College phone app success

MORE than 70% of students at Priestley College have downloaded its new mobile phone app, designed to help support students.
The app provides lesson alerts, exam timetables and attendance records has been downloaded 1,433 times so far.
“It has been popular with students who have told us they can’t think of any new functions they would add to it,” said Lead Systems Developer Lee Dyer, who helped develop the app.
“It’s been a very positive move and hopefully the students are seeing the benefits.”
Priestley’s Student Council requested the app saying that was how many students would want updates on vital college news.
Chris Turner, who studied Computing, Electronics and Maths A Levels at Priestley, was asked to help with the design.
The former Penketh High student led on the project and is currently studying Computer Science at the University of Manchester.
“As a former student I am best placed to know what the current intake at Priestley would want from it,” he said.
“What we have developed is something I could have benefitted from as a student and will hopefully make a difference to thousands of others over the coming years.”
Developments in the next version of the app will include a personal diary for logging homework as well as a college calendar with events and term times.
Lee Dyer said a number of other colleges had been impressed with Priestley’s app and wanted to learn more.
“We had a meeting with other IT departments and they were impressed with the functions ours offered,” he said.
“The main goal of the app is to provide another way of supporting our students and making their time at College as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.”