Embedding Information and Communication Technology across the curriculum – where are we at?

This article aims to deliberate the current position of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the English secondary (11–16) school curriculum. The arrival of a new National Curriculum Programme of Study in Computing, and a much greater emphasis placed on computing and computer science, potentially terminates ICT as a dedicated subject and an area of important and significant learning for our pupils. However, could this herald a new opportunity for schools to productively embed ICT across their curricula, thus allocating time for Computing to be developed as the fundamental subject it is required to be while still allowing essential ICT skills and capability to be taught? This article briefly considers historical United Kingdom (UK) approaches to cross-curricular ICT provision. It also presents, and draws some conclusions from, results of broad research investigating secondary teacher colleagues’ – and schools’ – ability, technical knowledge and capacity in promoting the successful delivery of a focused cross-curricular ICT programme for their pupils.