A Cumbrian school is celebrating after receiving international recognition from Apple for its future-focused approach to education.
At Inglewood Junior School in Harraby, all pupils use tablets and other Apple devices and apps are integrated into learning – and now the school has been awarded the title of an Apple Distinguished School, only one of two in the county to be named.
It has been seven years in the making for the school, which is also an Apple Regional Training Centre.
Matthew Squires, teacher at Inglewood and manager of the Carlisle Regional Training Centre, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the award, everyone has contributed to this achievement.
“All the staff are Apple teachers and have taken responsibility for their own growth with the device to give the children the best opportunities they can.
“This is recognition for all the hard work that has gone in over the last eight years or so.”
Dan Gilchrist, education consultant for the North East and Cumbria for Sync, an Apple authorised education specialist, returned to the school this week to present the award. “Every Apple distinguished school that has been recognised, that we’ve seen, has been very different in its own right.
“They have got something unique about them whether it’s the culture, the vision, the forward thinking, and they are very much leading the way to make impact and inclusivity for children to get the best outcomes moving on into their future life,” he said.
What stood out to Dan when he first visited Inglewood was the sense of community, everyone had each other’s backs and in the classroom, children were encouraged to explore their own way of learning.
Every staff member has their own iPad, and all pupils use the devices which enhances their opportunities and helps with their learning in a variety of different ways.
It encourages cross-curriculum learning, independence, working together, and wellbeing too. Teachers can use the Apple technology to engage the students in learning outdoors by setting up points across the premises that can be scanned and asks them a question, which then directs them to another point.
Inglewood also uses iPads to do a daily mile run where students complete a lap around the field, and for each lap they do, they scan their QR code so they can keep track of the distances they’re travelling. It allows them to see their own progress as they get quicker at completing a lap.
11-year-old Amelia Taylor said: “I think it’s a lot more useful, you get a lot more features that you wouldn’t have with just paper.
“Teachers will upload resources onto the app we use called Showbie and we can use them while we’re learning.
“If we need a certain thing, so if we’re looking for a certain vocabulary for a certain subject, we can go on our iPads and the teacher might have certain things that we can use.
“Instead of writing on paper all the time, you can use apps like Keynote to create presentations and we can use our own style and imagination instead of just writing it on paper and not really having that ability.”
As one of only two schools in Cumbria to be named an Apple Regional Training Centre, they go the extra mile to offer support and advice to other local schools on best practice with Apple products. They also deliver courses to build the skills and confidence of educators to use Apple technology inside and outside the classroom.
Being an Apple school is “preparing children for the future and the modern world, an Apple device gives them access to all the world at the touch of a button,” said Matthew.
“We are a centre of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrates Apple’s vision for learning with technology. We believe we are one of the most innovative schools in the world in using that technology.”
