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Developing Leader – b) CQF - Primary Leadership Journey

By Phil Wickins posted 27-06-2024 10:06

  
This is the second incremental blog in the ‘Developing Leader’ section of the Primary Leadership Journey. Please click on the infographic below to navigate the other blogs on the Journey, more will be added as they are written:
02b CQF - Primary Leadership Pathway

After we’ve got computing relatively stable as a subject; the curriculum is understood and resourced, teachers have access to CPD, the subject is timetabled and assessment is happening, then perhaps it is a good time to perform a deeper diagnostic and analysis to find out what your next steps will be to improve the subject in your school. 


That’s where the Computing Quality Framework comes in. This is a free online tool that allows you to self-assess against 7 different dimensions including teaching and learning, curriculum, leadership and more. This is not only a great place to take stock, audit, find out where the gaps are, but once completed will give you clear next steps and guidance on how to improve. There is a fantastic short remote course how to utilise the CQF fully: Computing Quality Framework – driving change within your primary school


There are 5 levels of each dimension and once you have reached at least level 4 in each, you can claim your Computing Quality Mark, accredited by STEM Learning on behalf of the National Centre for Computing Education to be displayed at your school and on your website. 


This is a great way to track your progress as a leader and also track the development of the subject in your school. It also allows you to apply to take part in a ‘computing cluster’ – a small group of schools with similar areas for development in the 7 dimensions, who are given funded and targeted support from subject matter experts and specialists for a set period of time.


Robert Cowling, Headteacher of Fosse Way Academy had this to say about the CQF:

“When I’m showing parents round who are thinking about joining our school, and they see the children in classes working on their IT projects and see them being so confident and competent using a whole range of different IT devices, they can’t believe it!”

“When we talk [to parents] about how students have responsibility for their own devices and that they have such a structured curriculum for computing, they feel it is a real bonus in the world we live in”

Have you started the CQF yet? How are you getting on? Did you join a cluster? Tell us in the comments!


Next blog: Enrichment
Previous blog: Supporting Staff

Note: At the end of most of the incremental blogs, you will see a link to the CQF dimension most closely linked to that area of the Leadership Journey. This is to make it easier for leaders to undertake activities and find related evidence, as well as hopefully make it less overwhelming for new computing leaders once they've started the CQF process. Here is our suggested list of which increment on the Leadership Journey link to which CQF dimension: 

Leadership Journey Focus CQF Dimension

Roles and responsibilities

Leadership and Vision

Curriculum

Curriculum and Qualifications

Assessment & Evidence

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Monitoring & Auditing

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Supporting Staff

Staff Development

Enrichment

Impact on Outcomes

Leading Change 

Leadership and Vision

Adaptive Teaching 

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

SEND & Inclusion 

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and SEND

Careers 

Careers Education

#LeadingPrimaryComputing #ComputingQualityFramework

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