We’re delighted to be recognised in the 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards 🎊
The Digital Services Team was Highly Commended in the Transformational Use of Digital Technology award. Our in-house tools are used across the Outwood family, specifically tailored to meet the needs of our schools and align with our policies and practices. They include:
- An online achievement badge programme (Honours) for secondary school children
- Academic tracking and reporting systems
- Behaviour monitoring and sanction management tools
- A portal for children and their parents/carers
Throughout the last couple of years, we’ve been investigating how we can use generative AI to enable new capabilities. In December, we launched our first significant standalone AI-backed tool: a wizard to help generate sets of Key Stage 2 reading comprehension questions for a given text. We’ve since received positive feedback from colleagues, particularly for its ease of use, and are now exploring the development of other tools to support our teachers.

From left to right: Harrison Pickering (Software Developer), Elliot Bowes (Director of Digital Services), Tom Crouch (Assistant Director of Digital Services), and Matthew Hopwood (Software Developer)
This recognition comes as part of a wider celebration across Outwood. Several colleagues were also recognised this year, including Gosia Watts, who is in the running to be Teacher of the Year in a Primary School. We wish her all the best for the awards ceremony in November!
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and excited about what’s next.