A County Durham school has been shortlisted for a national award for its innovative use of technology.
Barnard Castle School is a finalist for Best Use of Education Technology at the Independent School of the Year Awards, recognising its Apollo platform.
Barnard Castle School created Apollo with Involve Education to “see the whole child”.
From Prep School to Sixth Form, pupils use Apollo to set goals, reflect, celebrate achievements and record the experiences shaping them.
Those experiences include CCF, community service, performances, sporting challenges, leadership and RAF flying days.
Apollo brings the school’s values of community, character and ambition into daily life, giving pupils more control over their development and helping tutors have better conversations with them.
Headmaster David Cresswell said: “We wanted to create something that reflects what makes a Barney education special, not just what our students achieve, but who they are becoming.
Apollo has transformed the way we mentor, reflect and celebrate progress, while giving our students real ownership of their journey.
We’re incredibly proud to see this work recognised at a national level.”
Pupils say Apollo is making a difference.
“If I set a goal on Apollo, I try harder to complete it than if the goal was just in my head,” said Elodie, Year 8.
For Old Barnardian Lucia, Apollo turned her experiences into evidence for further-education applications.
“It helped me provide evidence of what I’d actually done,” she said.
For Year 13 boarder Josaia, Apollo offers something deeper.
“The reflections make me more self-aware of strengths and areas for improvement and overall help me to learn from my past experiences,” he said.
Mr Cresswell added: “That’s the point of Apollo. Not more technology for technology’s sake, but technology that helps young people know themselves, own their journey and shape what comes next. The Age of Apollo has begun.”
Prospective pupils and their parents can find out more about Barnard Castle School and Apollo at the open morning on Saturday, October 3.
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