What is Cornerstone Digital Strategy?
Cornerstone Academy Trust deliver a curriculum built on the national curriculum, but with a clear focus on Project Based Learning and preparing learners with the skills they will need in their working future. In the trust, this refers to learning experiences that are crafted around real-world projects, often requiring collaboration in groups and with a specific outcome and audience. In this way, the outcome of the work matters to pupils and they take ownership of their learning. In order to deliver this rich curriculum, the trust has for many years been a thought leader in use of digital tools and technology in education.
Digital Tools and 1:1 Device Programme
To allow pupils to collaborate in their learning, access digital resources and develop the independent working skills that modern life requires, Cornerstone run a one-to-one device programme from year one to year six, with every pupil having a device each that they use when needed in school all year. They sign in as individuals, and access both a suite of office and productivity software, and a range of web-based learning platforms to which the trust subscribe.
Learning Platform: M365, Teams and OneNote
Pupils use the same login to work on their device as they do to sign into their online tools, in the form of Microsoft 365, the latest version of the Office suite. They can then work in school or at home on the web and desktop apps to complete their work. As part of this suite, pupils access their class ‘team’ within Microsoft Teams, which allows them to work in their class OneNote notebook, save and open their work, access and submit class assignments, and communicate with their teachers and peers on their work. The M365 suite is completely safe and can only be accessed by those with a school account. Pupils and staff regularly complete work with pupils in their year across the schools. It includes:
Word, Excel and PowerPoint are traditional creative apps allow pupils to create documents and presentations.
Teams is a learning platform, with channels and chat for teachers and pupils to communicate with their class, assignments, and shared resources such as a class notebook.
OneNote OneNote is a notebook app, which allows teachers to share their whiteboard pages and pupils to access them themselves, alongside their own notebook areas that only they and their teachers can see.
Stream Many lessons, assemblies, events and performances are recorded in school, for pupils to play back later. The Stream platform organises these videos for pupils.
Sway, Forms These modern apps allow pupils to create and publish online work and create forms and surveys for others.
Viva Engage Viva Engage (previously Yammer) is a news sharing tool, with many social features. It allows teachers and pupils to publish their work within the school community and view others achievements.
Evolution
The trust have been a Microsoft Showcase School (and now System) for over twenty years, innovating in the purposeful use of technology in teaching and learning. We have also been a Microsoft Teaching School, and a DfE Teaching School, as well as a DfE EdTech Demonstrator School and most recently a NCCE Computing Hub for Devon and Dorset. For each project we have been not just guiding other organisations on their edtech journey but working alongside and in partnership and learning from the major thought leaders and companies in this space.
