Susie Bulling, the GDST’s Trust Consultant Outreach and Partnerships lead, explains how at NGHS we build, sustain and inspire the next generation both in our community and beyond

 

 

Understanding our community’s benefit in utilising the latest technology, NGHS’s Outreach and Partnership Department  have dedicated iPads to help support and inspire local primary school children within our network. A total of 8 iPads were purchased in 2017 for the purpose of STEM and computing based learning. More than 150 children have benefited from using the iPads, using them over a series of events and workshops that include animation, coding, robotics and engineering.

 

 

Alongside specialist resources and apps such as Lego Mindstorms, children have built and programmed robots to complete courses, and created stop animation short videos based on the biological make-up of the human skeleton. As well as being used as part of academic and enrichment based learning, the iPads have been instrumental in data collection, with children completing pulse surveys on Google Docs as part of some of our independent-state-school-partnership work, so that both the schools we work with, and our outreach coordinators are able to measure and track progress and impact.

 

 

As an independent school located in the Arboretum ward of Nottingham City (which has the highest percentile for child poverty at 43%), our use of iPads is important to ensuring that our work with the local community is matched to our overall technological and teaching and learning strategy so it is fully accessible to our community of partner schools and providing progressive, quality content.

 

 

Supporting our innovation, use of iPads continues to be an integral part of our Outreach and Partnership work with local schools. From September 2022, we enter into a new partnership with two schools, working closely with 4 pupils at each school over the course of 3 years. Each child will be paired with an iPad that will have tailored apps to suit their learning and progress over the coming years. All activity from the iPads will be used to give us more accurate recordings of measurable impact – from screen time and time spent on specific apps, to attainment and self-efficacy with continued pulse surveys.

 

 

Nurturing a culture of continuous innovation and reflection will help our community explore big ideas and new possibilities, offering something different and progressive.