Oasis Academies plans to provide 7th Generation iPads to every pupil in its network of 52 schools in England, as well as teachers and support staff.
The Oasis Academies of England, a collective of 52 schools, will provide a new 10.2-inch iPad (32GB, Wi-Fi only) to each of its 30,000 pupils and staff under a program called Oasis Horizons. Most will get their iPads between January and June 2021, but schools in Birmingham and Grimsby are due to get them from this month.
An academy is the British term for a school that has chosen not to work with its own local authorities and instead deals directly with the national government. The stated objective is to make these schools operate more like businesses, which has resulted in a large number of university schools merging into networks.
Oasis Academies now includes 14 schools around London, plus 8 near Birmingham in the Midlands and 18 in the North of England. The company buys the iPads through Sync, a UK Apple retailer, and says it’s “mainly funded using the money we invest in our academies’ IT equipment every year”.
“What connects Oasis is a passion for healthy, inspiring communities where everyone is included, contributing and reaching their God-given potential,” said John Murphy, CEO. “Oasis Horizons will [also] empowering our staff to teach in new and exciting ways and work more effectively, reducing the time needed to complete important activities like grading and freeing up that time to support their students. »
The program is not responding to an increase in home study. Currently, schools in England are open and pupils will need to bring their iPads each day. “A persistent failure to do so means your child has not prepared to learn,” notes Oasis, “and may result in punishment.”
This step by selected schools in England follows similar moves in the United States. More recently, Apple highlighted how the same 10.2-inch iPad was used to teach gardening in Dallas.
