Te Akaui Ki Papamoa School is giving its students an iPad each in an attempt to prepare children for the 'obvious future” of digitally supported learning.

The decile four school gave all its Year 4-6 students a 16 gigabyte iPad Mini on their first day back at school this week.

Te Akau Ki iPads. Teacher Glen Storey & Te Akau Ki School room 11 and 12 students having a little fun with their ipads before getting back to work. Photo:Bruce Barnard.

Principal Bruce Jepsen plans to have all students equipped with an iPad within 15 weeks.

'We're preparing children for the obvious future and we want to go them an edge in reaching their potential rather than being behind the eight ball.”

The school has committed $110,000 to the initiative to ensure every student has their own iPad Mini which retail for about $300 each.

A Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust grant will pay for 50 per cent of the initial roll out to senior students.

Bruce says the school was committed to the iPad initiative from the beginning, with or without assistance.

The school already has five iPads, four iMac computers and Apple TV in every classroom and Bruce says technology is 'part of the world we live in”.

'The world that we live in is very digital already and it's not going to become less digital.

'It's about raising achievement for all students. What we've been doing is monitoring student progress and achievement and what we've noticed is as we've introduced or supported the curriculum more and more with digital tools for learning is our results have also accelerated.”

Bruce says all traditional methods of teaching are still being implemented within the school curriculum.

'We're not taking anything away we're adding another aspect to teaching and learning that is going to better support all the children in the school.”

The iPads will be kept at school for security purposes but each iPad is personalised to each individual's learning needs.