Bolton School receives 1000 iPods

More Information found at: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8407014.stm

MORE than 1000 pupils and teachers at Bolton's Essa Academy have been provided with an iPod Touch by Apple Solution Expert for Education, MCC Group.

The Essa Academy, in Lever Edge Lane, is the first school to equip all its children and teachers with the devices. Headteacher Mr Badat believes the school's investment in technology will impact hugely on the achievements of pupils.

Mr Badat said: "They will do this by accessing the best possible learning resources the world has on offer at their fingertips when they need it."

He added: "The iPod Touch will bring equality. We believe that all can have success. To do this we need to provide everybody with the best resources possible and through this, standards will rise."

Year 11 pupil Adil Bhutawala said: "iPods help bring modern technology to our academy. Why stop at the classroom when we have the technology to learn anywhere?"

Fellow Year 11 pupil Milan Gola said:"My iPod helps me with my English coursework as I can download English podcasts and an application which contains most of Shakespeare's plays such as Romeo and Juliet, means I don't have to carry the whole book home to get the quotes for my coursework."

Year Eight pupil Natalia Jagielska added: "On my iPod, I can use translators to help me understand things better because I am new to this country."

A bespoke wi-fi system, with 130 access points around the school, means that children never lose connectivity. The wi-fi server contains a firewall that blocks access to unsuitable websites and records images viewed. Pupils can e-mail staff but not each other, and once they take the iPods out of school, they are expected to continue using the devices responsibly and may not use them in the street.

"A laptop takes ages to boot up," said Adil Bhutawala, 15. "You can get straight on to Google and search for things. In my English research I used BBC Bitesize to look up the characters in Of Mice and Men."

For further information contact Louise Lewis on 01270 750626 (landline) 07817 505009 (mobile) or email louise@redboxcom.co.uk