Part 2 - What should I audit?

A well-structured digital audit is the foundation of a successful strategy. To ensure it's effective, you need to assess multiple areas of your school. 

Here's a breakdown of what you should include in your audit.

Device Auditing 

This is the most straightforward part. 

Create a detailed inventory of all your school's digital devices.

This should include make, model, age, location, and condition. 

Don't forget to include devices that are used inconsistently, such as staff personal devices (if permitted) or older technology stored in cupboards.

Infrastructure 

An effective digital strategy requires a reliable backbone. 

Your audit should cover everything from network speed and reliability to server capacity, Wi-Fi coverage across the building, and power supply. 

You might even want to include details about your cabling and how devices are charged in classrooms.

The DfE Digital and Technology Standards for Schools and Colleges provide a clear benchmark for what a school should have in place, serving as an excellent checklist for your audit.

Cybersecurity 

This is a crucial area. 

Your audit should evaluate your school's preparedness against digital threats. 

Key areas include your firewall, data backup procedures, and whether your staff and students are receiving regular online safety training. 

The LGfL 'Elevate' Cyber Security Toolkit offers a practical guide on how to meet the DfE Digital and Technology Standards 

Systems Audit

This audit checks all the digital systems you use to manage school life. 

List all software and online platforms, including your Management Information System (MIS), Virtual Learning

Environment (VLE), and communication tools. 

Assess their effectiveness, how staff and students use them, and whether they are interoperable.

Staff Skills/Attitudes Auditing

This is arguably the most important part of your audit. 

To maximise your EdTech investment, ensure that staff buy-in takes priority over technological capability considerations. Critically, an audit should evaluate not only what people can do, but how they feel about utilising the technology.

This Staff Digital Skills Self-Assessment checklist is an editable Google Form, which will allow staff to rate where they think they are at with technology as well as finding out more about their attitudes to using technology in the classroom.