Delta Microsystems Ltd-Profile

Case Studies

Delta Microsystems Limited are an educational only supplier, our customers are you the schools. In this section, we'd like to share with you some of the challenges and show you, through the solutions we provided, why these schools chose us as their partner of choice in the implementation of ICT in their school.

Salford Primary School Introduces Mobile Learning for 7 Year Olds…and they love it!

The Deans Primary School Swinton, Salford

The Deans Primary School in Swinton, Salford is notching up several firsts in its approach to providing a great educational service to pupils and parents. It has just been named as the highest achieving school in the whole country in last year’s Key Stage Two SATS results and at the start of this academic year has introduced handheld learning mobile devices to Year 3 pupils – the first such introduction of mobile computers to seven year olds in the country.

Rather than resting on its academic laurels, the school is constantly looking for ways to boost pupils’ learning. This September it began a project whereby each seven year old was given a Samsung Q1 Ultra handheld computer. It hopes that this project, which was praised by Ofsted, will add another dimension to learning both at school and at home.

Frances Hartley, head teacher, commented , “While our performance in Key Stage Two SATs is the result of an old fashioned focus on getting the basics of reading and writing firmly established with all our pupils, we are also very proactive in our use of ICT throughout the school.

It was back in the summer that we began to look at ‘the classroom of the future’ and the possibility of providing Year 3 pupils with individual hand held learning devices that they could use for their school work in the classroom and also carry on using at home for homework and further learning.

Our school has a long history of close parental involvement and we were keen to share our plans with parents and ensure their support for this ground breaking ICT project. Often access to this sort of mobile technology is only introduced in Year 6 or at secondary school level and we want our 7 year olds to have 3 years of primary school exposure to the integrated school curriculum delivered digitally, and so improve their ICT skills.”

The Challenge

Andrew Harris, The Deans head of ICT explained, “We began by conducting a review of the available mobile computing solutions, including laptops and PDAs before deciding that the Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC was the right solution for our needs. A lot of thought went into selecting a device that would enable us to deliver the educational content of the curriculum and at the same time would be light weight enough to be carried around and also be user friendly for 7 year olds. The school called upon Delta Microsystems Limited and the Local Authority advisory services. After initial discussions with Delta they helped us arrive at the right solution and introduced the school to the E-Learning Foundation to help provide some additional funding to kick start the initiative.”

Salford Primary School Introduces Mobile Learning for 7 Year Olds

Frances Hartley, head teacher continued. “One of the main attractions of the Q1 Ultra is that it can be used as a writing pad using the stylus, which helps children develop their handwriting skills, and with the built in keyboard also allows them to develop their keyboard skills”.

The Solution

The school worked closely with educational ICT specialists Delta Microsystems Ltd to arrive at the right solution, which went much further than simply supplying the hardware.

Andrew Harris explained, “We were impressed by the demonstration of the Q1 Ultra – it met both practical user considerations and the schools requirement to run a suite of educational software. We ordered 35 UMPC’s for the children and teachers; Delta installed a 3Com Managed Wireless Infrastructure throughout the school and provide on site technical support and teacher training”.

Frances added, “Teachers now have the ability to control 30 machines and show examples of excellent children’s work to the whole class. Another benefit is that it is easier for the teachers to give homework to the children – all they have to do is send a word document over the wireless network to each Q1 Ultra and then everyone has the same homework task delivered effortlessly”.

Year 3 pupils also have their own shared area on the school servers enabling them to upload homework to the server for teachers to mark and monitor progress.

So how are the pupils taking to this new way of working? “It has been absolutely brilliant, the children are completely engrossed in the devices – they absolutely love them” added Frances.

While the initial learning focus has been on maths, English and science subjects the head teacher is keen to exploit the potential of the internet for history and geography – getting the children involved in those subjects via films and other photographic and audiovisual media accessible via their Q1 Ultras.

The Future

“We are still in the early days of rolling out the integrated schools curriculum onto the Q1 Ultras but the response from parents and pupils has been fantastic”.

Frances added, “With our close ties to parents the good thing about it is that it’s a family project. The Q1 Ultras are loaded with all our educational software, suitable for nursery age upwards, which means that younger siblings can access and enjoy learning at home too. In time I hope to run classes for parents as well, to explain the Q1 Ultra and what it can do so that they understand the full potential of this device and can use it at home with their children.”

The head teacher commented that staff, pupils and parents had worked hard over recent years to help drive up standards and everyone was very proud of the results achieved. Expecting the best from everyone is how the school engenders the spirit of learning and a strong ‘can do’ approach amongst its pupils. The introduction of Samsung Q1 Ultras for use by seven year olds is another ‘first’ for The Deans School, as it and its pupils embrace the digital age head on.

Ministerial Visit

Following the school success in last years Key Stage Two SATS, the school has recently been visited by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

The Minister took a keen interest in the schools Mobile Leaning initiative and can been seen here discussing the project with the schools ICT Co-ordinator and Year 3 Teacher Mr Andrew Harris and some his pupils.