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Digital Curriculum

iPads as Learning Tools at Kennall Vale

At Kennall Vale, we are very lucky to have over 100 iPads to support teaching and learning. In Key Stage Two, children have access to 1:1 devices and take ownership of caring for, charging and using their iPads safely, sensibly and appropriately.

We prioritise e-safety and regularly teach all children how to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. To support this, we use Apple Classroom to monitor screen activity and ensure appropriate usage.

Additionally, TPAT's high-level filtering system actively monitors language use and tracks search history, providing an extra layer of safeguarding for our pupils.

 

We use our iPads as a universal provision to:

  • Enhance engagement and accessibility in lessons
  • Support personalised learning, particularly for those children with SEND
  • Develop digital literacy and critical thinking skills
  • Enable collaboration and creativity across subjects
  • Provide access to high-quality educational resources
  • Prepare children for KS3 at Penryn College (where 1:1 devices and Showbie are used)

What is the Digital Advantage Project?

We are part of TPAT's Digital Advantage project, which embraces iPads as powerful teaching and learning tools.  

We use Explain Everything to teach concepts via Apple TV, allowing children to engage with interactive lessons. These videos are then uploaded to Showbie, enabling pupils to revisit the content at their own pace, reinforce their understanding and support independent learning.

We reduce photocopying by uploading resources, texts and worksheets to Showbie (our digital portfolio platform).

Staff’s continued professional development is supported through the Apple Teacher programme, ensuring we make the most of our technology and stay ahead of the curve. 

 

What does Digital Advantage look like in class?

We use a variety of applications to enhance learning and encourage independent thinking, including:

  • Explain Everything – for interactive lessons and presentations
  • Showbie – for organising assignments and giving feedback
  • Socrative – for formative assessment and quizzes
  • Accelerated Reader – to support reading development
  • Natterhub – for teaching online safety and digital citizenship
  • EdShed, TTRS, and Numbots – for maths and spelling practice
  • BorrowBox and Epic – for access to digital books and audiobooks

 

Headphones and styluses:

Recently, the Friends of Kennall Vale generously provided every Key Stage 2 child with a pair of headphones and a stylus. This has had a huge impact on how children present their work on iPads, allowing for greater precision, improved digital handwriting, and more creativity in their tasks. The headphones have also made a real difference, helping children to concentrate during activities that involve audio instructions or independent research.

Digital assessment:
 
Government multiplication check:
In Year 4, children take their multiplication check on their iPad. The statutory check is required to be completed digitally so we regularly practise times table recall using apps and websites like: TTRS, mathsframe and timetables.co.uk
 
For more information, please follow: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/multiplication-tables-check
 
 
maths.co.uk:
As a trust, Truro and Penwith Academy Trust uses maths.co.uk to assess children's maths understanding. Assessments are done every half term but the children practice regularly.  The diagnostic insights help us tailor staff training and CPD, ensuring the best support for our pupils.

My iPad is important to me because I can find new things on it to help me learn in my different subjects. 

 I like using my iPad because I love using Freeform to help me learn my spellings because I can use rainbow writing and make letters bigger and smaller. I also like drawing on Freeform because you can be creative and use your imagination. 

In science we have been classifying animals. My iPad has helped with that a lot and it’s super cool looking at all the different animals we are classifying! Did you know the only fish in the world that has warm blood is the opah?

I would have never found that fact out if I didn’t have my iPad!

 

I like using my iPad at school because it helps with doing my work and finding out how to spell words and we can do edshed and ttrs (times table rock stars).

iPads are extremely useful for many learning points , we use it for Maths , Reading , English and much more . It gives us much more opportunities for learning and gets us ready for secondary school . 

 

 iPads are useful because they help us be able to problem solve more and they help so edit our work by ourselves and they waste less paper. They mean we can do hive and TTRS and other things like natterhub. 

 

It helps me write more and you can access so much information to help with so many things like spelling music and maths with apps like TTRS, GarageBand and more.