PedTech

Lavendon School provides every child from Year 1 upwards with their own iPad, ensuring technology is used purposefully to enhance learning and make the curriculum accessible to all.

At Lavendon School, our 1:1 iPad provision is designed to empower children as active learners. From Year 1 onwards, each pupil has access to their own device, which is used to support personalised learning, encourage independence, and provide immediate opportunities for creativity and collaboration. Importantly, we ensure that iPads are never used for passive screen time; instead, they are integrated into lessons in ways that deepen understanding, extend thinking, and make learning more engaging.

Our approach always begins with pedagogy first. Technology is not introduced for its own sake, but as a tool to support high-quality teaching and learning. To achieve this, we have worked closely with Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith, founder of PedTech and a leading voice in education research, to ensure our use of digital tools is firmly rooted in effective practice. Dr Aubrey-Smith’s work emphasises that technology should serve pedagogy, not replace it, and that successful integration depends on how it is used to empower teachers and learners.

Research around PedTech highlights that while EdTech focuses on the tools themselves, PedTech ensures that pedagogy drives the choices we make. As the Education Endowment Foundation notes, technology alone does not improve learning; its impact depends on how it is embedded into teaching. By adopting a PedTech approach, Lavendon School ensures that iPads are used to support active engagement, critical thinking, and accessibility for all learners, including those with SEND. For example, iPads can provide adaptive resources, instant feedback, and creative platforms for children to demonstrate their learning in diverse ways.

Through this provision, our pupils benefit from:

  • Personalised learning: apps and tools tailored to individual needs and progress.
  • Active engagement: interactive tasks that prevent passive screen time.
  • Accessibility: resources that support all learners, including those with additional needs.
  • Creativity and collaboration: opportunities to produce, share, and reflect on learning in innovative ways.

By combining strong pedagogy with purposeful technology, Lavendon School ensures that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a modern, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.