harness digital innovation effectively while maintaining a strong focus on pedagogy, learner progression and well-being.

Following the pandemic, schools are facing challenges in increasing learner attendance. There are also increased concerns about learners’ mental health and well-being. Thoughtful use of digital technologies allows schools to support learners at home. It can support a learner’s transition back into the classroom by providing online access to learning content and wider support services. We must be mindful of the workload burden our professional colleagues face. Technology offers solutions not only for learners but also for our workforce, allowing practitioners the time and space to focus on teaching and their relationships with learners.

Our vision places digital citizenship at the heart of schools and we are committed to instilling into learners and practitioners the importance of being responsible and ethical digital citizens. It is vital that they know how to utilise these tools in a safe way and can enhance their daily work and lives with the practical application of both existing and emerging technologies. An essential element of preparing learners to thrive is to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to safely navigate the digital world. This extends beyond the school boundary and into their personal lives. The safety and security of our learners must remain a priority. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial to consider how schools prepare learners for a world with, for example, AI. These technologies are already affecting the way people live, learn and work and the rapid advancement of AI, alongside its integration with social media and other emerging technologies, marks a significant paradigm shift. Our vision is to create an environment for schools to harness the potential of emerging technology safely, securely and ethically.

Digital transformation brings endless positives but presents us with ethical challenges, particularly when adopting tools and services that rely on AI or other data-driven technologies. As innovative technologies are embraced and integrated into education, it is vital to be fully aware of the privacy and ethical considerations. Some implications of using these technologies, such as bias, privacy, surveillance, intellectual property and data management issues, are examples of areas that require careful consideration by schools and strategic partners. Ethical principles must be a key focus of conversations when considering various technological systems and solutions to ensure they are used in a trustworthy, fair, sustainable and inclusive way.

Our vision outlines 3 central themes: 

• embedding digital throughout the schools’ curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment
• developing a digitally skilled and confident leadership and workforce
• delivering innovative and resilient education technology

By integrating these themes, we aim to fulfil our vision across schools, establishing Wales as a trailblazing nation in digital education, benefiting learners, practitioners, and the future economy. We aim to offer practitioners a digitally supported working environment, where technology removes barriers and reduces burdens. We must realise the potential of digital tools and technologies to enrich classroom pedagogy but not at the expense of the need for human connection with learners. In conjunction with our curriculum, schools in Wales will pioneer the adoption of emerging technologies within a safe, secure and ethical ecosystem, setting a global standard for innovative education.

Theme 1: Embedding digital throughout the schools’ curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment

At the heart of any education system is its curriculum. We are on the cusp of significant technological change, much of which is yet unknown. Therefore, developing and embedding a digital approach within our curriculum is vital to ensure learners can thrive in a digitally driven world. Digital tools and resources can provide dynamic learning experiences throughout our curriculum, our pedagogy and our assessment which will enhance learner engagement, develop personalised learning opportunities and promote collaboration to ensure learners can thrive in a digitally driven world. 

Curriculum for Wales asks schools and practitioners to become curriculum designers, to develop a curriculum that meets the needs of their learners. In an increasingly digital world it is important that we utilise digital tools and technologies to support this, putting learners at the heart of the process. In response to the pace of technological change, we need to ensure our practitioners can design a curriculum where the opportunities offered by digital technologies are maximised and the risks are mitigated. The democratisation of knowledge through the internet has led to an increasing need for the development of critical thinking skills, the valuing of important knowledge, and the ability to assess reliability and bias. Digital technology requires us to reflect on what progress we want learners to make, and the role of both formative and summative assessment in considering whether that progress has been made. Digital technology offers many supportive and accessible tools that can promote equity for all learners. It provides a rich and ever updating body of knowledge and prepares them for the world of work in a digital age. However, we are aware of the risks and challenges posed by these systems. Our approaches to these new and emerging tools and technologies need to be research informed and co-constructed, ensuring adoption is informed and considered, and avoiding reactive adoption to tools that fail to meet specified needs. 

By ensuring learners have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively, making use of global connections and online sources, we are providing learners with a modern education system. Digital should not be seen as a silver bullet for all learners and all parts of their education, instead making planned and careful use of the provision will ensure learners are not left behind.

Strategic priority 1: Across all areas of Curriculum for Wales, respond to changing and emerging technologies, considering their impact on the outcomes and wellbeing of learners

Curriculum for Wales provides schools with a framework of requirements and expectations within which schools have flexibility to respond to the needs of their learners and to evolving contexts, including emerging technologies. The framework itself will evolve subject to a long-term cycle of review, in co-construction with the National Network. 

The DCF offers schools support to plan the application of digital competence across the curriculum. It has been designed specifically to respond to a range of technologies as they emerge, and enables learners to have frequent authentic opportunities to develop, extend and apply their skills, and will continue to evolve to remain relevant in a changing digital landscape. We must ensure technology is used as a tool to support learning and enhance the power of human relationships in the classroom.

The opportunities and risks technology poses to learners’ health and well-being cannot be overstated. Our Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience promotes a holistic approach to well-being, considering physical and mental health, relationships, our decision making and the role of social influences on learners. Approaches to health and well-being will need to increasingly consider issues such as:

• screen time
• social media
• misinformation
• online harms
• technology
• relationships and sexuality
• how artificial intelligence guides our decisions
• data security

This world brings new challenges for learners to negotiate. Our aspiration is not simply to protect learners, but to enable them to harness the potential of technology.

Strategic priority 2: Schools utilise existing and emerging technologies to design and develop their own curricula

We will support schools to recognise how changing technologies will inform the knowledge, skills and experiences their learners need: both in terms of what knowledge and skills matter and integrating technology for the benefit of learners and practitioners across their curriculum in the provision of a range of experiences.

Technology, and in particular AI, will have a direct impact on what learners need to learn. This includes the knowledge and skills that are needed to engage new technologies responsibly and ethically, and ensuring the schools’ curricula supports learners to thrive both now and in the future.

Digital skills are a foundational gateway skill for our citizens, alongside literacy and numeracy skills, and the ability to use and engage with digital tools and technologies will become increasingly central to realising the four purposes of the curriculum. Working with our stakeholders and our partners, we will be able to leverage the potential of these new opportunities for all young people in Wales.

Emerging technologies, such as immersive learning, offer exciting opportunities to enrich the educational experiences of learners and prepare them for a rapidly globalising world. By incorporating immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), we can transport learners to diverse and dynamic environments, providing them with firsthand experiences they might not otherwise have. These technologies make the world their classroom, fostering a deep understanding of different cultures, histories and contexts.

As curriculum designers, our practitioners must develop a clear understanding of the principles of progression throughout the whole curriculum, drawing on subject specialists to plan and support learners’ progression. Through technology, practitioners have access to a wealth of knowledge and experience, and they will remain essential both as curriculum designers and as experts in pedagogy. Their knowledge and understanding, ability to think critically, and navigate reliability and bias will support learners’ progression and provide a breadth and depth of factual and accurate learning. Through a range of assessment information and careful and planned use of formative assessment tools, practitioners can harness the potential of digital tools and technologies to move learners forward, while preparing them to become informed digital citizens.

Strategic priority 3: Discover, develop and critique potential digital opportunities for teaching, learning and assessment informed by Curriculum for Wales

By keeping up to date with the latest digital developments in education, we can ensure Curriculum for Wales responds to, and benefits from, changing and emerging technologies. Working with wider stakeholders is essential to providing the required expertise to develop digital skills, as well as supporting learning across the curriculum.

Digital activities have a valuable role in engaging learners but must also offer authentic learning experiences, where the right technology is employed at the right time. New technologies, such as AR and VR, can offer learners a new perspective on the world where in real life opportunities are lacking. However, teachers must consider the value of these in comparison with other available non-digital tools. Digital tools and technologies should be embedded into schools in the same way that they have become ubiquitous with our day-to-day life, where they are one of the many ways teachers engage learners.

AI, and in particular generative AI, is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving group of technologies with significant implications for school education. We are considering how best to maximise the opportunities of this technology, including its potential to support curriculum design and learning. We will also seek to understand the risks and potential harms to learners’ learning and well-being, to better mitigate against them. Finally, we will set out to address the broader implications of the technology – what it means for what is taught in our schools and settings, how it is taught, and how it is assessed. We will work with experts, strategic partners and schools to ensure our national approach to the safe, responsible, and ethical use of AI in education is informed by the latest expertise, evidence, and emerging practice.

Developing new ways to assess our young people using digital tools is one such area that is underway across the sector. Generative AI has the capacity to support our assessment system but also to provide those same systems with real concerns and challenges around content creation, generation, ethics and ownership. We must consider what we value for learners in our education system moving forward. We must also consider how we best assess understanding against those values so that we can adopt technology as a supporting tool in an effective manner.

Theme 2: Developing a digitally skilled, confident and resilient leadership and workforce

The world is moving into a digitally augmented space, where technology permeates every area of society, how we work, interact and learn. The opportunities and challenges that come from AI, automation, data analytics and other emerging technologies must be reflected in our education system.

 Leadership of digital must be seen as a shared responsibility, encouraged and role modelled at all levels of the school’s system. Empowering our leaders to drive innovation is an essential aspect of this plan, so that our school communities can effectively utilise digital tools and embrace emerging technologies for the benefit of all, regardless of geographical location, economic background or academic ability. Our leaders must move toward the adoption of digital mechanisms that fit their organisation’s needs and development plans so that they can alleviate some of the burden on the profession.

We must work in partnership with academics and strategic collaborators to seek out professional learning opportunities. Our goal is to empower our practitioners with solutions that elevate the teaching and learning experience, all while safeguarding privacy and security. Through continuous assessment, collaboration and a data-driven approach, we strive to pave the way for a future where our schools lead the way in educational technology. This will ensure that learners benefit from all technology has to offer in achieving their full potential.

Strategic priority 1: Effective professional competencies for digital skills for the whole school workforce

It is vital that all practitioners within schools are confident in their use of technology so that they can equip learners with the digital skills that they will require to thrive. With an impetus on developing digitally enabled classrooms, practitioners must seek continual professional learning in the digital sphere. A recognition of the importance of digital skills and the evolving DCF can be seen in the initial teacher education guidance, and the professional standards set this out as one of our values and dispositions, including the use of digital competence and new technologies within one of the leadership strands.

 To keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies, practitioners need the skills and knowledge to effectively integrate emerging innovations, including generative AI, into teaching and learning. As these technologies continue to reshape education, ongoing professional learning is essential to ensure practitioners can use them confidently, ethically, and responsibly. By enhancing their understanding and capabilities, practitioners can harness the potential of new tools to enrich learning while addressing the challenges they may present.

It is essential that we harness the potential of digital tools to enable our workforce to work smarter and more efficiently. This will allow us to reduce the administrative burdens within the school environment. With increasing financial constraints on schools, efficiencies using well-planned digital solutions can pay dividends in the longer term. Reducing paper printing and filing by switching to digital documents offers a more cost-effective and energy-efficient solution. It also streamlines administration for schools and offers more convenience for parents and carers. Offering online or hybrid contact options with parents and carers encourages further opportunities for home–school dialogue, which is an essential component of successful attendance and achievement in school for learners. Creating shared marking rubrics across a department or year group for work submitted online can reduce the time burden of marking and assessment.

 We are committed through this strategic priority to the ongoing development and refinement of high-quality professional learning around digital tools and technologies for all our workforce, including those who support learners and schools.

Strategic priority 2: Comprehensive provision of high-quality, nationally accessible professional learning

There is a need to ensure the availability of high-quality, research-based, nationally accessible professional learning. Our approach to professional learning in Wales must enable all practitioners to access and realise their National professional learning entitlement.

Our national commitment has led to the development of the professional learning area on Hwb. Our vision goes beyond current technological possibilities and looks outward, seeking the view of our practitioners to ensure the professional learning we offer is available free of charge online as digital resources, including offering hybrid models of training and development.

Digital technology offers us a more flexible and cost-effective way of delivering professional learning. Working with partners such as school improvement services and local authorities, qualification providers and global technology organisations, practitioners can engage with a wide range of professional learning.

Strategic priority 3: Promoting a culture that supports the ongoing development of practitioners’ and learners’ digital skills and confidence

Our school leaders must be supported to create a professional learning culture within their school through the schools as learning organisations (SLO) model and the school improvement guidance. Moving toward a culture where digital tools can be utilised by all to support the roles and responsibilities of the school community, as well as being an aspect of the taught curriculum, is integral to the success of this approach.

Schools need to be increasingly mindful of the collection, storage and use of data and it is essential that our workforce become ever more data literate as we navigate the legislation as well as the broader ethical and moral concerns around data. Through developing a whole-school culture of intelligent and responsible data use, the systems employed by the school will become more effective and learner well-being will be enhanced through a careful and considered response to data protection and management.

Theme 3: Delivering innovative, resilient and sustainable education technology

Seamless and equitable access to the right technology at the right time forms the bedrock to being able to unlock the transformative potential of digital technology within education. This access could enrich our curriculum, elevate pedagogy and support the efficiency of our workforce within the wider aim of achieving excellence in the education of learners.

Through the Hwb programme, we have taken a national approach in delivering infrastructure and technology to schools. The implementation of a national solution that establishes reliable and robust infrastructure, complete with integrated filtering and safeguarding mechanisms, has the capacity to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and administrative complexities for schools. Schools, like many other public services, encounter substantial cyber threats. National solutions offer a foundational framework, alleviating the burden on individual schools to manage these threats alone. However, it is vital that we foster strong leadership across the sector and promote awareness within schools. Equipping the workforce with the necessary tools and knowledge is crucial in ensuring school security. Collaboration between national strategies and local efforts, focusing on leadership, awareness and a proficient workforce, is essential for safeguarding schools against cyber threats.

Sustainability is at the heart of our model. Supporting local authorities and schools to establish a sustainable approach to upgrading their technology is vital. By utilising a national procurement vehicle, we can simplify the process for schools to invest in digital technology. Sustainable Communities for Learning procurement practices facilitate cost-effective and compliant procurement and allow us to maximise the benefits of the economies of scale offered by global partnerships.

As technology evolves at a rapid pace, it is crucial that we are prepared to support schools in adopting new and emerging technology, by leading, pioneering, and shaping its use for our education system. By delivering a national platform, we create one simple and equitable access point to a wealth of bilingual tools, services and resources that support practitioners and learners to progress to their full potential.

Strategic priority 1: Scalable, robust and secure infrastructure underpinned by sustainable approaches to education technology

The rapidly evolving landscape of digital technologies presents schools with opportunities to transform the education experience for learners. They allow us to enhance teaching and learning as well as harness data to gain insights into trends and evaluate the impact of technology on learners’ progression.

 These innovative approaches rely heavily on increased connectivity to function correctly. Schools need high-speed internet access and robust network infrastructure to support advanced tools and resources. Leveraging national solutions like cloud technologies can provide schools with energy-efficient, cost-effective and reliable IT infrastructure while enhancing security. This relieves the administrative burden on schools, allowing them to focus on teaching and supporting the well-being of learners.

Developing a sustainable approach to technology in education is key. As advances in technology are accelerating, schools need a clear vision for their use of digital. Driven by a national ‘once for Wales’ approach to procurement, we can ensure schools benefit from the economies of scale collaborative purchasing offers. By embedding the notion of sustainable technology into our education system’s core planning, we will prepare schools for a future where technology is a cornerstone of success. This approach guarantees that schools remain agile, efficient and equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly changing, technology-centric world.

The safeguarding of learners and schools must remain paramount. Through the ongoing development and adoption of national Education Digital Standards and comprehensive solutions, we can provide schools with the tools and guidance to ensure their digital environments are safe and secure for all learners. It is not just about embracing technology. It is about using technology responsibly, ensuring it remains a force for good, providing a safe and nurturing space for learners to grow and thrive. By establishing the right infrastructure, fostering collaboration and maintaining a steadfast commitment to safety, we can create an educational landscape that is innovative, secure and truly transformative for all learners and schools.

Strategic priority 2: Transformative teaching and learning through simplified and equitable access to quality assured bilingual tools, services and resources

Through Hwb, we are committed to providing all maintained schools in Wales with seamless access to a range of bilingual educational tools, services and resources that underpin Curriculum for Wales. We collaborate with global partners to ensure practitioners and learners have access to cutting-edge bilingual educational resources, while recognising that each school has unique requirements. Through these strategic partnerships and a willingness to embrace emerging technologies, we will empower schools to integrate innovative tools into their teaching methods.

 We will work with global leaders and partners to increase provision in the Welsh language so that all schools have fair and equal access to sector-leading tools and services. We will strongly advocate for the provision of Welsh language tools and services, that will allow all schools to benefit from the same digital technology.

Our approach must go beyond focusing on technology provision. We must ensure we respond to the needs of schools as they change and evolve. In recognition of schools’ unique requirements, it is essential that access to technologies is simplified, providing tailored solutions to meet diverse needs.

 For example, harnessing technology can be a powerful means to ensure learners with ALN enjoy the same inclusive classroom experience as their peers. By implementing assistive technologies and adaptive tools, we can accommodate diverse learning styles and needs. These technologies empower practitioners to create individual learning experiences, making it possible for every learner, regardless of their unique requirements, to fully participate and thrive in the educational environment. In doing so, we promote equity and inclusion and recognise the potential and talent of individual learners, fostering an enriching classroom experience for all.

Strategic priority 3: Proactive, collaborative approach to the adoption of innovative technology responding to schools’ needs and priorities

The effective use of digital technologies holds enormous potential for enhancing learners’ knowledge, experience and skills. As we evolve our curriculum to meet future needs, we can leverage digital tools to drive innovative teaching practices and pedagogy, fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment. However, it is essential that a balance is struck between the opportunities and benefits that digital technologies offer and their responsible, safe and ethical use. While technology can empower learners with personalised learning experiences and facilitate their access to a world of information, it also presents potential risks.

Adopting a proactive and collaborative approach to technology in schools is imperative. By looking outward and engaging in a sector-wide, proactive approach to technology, which includes partnerships with global leaders, we can ensure that our education system keeps pace with advancements. Through this collaborative effort, we can prepare schools for emerging challenges, benefit from opportunities and seize opportunities in the ever-evolving digital landscape. By embracing this approach, we empower schools to provide learners with the best tools and resources, ensuring they are well-prepared for the demands of the future.

The integration of digital in schools must place paramount emphasis on safety, security and privacy. It is imperative that these considerations are central to any technological implementation. To achieve this, a comprehensive understanding of current and future regulations is essential and ensuring technology aligns with these regulations is crucial.

In the fast-evolving landscape, regulations may struggle to keep pace with rapid advances. It is our responsibility to support and influence regulation and take a leading role in shaping the safe, responsible and ethical use of technology in schools. However, collaboration is essential. Real progress requires leadership at all levels of our education ecosystem to collectively contribute to the direction of technology, ensuring a better tomorrow for learners.

By placing ethics, safety and security at the heart of digital in education, we can create a safe environment for learning.