The National PedTech Partnership, an alliance of visionary education leaders, has unveiled an ambitious research and development programme focused on ensuring high impact and equitable teaching and learning, supported by contemporary digital tools. 

Representing approximately 3% of the national school system through 756 schools, 250,000 students and 22,000 staff, the National PedTech Partnership represents state and independent funded schools ranging from nursery through to sixth form, mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision.

The National PedTech Partnership has been co-founded by Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith – a national leader and researcher who coined the term PedTech, and John Murphy, a national leader and former MAT CEO who has extensive experience of managing change at scale.

The Partnership is underpinned by a two-year research programme funded by the schools involved in the alliance. By joining together, the Partnership will explore how those leading a pedagogy-first approach to digital (PedTech) identify, articulate, scale-up and share evidence of impact. This will support others across the wider education sector, bringing greater equity for young people across schools.

Themed areas of focus will span pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, SEND, inclusion and equity, oracy, community and families, the role of artificial intelligence (AI), and what it means to be a teacher or learner in a contemporary landscape. In the short term, the alliance will empower schools to more effectively understand the return on investment of their existing digital provision, through a series of themed studies, reports and guidelines.

Speaking about the launch of the National PedTech Partnership, Co-founder Dr Fiona Aubrey Smith, said: “At the heart of the National PedTech Partnership are the human beings at the centre of all our classrooms - learners and teachers. Our work is driven by the moral imperative of reducing inequities in and across schools.

“We formed this partnership with extraordinary forward-thinking system leaders as a result of our shared belief that by contributing insights, questions and expertise, we can offer informative at-scale research trends, insights and practical tools. This will support not only the relationship between schools and digital technology, but also wider educational leadership.

“Critically, our partnership is not restricted to specific models of schooling, policies or funding models, products or agendas, allowing us to bring together a diversity of perspectives and retain our focus on the most important aspect of all - our learners and their learning.”

John Murphy, Co-founder of the National PedTech Partnership, reflected on the launch of the Partnership sharing: “There has never been a project of innovation at this scale. We have the potential to transform the experiences of 250,000+ children and young people. With our alliance’s strong belief in dignified inclusion and an approach to digital that puts pedagogy first - we can make a big difference to scaffold life chances and choices that can support outcomes for all and eliminate gaps.

“This work is fundamentally about equity and excellence. By collaborating together with purpose and intention, we can really think about the reality facing schools and groups, galvanise around a PedTech approach, and create exceptional leader and teacher capacity for success. This is the start of a very exciting journey - one filled with extensive professional generosity from the individuals involved across the partnership.“

System leaders involved in the National PedTech Partnership have committed to five founding principles:

  1. A belief that digital tools underpin a high impact contemporary school system.
  2. A pedagogy-first mindset about the use of digital (PedTech).
  3. The forward-thinking system leaders involved in the partnership have strategic responsibility for schools/groups.
  4. A commitment to supporting schools beyond the partnership’s immediate networks or groups.
  5. Acting as a community of purpose, transparently scaffolding each other’s learning.

Lee Barber, CEO of INOVA Multi-Academy Trust, said: “Our mission is to be relentlessly innovative in making learning powerful and purposeful for every child. Joining the National PedTech Partnership is a natural extension of our strategic commitment to equity—ensuring that no learner is left behind, especially those facing disadvantage or with SEND.

This pioneering initiative aligns perfectly with our vision: it places pedagogy at the heart of digital innovation, empowers educators with evidence-based tools, and fosters collaboration that transcends individual schools. By contributing to and learning from this national alliance, we are taking bold steps to close the gaps that matter most—so that every young person in our care can thrive.”

Julie-Ann Wilson, Chief Learning Officer at INOVA Multi-Academy Trust, added: “I am thrilled to be part of the National PedTech Partnership. The partnership resonates deeply with our INOVATeach strategy, which places pedagogy at the heart of digital innovation. It gives us a national platform to collaborate with like-minded leaders to rigorously explore how technology can be harnessed to drive real progress in teaching and learning, particularly for learners who are most at risk of being left behind.

This is an important milestone in our wider journey to shape a contemporary, evidence-informed approach to digital learning across our Trust. At the heart of INOVATeach is our commitment to Equity in Learning—ensuring that every learner, regardless of background or need, has access to meaningful, empowering education. We’re excited to bring back insights that will enrich our classrooms, strengthen professional trust across our staff, and most importantly, ensure that no child is left behind in an increasingly digital world.”

The National PedTech Partnership will be publishing its research findings and guidelines over the next two years, through a series of events and publications, alongside a book due for publication by Crown House in 2026.

You can follow the work of the National PedTech Partnership by following “The National PedTech Partnership” on LinkedIn.