This report is based on an analysis of available research about ICT and whole-school improvement. It summarises the key findings and suggests resources for further reading.

The term ‘whole-school improvement’ is used in this briefing to describe the wide range of ways in which schools can progress and develop in order to raise standards, and the role that ICT can play in this process.

When considering the impact of ICT in education there often tends to be a focus on whether, and to what extent, ICT can raise pupil achievement; although this is an important aspect and a measure of a school’s performance, there are many other factors which can reflect the extent to which a school is improving. The purpose of this briefing is to identify the ways in which ICT can assist with all of these factors, including:

● raising pupil motivation
● improving pupil behaviour
● enhancing communications both within and between schools ● enhancing assessment methods and their impact
● reducing teacher workload
● increasing efficiency in school management.

This briefing concentrates on the whole-school benefits of using ICT; the effects of using ICT in specific subjects, or through specific technologies, are the focus of other reports in this series.

To judge the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement, it is necessary to examine the available research evidence.