Hundreds of schoolchildren at Selkirk High School in the Borders are the first to use iPads as part of a digital learning scheme.

More than 400 hundred pupils and 34 teachers have been given access to the devices following the rollout, which is part of the £16 million Inspire Learning initiative

Eight more schools in the Borders region will be equipped with iPads during the 2019/20 academic year, with primary schools to follow in 2020/21.

Kelso, Hawick and Earlston High Schools are set to benefit before Christmas this year, Scottish Borders Council said.

When the initiative is completed, every pupil from P6 to S6 will receive an iPad, with younger pupils given access to a shared device. So far, teachers have noticed significant benefits of the deployment, such as improved pupil engagement, increased participation and better communication.

The roll-out follows a similar deployment in August which saw thousands of Glasgow pupils equipped with iPads. The project hopes to free up time for teachers and boost their control of the learning process.

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Commenting on the roll-out, Jamie Bryson, headteacher at Selkirk High School said: “There has been great excitement across the school about Inspire Learning. Our teaching staff have fully embraced the technology and students are already experiencing a more creative and collaborative learning experience.

“We have had great feedback already from parents as well as students and all teachers are working together to maximise the benefits of this technology for the future.”

The Inspire Learning scheme, led by Scottish Borders Council, aims to transform schools into world-class digital learning spaces, and includes investment in improved WiFi capabilities, Apple TVs and teacher training schemes.

Over the course of the ten-year programme, 33,000 iPads will be deployed with more than 11,000 iPads being in circulation at any point.

Councillor Carol Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for education, commented: “We are extremely proud of this programme. It is one of the biggest and most ambitious digital learning projects in the country.

“There has been a huge amount of work gone into the roll-out to teachers and the first pupils, and the feedback even within the first week has been delightful.”