iPads for Learning

Since launching our 1:1 iPad scheme in 2012, Harrogate Grammar School has embedded digital technology at the heart of teaching and learning. Today, over 2,500 iPads are used daily by students and staff, ensuring that every learner has access to powerful tools for education both in school and at home. 
 

Our philosophy for implementing the iPad scheme remains clear: 

• To ensure equality of access to an educational device 

• To prepare students for life and work in a digital age 

• To support independent research and problem-solving 

• To improve feedback, home learning and collaboration 

• To provide innovative and engaging ways for students to learn 

 
We are proud of the culture of innovation that this has created. As Ofsted noted in 2022: 
“Leaders have ensured that technology is used effectively to support learning across the curriculum.” 
 

They also highlighted that  
“Students demonstrate high levels of engagement when using digital tools to enhance their understanding.” 

The impact of iPads is evident in every aspect of school life. They underpin key systems such as email communication, our school MIS, Arbor where students can access their timetable and their home learning tasks, ClassCharts for rewards and sanctions, and Showbie for sharing resources and providing instant feedback. Teachers and students use iPads to access multiple pathways to knowledge, creating lessons that are interactive, collaborative and exciting.
  

Our most recent Peer Review report in November 2025 praised this approach, stating:   
“The integration of iPads into everyday teaching is exemplary and sets a benchmark for other schools.”  

The Peer Review concluded: 
“Staff and students use technology creatively to deepen learning and improve collaboration.” 

In the classroom, teaching staff teach using their iPad, enabling them to move freely around the classroom so they can support students individually as the lesson progresses. This way of teaching underpins the HGS ‘7 Principles of Teaching and Learning’, enabling teachers to support all students to achieve excellence.