Headteacher of Inglewood Junior School, David Grimshaw is delighted for his school to be crowned winner of the Best Use of Technology Award in the Golden Apple Awards 2021.

David Grimshaw said he was shocked to receive the award but is grateful for the acknowledgement.

He said: "All of the staff, pupils and parents at Inglewood Junior School are delighted to have received the Golden Apple Award for Best use of Technology.

"We have worked hard over the last four years to become an Apple Regional Training centre and are currently going for an Apple Distinguished School Award so to have this acknowledgement is great.

"I would also like to acknowledge the huge effort by all education sectors over the last 18 months and how well they have all adapted to technology in exceptional circumstances.

"Because of the huge effort made by all education settings we were shocked to receive the award but are grateful for the acknowledgement.

"We had a great evening and were made to feel very special, a great venue."

Inglewood Junior School is an Apple Regional Training centre and use Apple technology which plays an everyday part in their school learning.

Inglewood Junior School were nominated for the award as the staff worked with its community to deliver and provide top class remote learning and training during lockdown.

They distributed 290 iPads for remote learning. This process was said to be extremely efficient with teachers being available all day to children for help.

The nomination came from parents of pupils who said "Teachers were available all day via message on the iPad to get support and help for both children and parents.

"The iPads allowed all learning to go online and the children well trained in their use of technology they just sent straight onto their work independently every day on their iPad.

"Without this technology the children would have suffered dramatically during the pandemic.

"For their own pupils, they gave each child their own iPad and internet access if required, ensuring that every child could access their learning while school wasn't open.

"The school's use of Showbie (An online learning platform) was already embedded in the school, which meant learning continued from the first day of lockdown.

"Inglewood Junior School have inspired other schools in the CaSPA cluster to invest in Apple technology.

"These schools were therefore well equipped to provide online learning to their students. However, Inglewood Junior School is the only certified Apple School in the region."

Mr Grimshaw said: "Like many schools and businesses we have had to adapt and use technology a lot more over the last 18 months.

"We are an Apple Regional Training centre and Apple technology plays an everyday part in our school learning.

"This made remote learning seamless and easy.

"Every child has a iPad and every child is becoming a digital expert.

"They are often teaching us new things!"

Also nominated for the award was Dalton St Mary’s CE Primary School in Dalton for equipping their pupil with devices to enable them to continue their learning using the blended paltfroms that they use in school on a daily basis and St Joseph’s Catholic High School for providing the best education over the past 18 months embracing the challenge they faced, which really benefitted the pupils from the ICT literacy programme.