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Lionheart Academies Trust

The Lionheart Academies Trust manages 11 schools in Leicester and Leicestershire, and boasts a long history of technological advancement which started with its founding provider, Beauchamp College, and now spans across the Trust.

 From in-house development of online learning platforms, payment and messaging systems, and a smartphone app for students and parents, through to proficient use of Microsoft Office 365 and Teams, the Lionheart Academies Trust is well-placed to support other schools. 

Lionheart’s expertise comes from both teaching and support staff as well as from the leadership team, and includes: 

  • Supporting the use of VLEs, including Microsoft Teams, Moodle and other third-party products;

  • Support for the ‘tech enabled’, including advice on running and recording live lessons and monitoring user data for pupil engagement in online learning;

  • Supporting schools in their online security and safety, as well as advising on data protection and safeguarding considerations;

  • Supporting Trusts to manage IT systems at scale.

Visit the Lionheart website at: https://www.lionhearttrust.org.uk/about-us/partnerships/ed-tech-demonstrator-school/  

In the first phase of the programme we: 

  • Helped schools create, develop and implement digital strategies;

  • Provided model policies in relation to acceptable use and E-safety;

  • Advised and trained staff on the use of the Office365 tools for teaching and learning, both in school and remotely;

  • Provided training and webinars on digital inking and visualisers to support modelling;

  • Supported and advised CEOs on implementing common systems across multiple schools including adopting a centralised IT support model. 
    Advised schools and trusts on how to move governance online, create virtual open evenings, and monitor staff and student well-being during lockdown;

  • Helped multi-academy trusts implement solutions that allowed them to maximise collaboration through the use of Office365;

  • Advised on the procurement of IT services and hardware;

  • Offered advice and guidance on setting up 1-2-1 device schemes;

  • Provided technical support in setting up and administering policies within Microsoft Teams;

  • Provided technical advice on the management and deployment of Chromebooks within a Microsoft tenancy. 

In the new phase of the programme, we can continue to offer support mentioned above, in addition to the following areas: 

  • Using MS Teams for hybrid learning and revision sessions;

  • Using Microsoft Forms for low stakes testing;

  • Setting quizzes as an assignment in Teams;

  • Using Office 365 as a collaboration tool within a trust, or with other schools;

  • Development and implementation of digital strategies;

  • Advice and guidance on centralisation of IT systems within a MAT;

  • Development / implementation of acceptable use policies, E-safety policies;

  • Advice / guidance on the procurement of resources;

  • Methods of managing IT security in an educational environment;

  • Data protection impact assessments;

  • Backup solutions;

  • Upskilling teachers so they can confidently deliver the computing curriculum;

  • Providing support to non-specialist teachers on the use of IT / Computing within their curriculum area. 

DEMONSTRATORS