DEANSTON Primary School is celebrating after becoming the first school in the Stirling area to gain national ‘Digital School’ status.

The award, which is endorsed by Education Scotland, recognises schools for their work to achieve digital technology excellence through teaching and learning.

The awards are designed to promote, encourage and reward schools making the best use of digital technology in the classroom.

While schools can pledge to become a Digital School, the status can only be awarded after the school has demonstrated a whole school digital strategy and evidence of how digital technology is being used to enhance learning.

Schools must also show a commitment to ongoing professional learning for teachers.

Education convenor Susan McGill said: “Many congratulations to the staff and pupils at Deanston Primary on becoming the first school of what will hopefully be many, to receive a Digital Schools status in the Stirling Council area.

"Deanston has very much embraced digital technology into almost all aspects of school life.

"Stirling Council is committed to giving our young people as many opportunities to obtain the skills they need to go on to positive destinations like further education and employment.

"In today’s society, digital skills are becoming more and more crucial to so many roles.

"All of our schools work together to learn from each other’s innovations and I am looking forward to what Deanston and the rest of our schools can achieve.”

Among the digital endeavours taken on by Deanston Primary is the use of iPad minis by all learners within the school.

Teaching staff have been given opportunities to boost their digital skills and abilities to use the smart devices during lessons, where pupils use a wide range of education apps to help with research, creative writing and numeracy.

Assessors from the Digital Schools programme found staff to have a “strong sense of common vision” and to be supporting “innovative practice”.

The school was commended for creating an environment where students were enthusiastic and confident in their use of ICT.

Assessors also highlighted a film made by older pupils as a “great example of how technology can be used to support creativity and collaboration.”