Wokingham

Nine Mile Ride Primary School in Finchampstead, Wokingham has become the first school in the Wokingham district to net a runner-up prize in a national Digital Media Award.

The awards were open to all students aged between five to 18 years across the UK and winning entries had to demonstrate effective use of technology and be highly creative and imaginative.

The school in Finchampstead, Wokingham came runner-up in the digital image still category (age group five to seven) for their photograph of an autumn hedgehog. The school had been studying hedgehogs and their habitats during the autumn term last year and made a collage of them from natural materials such as leaves, conkers and twigs. Once their collage was complete, the children took digital photos of the masterpiece and entered the digital still images category of Becta’s Digital Media Awards.

The project gave pupils the chance to express their creativity through the eye of a digital camera. The judges looked for inspiring digital still images created by budding photographers, with links to the school curriculum. They were so impressed with the level of response across the UK and the exceptionally high quality of all the entries.

And, just before the Easter holidays, foundation stage teacher Tracy Jones took some Wokingham pupils to the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford and they were awarded the runner-up prize in the digital image still category. The certificate and award-winning picture will be framed and displayed at the school. And to top it off, they were presented with digital media equipment for all the whole school to use!

Wokingham Headteacher Caroline Norris said: “The staff and children were thrilled to hear about this award. It is great to see such young children using digital cameras, having fun and producing pictures of which they are so proud.”

David Hawthorne, corporate head of Wokingham children’s services (education) at Wokingham District Council, said: “Once again, one of the district’s schools has achieved national recognition for work they have undertaken using information and communication technology (ICT). It always amazes me the skills younger children have when it comes to new technology! They are using these skills to produce such creative and imaginative work.

“I would like to congratulate the school on its innovative approach to using ICT across the whole curriculum and thank the teachers for releasing the talents of their children.”

Wokingham District Council