Clean sweep for Banagher College at Digital Schools Awards

BANAGHER College was honoured at the recent national Digital Schools Awards – hosted in the school itself – by receiving validation in all seven areas assessed by the judges. That success also meant that the school received an overall Digital Schools Award, leaving Banagher College joining a select group of schools from across Europe who have achieved the distinction.

The Digital Schools Awards recognises schools who have made significant strides in incorporating the use of digital technologies into all aspects of school life. Each school hoping to receive the award must conduct an audit of their use of digital technology using the European ‘SELFIE For Schools’ survey – a specially designed tool, created by the European Commission. The school’s Digital Learning Team then designs an action plan based on the results, with the aim of improving key areas of education at the school. Evidence of the actions taken – and their effectiveness – are later submitted to the panel of experts to assess whether the school has made sufficient progress in each area. The judges deemed that Banagher College was successful in all seven areas, which also qualified them to receive the overall award.

Banagher College was one of fourteen schools from around Ireland who managed to achieve the overall distinction. The award was presented to the principal, as well as members of the school’s Digital Learning Team and student leaders, at the awards ceremony, where representatives of the technology sector were on hand to present the awards.

Banagher College principal, Ms Lily Kinahan, spoke of how honoured the school was to achieve the award, and how it was recognition for the hard work of all the staff and students of the school, who have done so much to develop the school’s growing reputation as a hub of digital innovation.

Banagher College will now go on to become a mentor school, helping others as they seek to also receive Digital Schools Awards status.