ABSTRACT

Interest in the achievements of Essa Academy in Bolton, Lancashire, is so high that the school organises regular tours for visitors. There's a charge to make them sustainable, and some of the students support the visits as part of their curriculum work. The technology supports, enables and extends that School director Abdul Chohan says that observers sometimes make the mistake that the Essa story is just about ICT. It's important to understand that Essa Academy is at the start of its learning journey than the end. This started in 2009 at the former Hayward School as it struggled to stay out of special measures. Learning and teaching, and the released potential of its learners, are what drive the Essa Academy. The changes at Essa involve conceptual shifts which are deep and radical, and tie closely to the use of instant, mobile technology.