A guide to UK pilots with CENTURY

A 2022 UK government research paper on the successful implementation of education technology in schools and colleges highlighted the importance of piloting EdTech. We have also previously written about the importance of pilots in our guide to implementing EdTech in schools.

Pilots allow schools and colleges the time and space to explore the effectiveness of the technology and its impact. These trial periods also help organisations to understand and then deal with the inevitable challenges of change management. 

A four week pilot represents a fantastic opportunity for organisations to trial a couple of different models of use to give them the best picture of CENTURY’s impact and capabilities. We work closely with schools and colleges to tailor the pilot to their specific implementation goals. Our pilots include staff and learners, so we can hear feedback from a range of stakeholders, which can play a significant role in decision making. 

What makes a successful pilot?

A key part of a successful pilot is in the initial implementation. To ensure this is effective, a dedicated CENTURY pilot manager will lead an initial implementation call with the school or college lead. During this call they will create a bespoke pilot plan, advising based on our wealth of experience working with a range of schools and colleges around the country. This plan will take into account the year groups and classes involved in the pilot as well as the content to be used. Another crucial aspect to be covered in the call is the success criteria against which the pilot will be measured.

Schools and colleges can use CENTURY to support learning in a variety of ways, including in the classroom as a learning resource or to check understanding, as homework or to support independent learning. Based on the approach decided upon in the initial implementation call, teachers and tutors will undergo training to learn how to make the most of the platform during the pilot. This session will cover key functionality as well as how to use the data from the platform to guide interventions.

Once the pilot is under way, CENTURY’s dedicated pilot manager will be in regular contact with the school or college lead, to check in with how they are doing and provide any further support. They will also regularly share usage data with insights and analysis to ensure the school or college gains everything they can from the pilot. 

At the end of the pilot, they will then arrange a call with the school or college lead. The pilot manager will give an overview of usage and how the platform has been used in different ways by specific departments; such as if nuggets were completed via the Recommended Path, illustrating how learners are benefitting from the AI. The Interventions Graph will also be presented, which consolidates what they know about their students, whilst revealing some surprises; students who might be less focussed in class are really active on CENTURY and can be praised for their efforts. 

With the pilot completed and all the data and insights presented to the school or college, it then rests with them to make their final decision. If the pilot has been judged to be successful, then CENTURY is able to assign a permanent account manager to ensure a seamless transition from the pilot.

Hazel Beamish, Headteacher at Heygarth Primary School:

“Children made excellent progress in a short period of time as they were able to focus on the areas that were identified by both the teacher and the AI program, whilst also enjoying their learning. Just 30 minutes per day made a huge difference.”

Matt Turner, Headteacher at Rossall School:

“Initially understanding the power of CENTURY and how it can support the pupils is something that can only really be appreciated through the process of running a pilot. We were able to truly get to grips with the platform. This was great from a leadership perspective but also allowed the staff to really understand the benefits CENTURY could bring to our learners. I could not recommend a CENTURY pilot highly enough.”

Book a pilot for your school or college here.