Woodland Academy Trust oversees five schools across Bexley and Kent in the UK. They strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children in their diverse schools serving students with various educational needs. Moving from Jamf Pro to Jamf School and starting a 1:1 iPad program allowed the Woodland Academy Trust to better meet their mission and purpose.
The Challenge
The Woodland Academy Trust community was experiencing lowered student engagement and elevated levels of dysregulation. Relatedly, teachers struggled to accommodate diverse learning needs effectively.
Educational leaders at the Trust set themselves an ambitious goal: to reimagine education.
They sought to align their educational modalities and practices with contemporary learning needs, making lessons more relevant to students. In particular, the Woodland Academy Trust sought to foster skills that traditional models lack, such as:
- Digital literacy
- Critical thinking
- Collaboration
- Learner agency
“Our primary challenge was staff training and adjusting mindsets”, says Dan Davies, Assitant Headteacher for Digital Development.
The Solution
Woodland Academy Trust launched a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach, supporting it with an iPad initiative managed by Jamf School. The Trust hoped to remove barriers to learning and to reignite student enthusiasm for learning.
To ease the transition for students and instructors, Woodland Academy Trust emphasized the ‘why’ behind the technology as a step towards educational innovation, not merely a technological upgrade. Training sessions focused on showing teachers how iPads could enhance access and inclusivity in learning.
It was important to Woodland Academy Trust leadership to emphasize that this was not just a tech initiative; it was a transformative journey in education rooted in pedagogy and supported by technology—not the other way around.
Why Jamf School?
Although the academy had been using Jamf Pro, they moved to Jamf School for its education-centric and simpler management features.
In addition to integrations with well-known teaching and learning applications including Showbie, Goodnotes and Magma Math, Jamf School was simple. It provided a user-friendly solution that seamlessly integrated into their systems, enabling administrators and educators to focus on teaching rather than troubleshooting.
The Jamf Teacher app
Classroom educators find the free Jamf Teacher app particularly useful.
The app provides educators with flexible controls to:
- Create tailored lessons
- Choose the most suitable tools for each task
- Limit internet access if necessary
This selective approach enables students to explore within safe boundaries, enhancing independence while maintaining a focus on the learning goals.
Implementation: starting small
Woodland Academy Trust began with a single classroom set per school to observe how iPads integrated into the learning environment. This also gave them the chance to address any technical issues before the academy-wide rollout.
Over the first academic year, the Trust focused on staff training while gathering best practices for a larger rollout while allowed IT to tailor the setup for a successful, broad-scale implementation the following year.
Impact on teaching and learning
Since implementing a UDL approach, supported by iPad and Jamf School:
- Teachers now spend more time focusing on instruction rather than routine tasks
- Students are building stronger foundations in essential skills
- Woodland Academy Trust can offer far more flexibility in learning approaches
- Jamf School’s intuitive platform allows educators to manage iPads autonomously
- The tailored lessons and device controls have improved learning outcomes and classroom management
Jamf has furnished our staff with the ability to support the diverse learning needs of every student, enabling a more inclusive and adaptable educational environment ( . . . ) each student can access personalized tools and resources tailored to their unique needs.
Student experiences
Students have found new ways to engage with the curriculum using iPad accessibility features. This has been transformative, allowing students with diverse learning needs to express themselves and participate actively across subjects.
This approach allows children to express their understanding in creative ways, building confidence and deepening their grasp of each subject. Additionally, over 92% of pupils report feeling less anxious about coming into schools due to their use of iPads in the classroom.
For example:
- Filming science experiments allows students to watch reactions in slow motion, helping them notice details they might miss otherwise.
- Using voice notes over screen recordings helps students to explain their thinking in subjects like Maths, walking teachers through each step.
- Presenting Language Arts or History projects via iPad allows students to present their own thinking in the way they can best express it rather than regurgitating memorized facts.
Teacher experiences
Teachers have adapted remarkably well, with most stating they would not return to a traditional setup. Many note a reduction in their workload, allowing them to focus more on impactful teaching and less on administrative tasks.
Results
Students
After the implementation of this program, Woodland Academy Trust has:
- Narrowed the achievement gap, particularly for economically disadvantaged, SEND* and EAL** students
- Reduced suspensions
- Increased attendance
*Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
**English as an Additional Language
Teachers
Teachers report having more time for students and lesson planning while at the same time providing deeper and more customized lessons for students.
Operational costs
The Woodland Academy Trust has reduced recruitment costs and saved time on administrative tasks. They are also saving on paper, photocopying, books and other classroom materials.
Jamf helps educators guide students in exploring the wide array of features an iPad offers, enhancing their understanding of how technology can positively impact their learning experience.
Looking ahead
Leadership at Woodland Academy Trust aim to explore Apple Intelligence features and further uses of AI. This will be to further support personalized learning, making education even more tailored and effective for each student.
Most importantly, for the future: the Trust plans to foster deeper community involvement, ensuring the technology leaves a lasting legacy and continues to benefit students, staff and the broader community.
