The winning schools are St Brigid’s Primary School, Downpatrick; St Colman's College, Newry; and Clifton Special School, Bangor. A collective entry on behalf of the Post-primary EOTAS Service also received an award at the event.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Professor John Anderson, Chair of the Innovation Forum said: “In this seventh year of the ICT Excellence Awards we are seeing a step-change in just how well digital technologies are being used to support learning for the benefit of pupils, teachers, and parents.
“The theme this year of Collaboration was absolutely aced by the radical change across all 27 post-primary EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) acting together to introduce ‘state of the art’ devices, online collaboration and new digital qualifications.”
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Speaking on behalf of sponsors, Managing Director, Capita Education and Learning, Marianne Betts, said: “We are incredibly proud to sponsor the ICT Excellence Awards. All the finalists highlighted how vital the creative use of digital technology can be to support learning and developing skills at school. We received some incredible entries – congratulations to all the winners for this much-deserved recognition.”
Alison Chambers, Department of Education’s Professional Learning and Collaboration Director speaking at the Awards commented: “The ICT Excellence Awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase how schools and EOTAS centres are enthusiastically and innovatively utilising digital technologies to enhance collaboration and teacher professional learning for the benefit of our children and young people.”
Cynthia Currie, Education Authorities’ Interim Director of Education said: “EA recognises the remarkable opportunity this competition gives to celebrate excellence across our education system, represented not only by the shortlisted schools and Education Other than at Schools (EOTAS) centres, but all who entered for the 2022 Awards and indeed children, young people and teachers right across NI who continue to develop increasing excellence in practice in the use of digital technologies.”
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The world-leading practice displayed by Northern Ireland schools was praised by eminent educationalist, Professor Don Passey. He said: “The practices and uses of technologies in schools (primary, post-primary, special) and in EOTAS Centres are world-leading. Leaders and teachers have embraced the potential that technologies can offer – with creative solutions, focused for educational needs, integrated to support learning, teaching, administration, management and parental engagement, both on-site and on-line."
“The technology provision you have in your schools is unique. The provision enables adoption, cross-school sharing and development, through crucial and critical insights of leaders, teachers, pupils and parents - making a difference for the benefit of all.”
Professor Don Passey of Lancaster University, pre-eminent world research authority on technology-enhanced learning thanked the schools for the “inspiration they brought to bear that continues to astound the judges.”
Source: Written from press release
