Safeguarding provider to Barking Abbey School wins Global EdTech award for pioneering tech

Safeguarding specialist, imabi, which provides first of its kind technology, won the award for best Wellbeing, Safeguarding and Online Safety EdTech for its imabi Inspire app.

The awards recognise innovations across the world that are impacting the educational sector – focusing on schools and individuals who have been embracing technology as well as those organisations supplying groundbreaking contributions.

imabi’s Inspire platform, which is part of the wider imabi ecosystem that includes the British Transport Police’s award-winning Railway Guardian app, is being used by 25,000 students across a host of UK schools including Barking Abbey – with that number continuing to grow.

The technology’s innovative approach to school safeguarding has garnered attention for its effectiveness and potential to significantly improve safety and wellbeing within educational settings.

Commenting on imabi Inspire and their decision to award it the win, the judges of the Global EdTech Awards said in their feedback: “When I was reading the information on the application, I was literally bowled over. It is amazing the impact they have had on staff and students at all the schools they have been used by.”

Centred on helping schools gain a better understanding of their culture, the platform,imabi Inspire, is designed to make students feel safer and better represented. Offering named or anonymous reporting to flag inappropriate behaviours (including from staff as well as fellow students), the chance to provide feedback via surveys, targeted guidance from trusted sources, as well as acting as a portal for essential school information – it’s an ‘all in one place’ safeguarding resource.

Underlining its impact, Stephanie Gibson, Deputy Head at Barking Abbey School, said: "Shortly after implementing imabi, Ofsted came for an inspection. They were highly impressed with how we were encouraging students to report their safety concerns and recognised that traditional methods like emails or a library suggestion box are now obsolete. Our substantial progress did not go unnoticed, and they commended our forward-thinking approach.”

The award win recognises the impact the imabi Inspire platform is having within education settings as it seeks to make a genuine difference to student wellbeing.

Commenting on the award win, Mark Balaam, Founder and CEO of imabi, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win a Global EdTech award. Our mission is centred on making schools and other educational facilities a safe space for children, using the latest technology to help facilitate that. Winning an award and receiving such high praise from the judges is a wonderful feeling and it just serves to reinforce and reinvigorate our commitment to making a genuine difference.”

The Global EdTech Awards celebrate organisations and individuals who are using digital products and services to drive meaningful change in educational institutions around the world. imabi's inclusion as a finalist highlights its exceptional contributions to the field of education technology and its commitment to fostering a safer and more secure learning environment for all.