Testimonials
Being recognised as a Digital School of Distinction is a fantastic achievement and an important milestone for all the schools that have done it. We live in an increasingly technology literate world and it’s important that our schools reflect the world our children live in
“The Digital Schools of Distinction programme gives an objective evaluation of the great work in IT that is on-going in St. Malachy’s and provides school leaders with a framework to consolidate good practice. We are delighted to have received this award and look forward to building on our success. As contemporary teachers in a setting where education is our core business, the programme not alone challenges key stakeholders, teachers and pupils, but provides a showcase for good practice.”
“As a school we try to be at the cutting edge especially with the use of technology. This is being used to support our shared education project with Fairhill PS in Kinallan and our European ErasmusPlus project. We seek to ensure that we offer our children the best opportunities possible to help them prepare to enter into the global economy. If the German government are looking for town planners, if they are looking the finest architects in Barcelona or Air France are looking for top-end engineers, there is no reason why these professionals can't come from Annaclone or be based in Annaclone. It's important to remember we are educating children today for jobs that don't exist to solve problems we are not yet aware off using technology that's hasn't yet been invented.”
Ballyclare Primary School is delighted to be one of the first schools in the North of Ireland to have been awarded the Digital Schools of Distinction Award. We have been on an exciting journey of ICT for a number of years and I commend our staff and pupils for all that has been achieved to be in this outstanding ICT category. We are equipping our pupils and staff to take a leading role in the Learning and Teaching our ICT vision and practice offers for the 21st Century.
The embracing of our children’s realities and the seamless integration of that reality into their educational experiences is a recognition of the role that technology plays in the 21st century mind-set. It is also recognition that technology in the hands of a creative practitioner is as impactful as a scalpel in the hands of a skilled surgeon. We greatly appreciate being recognised as a Digital School of Distinction and enjoyed adding another layer into our self-evaluative ethos.”
The awarding of the Digital School of Distinction Award is, we feel, recognition of the hard work and dedication of the staff of Millennium Integrated Primary School to embed digital skills throughout the curriculum. Our children need to see that ICT skills are not ‘stand-alone’ skills, but something that is required through all areas of education and life and this has been reflected in the work the staff are doing on a daily basis. The children are creating and exploring while the teachers are innovating and experimenting with new ideas and new approaches – equipping children with 21st Century skills using 21st Century learning and teaching. We are delighted to be able to receive the award to show the importance we place on preparing children for this exciting time in education and the workplace.
Our little learners need to be confident how to use digital technology and how to be able to meet not only the current but future needs and expectations of the employment and business sectors. In Knockloughrim Primary School we need to begin now to prepare our children how to be able to compete with the most digitally literate job candidates in the future. Our young children in Mid-Ulster have just as much potential and are just as capable and deserving as any other child in being able to harness the capabilities of technology and the Digital Schools of Distinction status helps us prove that we as a school have the capabilities to be able to do this. We as educators need to accept this challenge in making all our children digitally literate and believe in our children and offer them every opportunity and the experiences now that will allow them in the future to be the best and most digitally creative that they can possibly be.
Technology is a highly valuable tool which is integrated seamlessly into lessons across the Key Stages in Killean PS. This approach to learning is motivating for children while enriching their educational experiences. We are focused on providing our children with the skills and tools needed to become life long learners in this digital age.
The staff and pupils of Cumran PS have worked extremely hard to integrate digital technology in the classroom to drive innovative practices in teaching and learning, and to ensure that the learning environment is reflective of advances in accessible educational technology. It has been a priority driven by our ambition to effectively promote the use of digital tools across the key stages and to equip all of our pupils with 21st century skills. This award recognises our achievements in this area, and also gives us great confidence moving forward to continue to develop our digital curriculum and to inspire the digital creators of the future.
HP believes that the technology sector has a responsibility to support schools and ensure that the next generation is equipped with the knowledge needed to close the STEM and creative skills gap, and drive the economy of tomorrow. Being recognised as a Digital School is a great achievement and an important milestone. We congratulate the 21 schools receiving awards today.