NI schools hailed as digital trailblazers

Press Release

One of the world’s leading authorities on Enhanced Learning through Education Technology, Professor Don Passey of Lancaster University, has hailed Northern Ireland schools as ‘digital trailblazers’ at the annual NI Schools ICT Excellence Awards, commenting as Capita and the Education Authority unveiled the winners of the Awards at a ceremony in The Merchant Hotel, Belfast. This year’s event celebrated more than a decade of recognising digital innovation in Northern Ireland classrooms. The ICT Excellence Awards showcase the innovative transformative use of technology in education, transforming teaching and learning while improving educational outcomes. 

The theme for 2025 was Making a Difference for Learners: evidence of the successful integration of the use of digital technology in learning and teaching. Nursery schools were included in the awards for the very first time this year.

The four schools revealed as the worthy winners in their respective categories are: 

• St. Teresa's Nursery School, Belfast
• Holy Trinity Primary School, Cookstown
• Clifton Special School, Bangor
• St Colman’s College, Newry 

The judges noted the acceleration of the use of AI in the classroom in the competition entries this year and recognised NI as an ‘Innovation Pipeline’, predicting NI to set a global example of how Generative AI can be leveraged to enrich learning and empower teaching.

Speaking at the awards ceremony Professor John Anderson, Chair of the Innovation Forum and Head Judge said: 

“The ICT Excellence Awards were established 10 years ago – year on year we see dramatic improvement in the use of digital technologies by teachers to enhance learning for the benefit of their pupils. We are delighted to include Nursery Schools in the competition for the very first time – their appropriate use of digital technologies in early years education is outstandingly well-judged.”

The judges also praised effective practices observed in which digital technology is seamlessly woven as a golden thread through all teaching and learning opportunities, fostering a dynamic and interactive environment.

Speaking on behalf of sponsors, Managing Director, Education at Capita, Marianne Betts, said:

“We are incredibly proud to sponsor and be involved in the annual NI schools ICT Excellence Awards. All the finalists illustrate how vital the creative use of digital technology, including Generative AI, can be to support learning and developing the future skills of children and young people. Congratulations to all the winners for this much-deserved recognition of their excellence.”

The Department of Education’s Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour, guest speaker at the Awards Ceremony, commended the expertise, the passion, the commitment and the leadership of teachers necessary to drive forward change. He said:

“The Education Minister’s TransformED agenda—launched in March 2025—is driving the most comprehensive education reform in a generation. Central to this ambitious strategy is the use of digital learning to enhance pedagogy and broaden opportunity.

“Through TransformED we are looking to learn from the world’s best-performing education systems while addressing the specific needs of our learners and educators here at home. Tonight, we celebrate teachers and school leaders who are not just adopting technology and best practice, but are embedding it purposefully and effectively in classrooms, equipping our young people with essential digital capability. Their innovative practice perfectly reflects TransformED’s vision of preparing learners for a rapidly changing world.”

He also acknowledged the pioneering work in Generative AI, with Copilot and Gemini, led by Sponsors of the awards, EA’s EdIS Programme and C2k as part of their ongoing transformation of digital services for schools, enabling innovation in the classroom as well as boosting efficiency and inclusion.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary announced the publication by the international body IFIP, linked to UNESCO, of three of the first-ever case studies of world-leading policy and practice in Northern Ireland’s schools on the theme of Sustaining Relevant Digital Inclusive Education for Young People.

The case studies evaluate the development of ICT services in Northern Ireland schools over the past 35 years as well as classroom practice in computational thinking in two schools: Groggan Primary School and St Malachy’s College, Belfast.

Author of the case studies, eminent educationalist, Professor Don Passey of Lancaster University said:

“The technology provision you have in your schools is unique. The provision enables adoption, cross-school sharing and development, through crucial and critical insights of leaders, teachers, pupils and parents - making a difference for the benefit of all.”

ENDS

EDITOR NOTES:

Photo Captions:

1. Clare Evans, Principal of winning St Teresa’s Nursery School Belfast pictured with colleagues Ann Magill and Kelly McGonnell alongside EA Chair Mervyn Storey and DE Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour
2. Sheila Devlin, Principal of winning Holy Cross Primary School Cookstown pictured with colleague Claire Shields alongside EA Chair Mervyn Storey and DE Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour
3. Helen Doherty, Vice Principal of winning St Coleman’s College in Newry pictured with colleagues Anna Carr, Michael Fegan and Rosemary Matthews alongside EA Chair Mervyn Storey and DE Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour
4. Principal Stephanie Anderson and Vice Principal Brenda Mullan of winning Clifton School Bangor alongside EA Chair Mervyn Storey and DE Permanent Secretary, Ronnie Armour

The theme for the 2024-2025 ICT Excellence Awards was: Making a Difference for Learners: evidence of the successful integration of the use of digital technology in learning and teaching.

The Awards are jointly sponsored by Capita and the Education Authority’s C2k. Fourteen schools left the glittering Awards Ceremony with prizes.

IFIP, part of UNESCO, is the International Federation of Information Processing. Its world-leading case studies of digital learning Northern Ireland schools are available at:

• Passey, D. (2025). IFIP Task Force on ‘Sustaining relevant digital inclusive education for young people (5-18 years of age)’: Computational Thinking and Computing linked to Problem-solving across the Primary Curriculum - Groggan Primary School, Northern Ireland Case Study. ⟨hal05126562⟩. https://ifip.hal.science/IFIP-EPUBLICATION/hal-05126562
• Passey, D. (2025). IFIP Task Force on ‘Sustaining relevant digital inclusive education for young people (5-18 years of age)’: Computational Thinking and Computing linked to Problem-solving across the Primary Curriculum – St Malachy’s School, Northern Ireland Case Study. IFIP. ⟨hal05126544⟩. https://ifip.hal.science/IFIP-EPUBLICATION/hal-0512654 

You can access the judges report and the winners videos here: 

ICT Excellence Awards 2024

Category winners, Highly Commended and Finalist Schools are as follows:

Nursery setting:

• Winner: St. Teresa's Nursery School, Belfast
• Highly Commended: St John the Baptist Nursery School, Portadown
• Highly Commended: Ballymoney Nursery School, Ballymoney, Co. Antrim

Primary:

• Winner: Holy Trinity Primary School, Cookstown
• Highly Commended: Groggan Primary School, Randalstown
• Highly Commended: St. Mary's Primary School, Glenview, Maghera
• Highly Commended: St Patrick's Primary School, Belfast
• Finalist: St. Joseph's Primary School, Crumlin

Post Primary:

• Winner: St Colman’s College, Newry
• Highly Commended: Blessed Trinity College, Belfast
• Finalist: St Joseph’s Boys’ School, Creggan, Derry
• Finalist: Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry

Special: 

• Winner: Clifton Special School, Bangor
• Highly Commended: Cedar Lodge Special School, Belfast

For further information contact: 

Major Projects Communications and Engagement Manager (EdIS)

Name: Katie Patterson Tel: 07977143789 Email: katie.patterson@eani.org.uk Web: www.eani.org.uk