▁the ▁Information ▁Technology ▁in ▁School s ▁( IT IS ) ▁initi ative ▁to ▁over see ▁this ▁area , ▁head ed ▁by ▁Phill ip ▁Lewis ▁and ▁supported ▁by ▁David ▁No ble . ▁It ▁fund ed ▁the ▁deployment ▁of ▁ 6 0 0 ▁advis ory ▁teachers ▁and ▁the ▁provision ▁of ▁hardware ▁in ▁schools ▁through ▁the ▁payment ▁of ▁Education ▁Support ▁Gr ants ▁( ES G s ) ▁to ▁local ▁authorities . ▁Gr ants ▁were ▁made ▁conditional ▁on ▁each ▁LE A ▁producing ▁a ▁policy ▁statement ▁and ▁a ▁five - year ▁plan . ▁ ▁M ES U ▁ran ▁separate ▁national ▁con ferences ▁for ▁the ▁different ▁subject ▁advis ory ▁teachers , ▁Mathemat ics , ▁English , ▁Science , ▁Design ▁and ▁Technology ▁and ▁others . ▁pulling ▁together ▁a ▁resource ▁pack ▁for ▁each ▁to ▁provide ▁each ▁with ▁support ▁in ▁their ▁local ▁authority ▁work . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁National ▁C urr icul um ▁History ▁ ▁National ▁C urr icul um ▁Following ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁schools ▁had ▁become ▁more ▁autonom ous ▁in ▁making ▁their ▁own ▁purch asing ▁and ▁staff ing ▁dec isions . ▁Of ▁substantial ▁importance ▁was ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁IT ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁component ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁curr icul um ▁for ▁every ▁student ▁aged ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 1 6 . ▁This ▁identified ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁a ▁core ▁set ▁of ▁IT ▁capabilities ▁and ▁str essed ▁applying ▁them ▁across ▁the ▁curr icul um . ▁ ▁Mer ger ▁with ▁C ET ▁to ▁form ▁NC ET ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁M ES U ▁was ▁merged ▁with ▁the