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 Senior School they have a single period, though currently in the Sixth Form, with Common Entrance or Scholarships looming, they do not have timetabled ICT lessons. In addition, the computer room is regularly booked by subject teachers, and boys use computers in their own time. The Computer Room is open daily from the end of breakfast until 8pm. They do not need permission to go in and use a computer, and are allowed - and have always proved able - to use them unsupervised.

What are they taught?
ICT is still a rapidly-changing subject. When I started at Caldicott the word-processor of choice was Wordstar, where graphics were embedded in documents by using commands which had to be learned. These days we use Microsoft Office, but that too is always changing. 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.

Computer teaching at Caldicott, then, 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 is a Computer Room with twenty modern machines, and there is at least one computer in every classroom. The facilities are going to be redeveloped and extended in 2008, giving an extra computer room. Every computer in the school is networked with a mixture of fibre-optic and copper, and we have a fast broadband internet connection. There is a laser printer in the library, and a colour laser printer in the computer room. The boys can print their work in black and white without permission; with permission they can print their work in colour.

There are scanners and digital cameras. The computers run Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007, Adobe Photoshop and Dreamweaver (for web design). There is also 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.

What about Email, the Web, and Security?
Every boy at Caldicott has a free email address. This is made anonymous by giving each boy a random number, which is put after his name so that his address cannot just be worked out, for example by looking at names on this 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 is web-filtering via the Smartfilter BESS Edition (previously N2H2) filtering system, and the blocked list is automatically updated daily. 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.

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. However, I would like to quote from a letter which went out recently to all parents:

• Use of initial and surname only on our website.
• Disguising of boys' email addresses with a random number – for example, bloggs371 - so that an address cannot be worked out by looking at a name, perhaps on the website.
• 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.
• 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 N2H2, formerly BESS, an (expensive) subscription-based service with which a list of unsuitable sites is automatically downloaded each morning. There are hundreds of new sites appearing daily, and it is generally accepted that this is the best filtering system for schools because human beings (rather than computers) are checking them.
• 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 an email received in February 2005. Details have been disguised, for obvious reasons:

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