Published Date: Mar 13th, 2026
Fife Council has reached a major milestone in its flagship Transforming Learning programme - and is reflecting on its incredible success so far.
One of the largest and most ambitious IT projects ever undertaken in the region, Transforming Learning’s initial phase was to see P6-S6 pupils across Fife issued with an iPad to support the council’s commitment to closing the digital divide and ensuring every learner has access to the tools and support they need to succeed.
Following a huge amount of planning, deployment began with staff in May 2025 with a dedicated Transforming Learning team supporting upskilling and preparation, followed by the learner rollout from August 2025.
And, by the end of next week, the deployment team will have visited all 155 schools in Fife, with nearly 30,000 young people now using iPads as part of their daily routines.
The project has progressed so efficiently that the council is now accelerating plans to issue iPads to the current P5 cohort during Term 4, ensuring they begin P6 with devices already in place.
Carnegie Primary School in Dunfermline was the final primary school checked off the list today, with pupils at Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline to get theirs next week.
Councillor Cara Hilton, Fife Council Spokesperson for Education, said: "This is a transformational moment for education in Fife.
“This project has been delivered at an extraordinary scale, and its impact will be felt for many years to come.
“By giving P6-S6 learners their own device, we are dismantling digital barriers and ensuring equal access to learning opportunities for all.
“The collaboration across our schools has been exceptional, and our staff have shown real commitment to developing their digital skills in support of learners.
“This is a major step forward for education in Fife and it’s been fantastic to see how schools, teachers and pupils have taken to the introduction of the iPads and integrated them into daily routines so seamlessly.”
The scale of the operation has been unprecedented, with deployment teams delivering nearly 400 iPads per day to pupils, and more than 800 per day during staff rollout.
That means that iPads will have been rolled out across 155 schools - including 132 primary schools, 18 secondary schools and 5 special schools - meaning that 29,888 young people and just over 4,000 staff are being equipped with personal learning devices.
Every school in Fife has played an active role, with months of detailed planning, co-ordination, and hands-on involvement from educators and digital specialists.
The initiative goes far beyond device deployment. It enhances equity of access to digital resources, enables personalised learning, and ensures children and young people can access support - academic or wellbeing - whenever they need it.
Donald Macleod, Executive Director of Education and Children’s Services, said: "Transforming Learning is about much more than technology - it’s about inclusion, empowerment and preparing our young people for the future.
“Right from the outset, the Transforming Learning strategy has been built on ensuring digital equity for children and young people, and staff across our schools.
“The 1-1 devices for P6-S6 learners and the ongoing refresh of shared devices from early years to P5, is a huge step forward in achieving our ambition.
“We have made great progress in Fife, in ensuring that our young people move into positive destinations beyond school, whether that be into the world or work or into further education or training.
“To continue to have success in this, we need to ensure that their experiences in school are equipping them appropriately for the next stage in their lives.”
Fife Council has been working towards Transforming Learning for a number of years before investing in staff to build the business case.
Learning from other local authorities, Fife Council created a vision that was right for Fife based on 1-1 devices as a vehicle to help impact learning and teaching - not a replacement for traditional teaching methods.
Dr Craig Martin, Project Lead for Transforming Learning, said: "Deploying more than 30,000 devices across 155 schools is a huge undertaking.
"The success of this first phase reflects meticulous planning, a dedicated central team and the hard work of staff in every school.
“It also shows what is possible when teams from right across the council come together, with services collaborating seamlessly to support a shared ambition for learners.
"We are proud not only of the scale of what has been achieved, but of the positive change it is already bringing to classrooms."
Councillor Kathleen Leslie, Convener of Fife Council’s Education Scrutiny Committee, added: "We’re already seeing the difference the devices make - greater engagement, more tailored learning experiences and improved access to support materials.
“For many pupils, having their own device has opened opportunities that simply weren’t possible before.
“This has obviously just been the first phase, and we’re fully committed to ensuring that the programme moving forward has lasting, long-term benefits for learners, families and staff across the region.”
Notes:
Our main photo shows pupils at Carnegie Primary along with (back row) headteacher Ashley Brown; Angela Logue, head of education at Fife Council; Councillor Cara Hilton, Fife Council education spokesperson; Councillor Kathleen Leslie, Convener of Fife Council’s Education Scrutiny Committee; Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council Spokesperson - Finance, Economy & Strategic Planning; and Claire Thomson, P5-P7 Deputy Headteacher at Carnegie Primary.
For more information about how the rollout is progressing, visit https://www.fife.gov.uk/transforminglearning
