Lady Eleanor Holles

Lady Eleanor Holles School

Lady Eleanor Holles is a remarkable school, where girls successfully combine impressive intellectual endeavour with enthusiastic engagement well beyond academia. With a long history, stretching back over 300 years, they have also embraced today’s technology and its place in education, “The need to understand technology is far more important than it’s ever been,” (Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury).

The girls’ school, just ten miles from London, consists of the Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form with extensive facilities across all disciplines. Director of Studies, Dave Piper, explained that the school see ‘digital literacy as incredibly important for the students’ futures”. Establishing a 1:1 mobile platform was a key part of their digital strategy.

“We wanted to work with a company with experience who had done this with a number of schools,” explained Heather, “The technical experts in the school were convinced that Western would be the best partner for us.” Working with the Western team, the school decided to adopt a “zero-touch provisioning solution.”

This complete 1:1 solution ensures that getting iPads into the hands of students is made as easy as possible. Everything is handled through the Western mobile learning portal. Students and parents choose their device; Western handles everything else - device enrolment, dispatch, configuration, insurance, repairs and returns: it’s a seamless process for school and students.

The student’s experience
The selected iPad is delivered directly to their home. Upon setting up the iPad, the pupil is prompted to enter their school username and password. Once entered, everything else is automatically configured, including all apps, settings and restrictions for their year and class. “We see students delighted by the whole experience and parents reassured with the ease of the process,” says Lee Ford, Western’s Technical Sales Director.

The school’s experience
“As far as the school is concerned the admin is sorted,” explains Heather. In addition to the seamless auto deployment for every student, Western’s mobile learning scheme helps the school by providing a positive cash flow solution, with device payment guaranteed.

The iPads have had a great impact on the students’ learning in the classroom. Their reliability, familiarity and ease of use give teachers the confidence to push new ways of teaching and learning: collaborative working, quizzes, competitive elements and enhanced classroom management. There is a “sense of excitement in the classroom” that adds to the “academic vigour” of the girls’ work.

The iPads have had a great impact on the students’ learning in the classroom. Their reliability, familiarity and ease of use give teachers the confidence to push new ways of teaching and learning: collaborative working, quizzes, competitive elements and enhanced classroom management. There is a “sense of excitement in the classroom” that adds to the “academic vigour” of the girls’ work.

Western provides training throughout the process. The Apple Professional Learning programme is designed to establish the 1:1 mobile platform and support the school’s further digital goals.

“Western Computer has been fantastic in providing staff training for us. We have had Apple Certified Trainers coming in to the school a number of times throughout the years of the project,” says Matt Britland, Director of Digital Strategy, “They have been invaluable.”

The rolling programme delivered devices to two year groups at a time, over a period of three years. The devices have now been confidently absorbed into all subject areas from Year Seven onwards. Class sets of iPads are being used with the younger years.

Staff at the school clearly see this seamless and exciting way of working in the classroom as the first step towards even greater learning and teaching possibilities – with Western to support them and their students.

“I feel that we’re scratching the surface, and now we’re at the second phase where we’re changing the way that we think in order to develop our thinking and learning within the school,”

“I would absolutely recommend Western Computer for any school seeking a 1:1 solution.”

(Head Mistress, Heather Hanbury)