Newark Academy sixth-form students given iPads, Kindles and Hudls in trial

Sixth-formers at The Newark Academy have been given an iPad, Kindle, or Hudl tablet.

Students and teachers are trialling a scheme in which each student has received one of the portable devices they can use for school work until the summer holidays.

Mr Steve Brown, associate senior leader at the academy, said he had seen similar schemes in other schools.

Students and teachers will be asked for written feedback on the use of the tablets at the end of each half-term. The students will swap their tablets with each other so they can see which they prefer.

If the trial is successful tablets could be provided to all 800 academy pupils in stages, depending on finance.

About £1,500 towards the tablets used by the 31 sixth-formers came from the proceeds of a book about the history of the Lilley and Stone Girls’ High School, the site of which is now used by The Newark Academy sixth form.

The book was written by Christine Webb, Diana Honeybone and Brenda Pask.

Mr Brown said: “We are looking at what can be done in the future in terms of new technology.

“I thought it would be a good idea to give a tablet to each member of the sixth form so they can give feedback about how useful they think it is.

“If the trial works we will look to roll it out across the whole school.

“We have chosen three different tablets and each pupil will get to work with each type so they can feedback on which is the best one to use.”

Mr Brown said the academy believed the sixth-formers were mature enough to use their tablets appropriately.

But, he said, website filters or ways to block inappropriate mobile app downloads would be looked at if necessary.

Selected teachers are also using tablets as part of the trial.

Pupil Will Lambert, 16, said: “There is an app that allows us to contact our teacher and classmates outside of classes which is useful because it means you don’t have to wait until you next see the teacher in class if you have a question.

“We have got Microsoft Word on the tablets so it’s useful for taking notes in class.”

Rory Town, 16, said: “It’s handy having a Kindle in English lessons for example as it means all my books are stored on that to save me carrying them around.”