Woodchurch High School has been awarded Google Reference School status.

Over the past four years we have used Google Education resources and associated tools to further promote positive outcomes for our pupils.

We rolled out our Google provision during the Covid-19 pandemic and our staff and pupils embraced it, effectively using the technology available to promote learning through periods of remote education.

Realising its power and potential to enhance learning opportunities for pupils and staff, we have continually sought to make full use of the facilities Google offers. A crucial part of the provision we have established and work hard to develop is our Subject Sites, which is now an integral part of our curriculum and so important for independent learning. Google Classroom has also become a key part of our homework policy, serving as a professional platform for staff and pupil communication. We have fully embraced many other facilities on offer – all our staff use Google Chromebooks and each Curriculum Area across school has access to a suite of pupil Chromebooks.

In the past twelve months, twenty of our staff have been trained as Google Educators and we hope to increase this number in the coming year. We have also developed an internal Teaching and Learning Site for staff which compliments our professional development programme and provides a platform for development materials, blogs and examples of excellent practice from across the school.

In recognition of the progress and achievements made by the school, through the use of technology, Google has awarded Woodchurch High School Google Reference School status.

There are currently only twenty-five schools nationwide who have been successfully awarded this status, mainly located around London and Manchester.

In fact, we are proud to celebrate that Woodchurch High School is the only school with this status in the North West.

The Reference School Award is not only in recognition of our commitment to providing our pupils with future learning skills, but also to our wider commitment of working with and supporting schools in our area.

As a Reference School we will offer site visits and training opportunities to partner settings and collaborate closely with other Google Reference schools in the country, and around the world, to provide the best opportunities for our pupils.

Exciting times ahead!