DfE Decoded #77 Connect the Classroom — Infrastructure, Equity and What Digital Investment Really Achieves
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/connect-the-classroom-evaluation
When government invests in digital infrastructure, it rarely makes headlines in the same way curriculum reform or behaviour policy does.
But the evaluation of the Connect the Classroom programme deserves close attention from school and trust leaders — not because it is dramatic, but because it addresses something foundational:
What happens when the digital infrastructure underneath learning is strengthened?
This is not a story about devices.
It is a story about capacity.
What Connect the Classroom Was Designed to Do
The programme aimed to improve wireless network infrastructure in schools that were identified as having weak or unreliable connectivity.
It focused on:
upgrading Wi-Fi systems
replacing outdated network hardware
improving reliability and coverage
enabling more consistent device use in classrooms
In short, it sought to remove a basic barrier:
When the network fails, teaching stops.
The Problem It Was Trying to Solve
For many schools — particularly those in areas of higher deprivation — digital ambition has often run ahead of digital infrastructure.
Leaders might have:
invested in devices
adopted online assessment systems
embraced cloud-based tools
supported blended learning
Only to find that:
connectivity dropped out
lessons stalled
staff confidence eroded
frustration increased
The evaluation makes clear that unreliable infrastructure is not a minor inconvenience. It is a constraint on pedagogy.
What the Evaluation Found
The report highlights several consistent impacts following infrastructure upgrades:
1. Improved Reliability
Schools reported more stable connections and fewer disruptions during lessons. This seems obvious — but the effect on staff confidence is significant.
Teachers are far more likely to plan digital elements into lessons when they trust the network to hold.
2. Increased Confidence in Digital Use
Where infrastructure improved, staff reported:
greater willingness to use digital platforms
reduced anxiety about lessons failing
more consistent integration of digital tools
Confidence is a recurring theme across DfE evaluations — and this report reinforces it again.
3. Equity Implications
The programme was targeted at schools most in need.
This matters.
Because unreliable infrastructure disproportionately affects:
schools serving disadvantaged communities
schools with tighter budgets
schools already balancing multiple system pressures
Digital reliability becomes an equity issue, not just a technical one.
What This Evaluation Is Not Claiming
Importantly, the report does not suggest that infrastructure alone improves attainment.
It does not claim:
automatic improvement in outcomes
transformation through hardware alone
that connectivity replaces pedagogy
Instead, it shows that infrastructure is enabling infrastructure — it removes friction so that teaching can happen as intended.
That distinction matters for leaders.
The Leadership Signal
The key lesson from Connect the Classroom is not “invest in Wi-Fi.”
It is this:
Systems only function as well as their foundations.
In behaviour, that foundation is culture.
In SEND, it is capacity.
In early language, it is adult interaction.
In digital learning, it is infrastructure.
When the foundation is unstable, innovation becomes fragile.
Why This Matters Now
Digital reliance in schools has increased significantly since the pandemic:
cloud-based MIS systems
digital safeguarding monitoring
adaptive learning platforms
online assessment
AI-assisted tools emerging into practice
All of these depend on reliable infrastructure.
If connectivity fails:
learning slows
workload increases
safeguarding processes are disrupted
parental communication becomes harder
Infrastructure is no longer peripheral. It is core operational stability.
The Capacity Question Beneath the Programme
As with many government initiatives, sustainability matters.
Leaders should be asking:
How will infrastructure be maintained long term?
Do we have sufficient technical support capacity?
Is staff digital confidence keeping pace with infrastructure?
Are we using improved connectivity strategically — or just incidentally?
Investment in infrastructure without investment in capability risks underutilisation.
What This Means for School and Trust Leaders
The evaluation reinforces several practical leadership considerations:
Audit your foundations
Is your infrastructure stable enough to support your digital ambition?
Align digital strategy with reliability
Avoid layering new platforms on unstable networks.
Invest in confidence
Staff training and reassurance matter as much as hardware.
Protect equity
Reliable connectivity is part of inclusive practice — particularly where pupils may lack stable access at home.
A Final Reflection
The Connect the Classroom programme will not dominate policy debate.
But it highlights something essential.
In education, progress is often constrained not by lack of ideas — but by fragile foundations.
Reliable infrastructure does not transform learning by itself.
But without it, transformation struggles to take root.
Leadership is often about attending to what sits underneath the visible work.
This evaluation is a reminder of that truth.