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Pupils at a Medway primary school are each being given their own iPad because staff believe they should have access to 'exceptional education' wherever they are.

Oasis Academy Skinner Street is equipping every single one of its primary school pupils with a top-of-the-range device, which is theirs to keep for as long as they are enrolled at the school.

Children are able to keep their iPad at home, bring it backwards and forwards from the classroom, and use it for everything from home learning to joining extra curricular clubs teaching digital skills such as coding.

The scheme, known as Oasis Horizons, has been launched by academy trust Oasis Community Learning and is gradually being rolled out to each one of its 52 schools.

Oasis Academy Skinner Street in Gillingham is amongst the first in the trust to have been able to kit-out each one of its pupils, which it believes gives them greater responsibility, helps foster independent learning and will give them digital skills required for secondary school and beyond.

Alongside the roll-out staff have also undergone high-levels of additional training to help ensure classes can get the most out of having such technology at their fingertips. Courses to become Apple Educators through Apple Classroom is just one of the tools being used to help teaching staff use the technology in the best and most forward-thinking ways possible.

The arrival of the new iPads has already proved to be invaluable during lockdown in order to support the school in delivering a fair and equal programme of learning.

Thanks to each child owning a device, blended learning with daily live lessons and independent work has been launched where both pupils at home and the children of keyworkers attending school are able to join the exact same lessons and benefit from the same teaching from staff.

Headteacher Victoria Richmond said the school believed in the 'equity of provision' and the introduction of the Oasis Horizons scheme has enabled the school to better support all of its pupils.

The technology meant those who may have dyslexia or use English as a second language, can have work adapted or translated quickly whilst the iPads also give all pupils access to a virtual library with more than 2,500 books and tools such as dictionaries and other learning aids.

She explained: "Our ethos is education for all. If you come to this school, you will be given an iPad.

"We are a family and we do view ourselves that way and we will work to support all of our children."

Whilst it is immensely proud of its technology, Oasis Skinner Street says it also places great importance on mental health provision, which includes getting children to appreciate when their devices should be put away.

Classes also regularly join the Medway Mini Youth Games sporting competitions, can act as ambassadors for their school and learn more through student leadership programmes.

Oasis Academy Skinner Street does have some availability in other year groups alongside welcoming new reception pupils in September 2021.

If you would like to know more please visit the website www.oasisacademyskinnerstreet.org for further details or email office@oasisskinnerstreet.org to arrange a call or meeting with the headteacher.