How much ICT do pupils get?
Boys at Caldicott have lessons with a specialist ICT-qualified teacher, who only teaches ICT, throughout their time here. In the Junior School they have a double period weekly, and in the Middle and Senior School they have a single period. From September 2008 there have been two modern new Computer Rooms, one arranged formally for specialist teaching, and the other with hexagonal desks and a more informal layout. Both rooms are booked regularly by teachers of other subjects. They are open daily from the end of breakfast until 2020. Boys do not need permission to go in and use a computer, and are allowed - and have proved able - to use them unsupervised.

What are they taught?
ICT is still a rapidly-changing subject. When I started at Caldicott in 1990 (see below) the word-processor of choice was Wordstar, where graphics were embedded in documents by using commands which had to be learned; there was no WYSIWYG then. These days we use Microsoft Office 2007, operating in Windows 7, but that too is always changing; who knows what it will be like in five years? It is certain that if a boy joins us in the Junior School, by the time he goes on to his Senior School computing will be completely different; it will be as different again by the time he goes on to University.

The Computer Room in 1990

Points to note: The boys sat on wooden stools. BBC B computers facing you. Not networked. Programs were loaded from 5¼" genuinely floppy disks. Right-hand side: a very popular group of Nimbus 186 computers, networked with BNC cables. They often failed, and a regular morning task was to check each connection, as they all had to be successful, or all would fail. Programs were loaded from 3½" floppy disk (in a hard plastic case!) No centre table - that was built a few years later Dot-matrix colour printer - can't remember the name - I think it was 64dpi, and used a roll of special, quite expensive paper. It was used quite extensively, and I even now remember the cascades of paper on the floor, waiting to be cut up into appropriately-sized pieces. Left-hand side: BBC B with monitor, which could be wheeled to downstairs classrooms. AGP's desk. Nothing posh - a boys' old examination table.

The Computer Rooms Today

Points to note: Opened in September 2008 There are two rooms, with 18 computers in each:  Formal - A straight island of computers, with another against each wall Informal - Three hexagonal desks The rooms are next to each other, and can easily be made into one unit Modern Dell machines, with card-readers, etc. All wide LCD screens. There are no old-fashioned CRT screens in the school (global warming!) Headphones with each computer

Computer teaching at Caldicott is aimed at getting the boys to work things out for themselves. This involves looking at menus, thinking about and reacting to on-screen messages, and acting appropriately if the computer crashes, or doesn't print, for example. Of course, the boys are shown a wide range of techniques with each program to make them aware of possibilities. The aim of ICT at Caldicott is to enable the boys to work out how to use a known or an unfamiliar program to produce a useful result, and to work out for themselves how to do new tasks.

What are the facilities?
There are two computer rooms (see above) with new machines and wide screens. Every computer in the school is networked with a mixture of fibre-optic and copper (Cat6), and we have a fast broadband internet connection currently at 20Mbit/s. There are various laser printers, including a colour one in the 'informal' room. The boys can print their work in black and white without permission; with permission they can print their work in colour.

There are four scanners and five digital SLR cameras (Canon EOS 20D, EOS 300D, EOS 400D, Olympus E510 & Sony A700), and a tough compact (Ricoh G600). The computers run Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2007 and Adobe CS4, including Dreamweaver (for web design). Adobe Flash - we have the full version - is also extremely popular. There is a good selection of subject-specific learning software. Every classroom has a projector linked to the computer. The Head of ICT has an MA in ICT in Education, and the systems manager a Durham BSc in Software Engineering.

What about Email, the Web, and Security?
Every boy at Caldicott has a free email address. This is not related to his real name, so that the address cannot just be worked out by looking at the website. We have our own domain (caldicott.com) and our email server is on-site, and boys can access this from home. Webmail is blocked, for security reasons.

There are parents' and pupils' portals, where information can be accessed from home, with unique username and paswords allocated to each parent.

There is web-filtering via the a reputable dynamic filtering system, and the blocked list and rules are automatically updated hourly. On our own website the graphics are compressed so that enlargement gives a drastic loss of quality, and parents are asked if they do not wish their son's name and/or picture to appear on the site. The wishes of those parents are always respected. High quality pictures are available to download (or order prints from) using a secure password.

Of course, no filtering system is perfect, so there is also a program called Policy Central on each machine. This is able to identify unsuitable material appearing on a boy's computer. If this is found, a screenshot is sent to a server, and this is checked each evening. In fact the manufacturers of the program are always surprised at how few violations there are at Caldicott compared to other schools! The boys often use the web without supervision, and use it thoroughly responsibly.

As I said above, no security system is perfect - for example, it is impossible to filter thumbnail images. Here is a summary of our security:

• Use of initial and surname only on our website.
• Disguising of boys' email addresses.
• Heavy compression of images of pupils on our website. I am often surprised at some of the detailed information and clear pictures displayed on some school sites.
• No use of Facebook, Bebo or similiar. This is a legal matter, as members must be 13 or over to register. It is blocked throughout the school, as it would obviously be unfair to allow some 6th Formers, who happen to be 13, to use it and others not to.
• A complete ban on chat rooms. We see them as a significant risk, and it is not physically possible to access them.
• Use of a proxy server. No connection here is directly to the web.
• Web filtering. For this we use an (expensive) subscription-based service with which a list of unsuitable sites is automatically downloaded each hour as well as rules which help the software to indentify and categorise new websites that are not on the list.
• A program called Policy Central. If an unsuitable site is accessed, or offensive material produced on any program, a screenshot is put on a central server. This is checked daily by the Head of ICT.
• Frequent observation and guidance by all the staff, and formal advice in lessons.

Internet Access: Boys and their parents are required to sign a form before access to the web is given. Note that email is not affected. The documents are on the menu on the left (restricted access - parents will need the login and password).

Conclusion
The boys at Caldicott enjoy their ICT, and are given a wide variety of experiences by the time they leave. The feedback from Senior Schools confirms that they enter these schools with a high standard of achievement. I will quote from two emails received, the first in 2009, the second in 2005.

2009:

Dear Sir,

Greetings from XXXXXX! I hope that everything is fine at Caldicott, after a week of good snow and surprising temperature drops. XXXXXX is good, lessons are a lot more challenging, as we were all obliged to take up another language, which means that for the year I am learning Japanese. Here we are encouraged to handle our own time, with two half days excluding weekends.

Hopefully any Caldicott boys who choose to come to XXXXXX will know how to manage their time correctly, as this would definitely a great asset for them to have.

I must say that the ICT services here are not up to par with Caldicott, which is surprising. Luckily I should be able to bring in my laptop in three terms time.

Yours sincerely,
XXXXXX

2005:

I like the new website.

I am having great fun here, and have settled in nicely. By the way, I do miss our lessons, they are far more useful and interesting than the ones here - but that, so far, has been the only aspect of XXXXXX [name of Senior School!] life I have not come to accept and enjoy immensely.

I look forward to seeing the website develop - it always fun to catch up on the news. Perhaps I might see you sometime.

Regards,
XXXXXX