Renfrewshire Council

Primary 3B class teacher Ruth Burnett was recognised for her work with technology in the classroom. She was one of six people from across the UK invited by Apple to attend the company's London headquarters where she met His Majesty The King and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Ruth said: "I was delighted to represent the Apple Distinguished Educator family at this exciting event. Being a part of a worldwide community of inspiring, creative and supportive educators impacts my life every single day. Our circumstances and settings may vary, but we all fundamentally believe that putting the right tools in the hands of children, young people and educators, leads to a creative and joyful learning experience. 

"The fantastically creative primary 3B children at Bishopton Primary used their school iPads to design Scottish constellations using an activity from the Apple Education Learning Centre. I had a selection of these printed onto a tote bag that was gifted to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, at the event at Battersea. It was wonderful to tell the children all about the fun adventure I had been on and how their fabulous work had played an important part in it."

The Apple Distinguished Educators programme recognises and supports leaders who are transforming teaching and learning using Apple technology.

Primary 6 class teacher Jennifer Cauley facilitates the environmental work within the school, supported by several other staff. The school was recently presented with a commendation certificate from Keep Scotland Beautiful for their work on including pupil voice in their environmental plans. The environmental organisation visited the school as part of its 30-year anniversary celebrations.

Jennifer said: "We are very proud of Bishopton Primary pupils' commitment to global citizenship. This is one of our school values, and pupils are always keen to discuss the effect that their positive actions can have on our both our local and global community.

"Pupils have organised and facilitated many activities in line with the Global Goals over the years, including but not limited to - workshops to re-purpose old clothing, lessons for their peers on how to make bird feeders, raising money for a variety of charities, and taking responsibility for keeping our school playground clean through regular litter picks. They should be extremely proud of themselves; it is a pleasure to work alongside them and support their ideas to protect our environment."

News article published Wednesday 12 March 2025.