Case Study
Bridging the Gap at Goldsmith Primary Academy
Goldsmith Primary Academy in Walsall sits in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, but that hasn’t stopped it from achieving extraordinary things.
The school launched a 1:1 iPad programme and introduced Showbie to reimagine what teaching and learning could look like. The result? More equitable classrooms, more confident learners and a more empowered teaching team — all driving sustained, school-wide progress.
Overcoming the Challenges
Goldsmith Primary Academy is a two-form entry school and part of Windsor Academy Trust. It serves a community facing high levels of economic and social disadvantage. For years, these challenges could have been used as a reason to lower expectations. But Goldsmith’s leadership saw it differently — as a reason to raise the bar.
Rather than letting external factors determine outcomes, Goldsmith placed equity and opportunity at the heart of its school culture. Their mission? To ensure that every pupil — regardless of background — could access a high-quality, engaging education tailored to their needs through personalised learning tools. That ambition set the stage for a digital transformation rooted in purpose and inclusion.
What Things Looked Like Before
Before their digital journey began, the school’s access to technology was inconsistent and limited. A handful of year groups shared iPad devices, others rotated through a trolley of Chromebooks, and many pupils used digital tools just once or twice a week. Resources were mostly paper-based, and personalised learning often meant coloured worksheets — which, unintentionally, broadcast ability levels to the whole class.
SEND pupils, in particular, faced barriers. Support was often visible and clunky — think large printouts or bulky assistive devices — which could isolate children rather than empower them.
Teachers were doing everything they could to meet pupils’ needs, but the limitations of analogue tools and time-consuming workflows made true differentiation a daily challenge. Planning and marking took up huge portions of the week, leaving little room for innovation or deep reflection.
The Switch to 1:1
In 2021, Goldsmith made the leap to a 1:1 iPad model as part of Windsor Academy Trust’s Empowered strategy, a bold initiative to raise digital competency and close the equity gap across all schools in the trust. From day one, Showbie was introduced as the central learning platform, giving teachers and pupils a single, consistent space for learning and feedback. Our partner Jigsaw24 supported the deployment, ensuring the technology was ready so teaching could start in Showbie immediately.
At Goldsmith, Showbie — which allows teachers to assign work, provide personalised feedback, and facilitate meaningful classroom interactions in one place — became the central hub for learning. Pupils receive assignments, access learning resources, submit work in multiple formats, and get teacher feedback via voice notes, text, or annotation — all in the same platform.
Showbie’s flexibility has also been a game-changer for accessibility. Students can complete work using video, audio or written responses. Feedback is faster and more personal, allowing Adaptive Teaching to be used to best effect. And because everything is housed in one place, there’s a consistency and structure that helps pupils feel secure and independent.
“This wasn't about doing something flashy. We need tech that solved real problems, for our learners and for our staff.”
The Difference in the Classroom
The impact of the switch to iPad and Showbie was profound. Now, walk into any Goldsmith classroom and you’ll see every pupil engaged in active learning, with their iPad open in front of them. Instead of waiting to be helped, they use a range of embedded tools to support themselves: screen readers, voice typing, read-aloud features, translation apps and more. These tools are used by everyone, not just SEND pupils, removing the stigma that used to come with “needing help.”
“We had a visually impaired pupil who used to carry around a massive machine just to access work. Now it's all on her iPad, she's not singled out anymore. That's real inclusion.”
In every lesson, learners use Showbie to access resources, revisit instructions, and take ownership of their progress. If a pupil gets stuck, they don’t need to wait with a raised hand. They revisit a teacher’s recorded explanation or review peer examples. The focus has shifted from compliance to curiosity.
Wellbeing support has also moved into the digital space. Pupils use daily “zones of regulation” check-ins within Showbie to share how they’re feeling. That data is monitored by pastoral teams, enabling early interventions and better emotional support.
“We’ve made Showbie a safe space,” Max adds. “It’s where pupils know they’re seen, heard, and valued.”
What the Pupils Say
Goldsmith’s pupils have embraced the changes with enthusiasm and confidence. Here’s what some of them had to say:
“I like that everything is in one place and I don’t lose my work.”
“If I don’t understand something, I can watch a video again or listen to my teacher.”
“When I feel upset, I use my zones of regulation in Showbie and I know someone will help.”
They also love the ability to show their learning in creative ways, whether it’s a voice recording, a short film, a digital poster or a podcast. The freedom to choose how to demonstrate understanding has made learning more personal, expressive and enjoyable.
An Improvement for All Staff
The benefits of this digital transformation haven’t been limited to pupils — teachers have seen real, tangible gains too.
Time once spent printing, sorting and marking is now used more purposefully. Lesson resources are uploaded in seconds, feedback is delivered through quick voice notes, and everything, from homework tracking to CPD documents, lives in Showbie.
“It’s not just about saving time, it’s about shifting how time is used. Now teachers are focused on impact, not admin.”
Professional collaboration has also improved. Staff can share resources across year groups and subjects, access model examples, and review pupil data more efficiently. New staff are onboarded faster, and experienced teachers can focus on refining rather than firefighting.
“Our teachers can have a life again. We still plan, we still mark, but it’s efficient, purposeful and far more impactful.”
Goldsmith now boasts the highest staff wellbeing scores in the Windsor Academy Trust — a testament to the culture of support that Showbie has helped to create.
Making a Real Impact
The true success of Goldsmith’s digital journey is visible in the outcomes. The school has eliminated its disadvantage gap, an achievement that’s extremely rare in UK education.
“We don’t have a disadvantage gap anymore. In fact, in some areas, our disadvantaged learners are outperforming others. Because now, their learning is supported in ways that work for them.”
Goldsmith’s story has inspired schools across the country. They now host regular open days, sharing their digital strategy, systems and ethos with visitors from across the sector. They’ve also received a host of recognitions for their achievements, including “Making a Difference – Primary School of the Year” at the 2024 Pearson National Teaching Awards, EdTech Innovator of the Year at the National Schools Awards 2024, and Apple Distinguished School status with Showbie at the centre of learning. Their work is influencing not just their local community, but the wider conversation about what’s possible in primary education.
What’s Next?
The journey isn’t over. Goldsmith’s next steps include refining the blend of digital and physical work, exploring the use of AI tools within Showbie, and contributing to research on the impact of digital equity. They’re also building a more formal structure to share best practice across the Windsor Trust and beyond.
“We’ve laid the foundations,” says Sal. “Now we get to innovate. That’s the exciting bit.”
As Max puts it: “Let teachers teach. Let tech make that easier. And just look at what happens when you do.”
