All schools in the local area have worked closely together to share key digital literacy skills to stay safe online and enhance their capacity to use technology as part of classroom learning.
This follows earlier success in the year where Deanston Primary School became the first in the Stirling Council area to receive all three Digital Schools Awards.
The 11 schools in the McLaren Learning Community are:
- Aberfoyle Primary
- Callander Primary
- Crianlarich Primary
- Doune Primary
- Deanston Primary
- Gartmore Primary
- Kincardine-in-Menteith Primary
- Killin Primary
- Port of Menteith Primary
- Strathyre Primary
- Thornhill Primary
A spokesperson for the McLaren Learning Community said: “The McLaren Learning Community are delighted to be the first Learning Community in Scotland to be awarded the Cluster Digital Wellbeing Award. All of the Primary Schools across McLaren have worked closely together to plan and implement a programme of Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety.
“On behalf of the team, we’d like to thank the pupil Digital Leaders in each school for the work that they have done in leading their school approach and also to all the staff involved across the Learning Community. We are confident this will ensure that every child in our Learning Community has the same excellent experience of Digital Wellbeing as they navigate the ever-evolving Digital World.”
The Digital Schools Awards programme which is backed by global tech companies, HP and AMD has seen remarkable uptake across Scotland, with nearly full participation of secondary schools and 85% of primary schools registered. The programme encourages excellence in digital learning and supports schools, teachers, and learners in optimising the use of digital technology in classrooms.
'Setting an example'
Social Work and Education Convener, Cllr Danny Gibson said: “The schools within the McLaren Learning Community should be incredibly proud of this achievement and for setting an example for the rest of the country on how collaborative working can strengthen digital learning across our schools.
“Technology is now an essential part of our daily lives, so it’s vital that efforts are made to ensure that our young people are equipped to navigate a constantly evolving digital landscape. The cluster initiative involving these 11 schools is a highly encouraging sign that we are delivering progress in this key area across Stirling.”
Anna Doody from Digital Schools Awards said: “This is a great example in collaboration which saw neighbouring schools work closely together to better prepare pupils for the digital world. The ability to pull resources, collaborate on ideas and provide guidance to each other only offers another level of support to learners and we are delighted to celebrate and recognise these schools for their excellent work through this special cluster award.”
To achieve the Digital Schools Wellbeing Award, schools are required to show the presence of a whole-school digital strategy, evidence of how technology is enhancing learning, encouraging safe, responsible and productive use of digital tools and a commitment to ongoing professional learning for teachers.