IT giant Apple has joined forces with pioneering Scottish Borders Council on new digital approaches to learning.

Three years ago the local authority took the decision to roll-out iPads to secondary school pupils.

It was a move noted across the pond by Apple bosses who have now linked up with the council to spearhead digital approaches to learning.

That partnership came to fruition on Friday of last week when the first students attending the new Inspire Academy in Tweedbank had a chance to learn from Apple’s IT experts.

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Pupils from Earlston and Selkirk high schools enjoyed a live hook-up with the firm’s headquarters in California.

Lesley Munro, the council’s director of education, said: “Apple have embraced what we were doing here with professional learning and their support has allowed us to continue taking things forward to open our Inspire Academy.

“Every time I speak to our team behind the Inspire Academy they excite me with where this can go, and with Apple’s help, the sky’s the limit.

“The digital world is changing and developing as a pace that we’ve never seen before, and I genuinely believe the Scottish Borders can become the world leader in digital learning.”