Digital Strategy

Western House Academy is excited to provide a unique, tailored digital experience. Over the next 3 years, Western House Academy will be following the Park Federations 1:1 strategy. This strategy will see all children in Key Stage 2 assigned their own Chromebook to use daily in school. The purpose of this is to prepare children for life beyond Western House Academy by providing them the digital literacy and a wide range of digital skills to succeed in a world that is becoming ever more digital. Chromebooks will enhance, enrich and extend learning opportunities within carefully selected lessons and fuel a richer, collaborative working environment amongst pupils.  A range of current technology, which children will be able to effectively use, will be available for children to independently select and for staff to use engage and deliver the curriculum outcomes. As Western House Academy embark on this digital journey, we are constantly ensuring the staff are given the relevant training and support to equip them to pass their knowledge and skills to inspire their cohort of learners.

The surprise reveal of the Chromebooks to the Year 5 children

Now Press Play:

The investment of Now Press Play across the whole school has provided enriched experiences for our children within the curriculum from Nursery up to Year 6. Our children and staff have loved immersing themselves in the range of stories Now Press Play has to offer and interacting with the story and different characters as it goes; a resource that lends itself to the experiential aspect of our curriculum. Now Press Play allows children to virtually visit the likes of Greece, Rome, Mumbai, Egypt, the Rainforest and Mars!

We particularly like how there are different dialects and accents used in the different stories to suit the contexts and range of settings. Children feel as if they are part of the story, subsequently they have shown to have an improved understanding and comprehension of the story at the end when it comes to the questioning. Our children with SEND have benefitted and engaged well from Now Press Play listening to it in a small intervention group then again in their whole class has ensured they have a good understanding of the story which has been delivered to them in a more engaging way, in turn they have shown more independence in the follow up activities.

What Our Children Think of Now Press Play