Digital Schools Awards is an industry-led education initiative to support, encourage and recognize schools’ use of technology to support improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. The programme offers a nationally recognized, independently validated ‘digital schools’ award for schools and it is open and free to all primary and secondary schools to participate. A strength of the programme is its unique collaboration between government, education and the technology industry. With aims to create the next generation of informed, responsible and resilient digital citizens, the programme is especially designed to benefit schools in key areas; • Helpful toolkit to develop whole-school digital planning • Plan how digital technology will be integrated into the curriculum • Boost teacher confidence and adoption • Support’s skills development in young people • Establish appropriate internet use and cyber resilience at all levels of learning • Build community of digital schools • Enhance school recognition • Free to participate Programme has range of benefits across government: • Helps address education skills gap through meaningful industry collaboration • Boost’s adoption of national digital strategy in education • Long term strategic investment in education • Drives school good practice, builds communities and shared experiences • Supports efforts to improve skills agenda in education and the economy • Pedagogically-based supports and resources The Digital Schools Awards currently operates in the UK and Ireland.