It’s rugged, it’s ever changing and at times, unpredictable, yet school and trust leaders in the UK stand at an exciting precipice of innovation and responsibility.
The potential of EdTech to revolutionise learning is immense, yet it goes hand-in-hand with the crucial need to protect student data and ensure online safety – a feat that can feel overwhelming to many in positions of power in the sector.

Navigating edtech procurement

The acquisition of new EdTech and PedTech solutions requires a strategic approach that illustrates the deep understanding of your trust/school’s unique pedagogical needs, a thorough investigation into the functionalities of the tools in place, as well as prospecting new ones. Another often overlooked element in the prospecting period is an evaluation of the service’s long-term sustainability.

As such, a comprehensive procurement process should involve broad consultations with staff, thoughtful piloting of potential solutions, and ultimately ensuring that any chosen technology aligns perfectly with your school’s overarching educational vision.

Furthermore, it is very important to diligently assess a service provider’s commitment to ongoing support, and the demonstrated ability to adapt to future technological advancements, ensuring a sustainable partnership. This is precisely where Skolon simplifies the process, offering a curated marketplace of pre-vetted EdTech solutions that are carefully evaluated for pedagogical fit, functionality, and long-term sustainability, alongside robust vendor support.

Protecting data in edtech procurement

Given that successful integration of technology into the classroom is always one of the end goals, it must always be underpinned by an unwavering commitment to data protection. As you know, UK GDPR places significant and legally binding obligations on schools and trusts regarding how they collect, process, and store all personal data. When procuring EdTech, leaders have the responsibility of ensuring that every solution is compliant with these regulations.
This necessitates carefully scrutinising a vendor’s data processing agreements, gaining absolute clarity on precisely where data will be hosted (e.g., within the UK, EU, or internationally), and verifying that robust security measures are not just promised, but demonstrably in place to prevent breaches.

Being transparent and proactive in communicating with parents and guardians about how their children’s data is used is also an absolutely paramount aspect of building trust and ensuring compliance.
Skolon addresses the procurement complexities by providing a curated marketplace of pre-vetted tools, facilitates data protection by adhering to stringent security standards and offering clear, UK GDPR-compliant data processing agreements, and supports online safety by integrating seamlessly with your existing infrastructure while championing responsible digital citizenship across your school or trust.

Prioritising online safety in the digital age

While EdTech undeniably opens doors to incredible new learning opportunities, it simultaneously exposes students to potential risks that leaders must proactively mitigate by establishing and diligently maintaining a comprehensive online safety strategy that extends far beyond merely blocking inappropriate websites.

This strategy must encompass ongoing, age-appropriate education for students on responsible online behaviour, fostering awareness of cyberbullying, and understanding the inherent dangers of sharing personal information online. A holistic approach, similar to our integrated method of delivering edtech, is seamlessly supported by Skolon. This includes tools for secure user authentication, helping schools effectively safeguard children in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Beyond the maze – Skolon’s solution

By partnering with Skolon, schools and trusts can gain the peace of mind that comes with a robust, compliant, and user-friendly platform. Skolon’s smart platform empowers educators to focus on what they do best – teaching – by providing them with easy, secure access to the tools they need, all within a secure and managed environment.

However, Skolon is more than just a platform; it’s a strategic partner in your mission to leverage technology responsibly, safely, and effectively, transforming the digital maze into a clear, navigable path towards enhanced learning outcomes for every member of your school community.

This is Skolon – we gather the best digital educational tools and make them work in the classroom.

Skolon is an independent platform for digital educational tools and learning resources, created for both teachers and students. With Skolon, accessing and using your digital educational tools is easy – security increases, administration decreases, and there’s more time for learning.

The digital educational tools come from both small and large providers, all of whom have one thing in common – they create digital educational tools that are beneficial for the school environment.