A ROCK star game used as a teaching tool has helped a former Weymouth schoolboy win a major European award for education.

Ollie Bray, who was once headboy of the Wey Valley School, scooped a European Innovative Teachers Award by taking a novel approach to a popular computer game.

Mr Bray, 30, who now lives in Edinburgh, used Xbox music game Guitar Hero to help pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school.

His idea will be rolled out across schools in Scotland within weeks and has attracted national and international interest from as far away as Hong Kong and Australia.

Mr Bray uses a three step process of ‘learning, social interaction and reflection and moving on’ as children change schools.

The deputy headteacher said: “I was very surprised to learn that we’d won the award.

“It was refreshing that our project won because it was so innovative.

“This is an investment in children, not in computer games. I was pleased the judges realised the idea was not about learning guitar. It’s not expensive to run and children are already experienced in technology.

“Most teachers would use play in schools. This just gets teachers using good tools – computer games are very engaging.”

The idea for using the game was inspired by a computer games centre in Scotland which looks at computer game learning.

Mr Bray tested Guitar Hero on 262 children who played the game at the Musselburgh Grammar School in East Lothian, where he teaches.

He said: “The game is a stimulus and helps children to make new friends.

“Children feel less worried and really positive about learning.”

And Mr Bray said that he hoped the critics of computer game learning would realise its importance.

He added: “The critics are the same people who thought that the internet wouldn’t catch on.”

Mr Bray will now go forward from the European competition to compete against the best in international teaching innovation when he attend the Worldwide Innovative Teachers Awards in Brazil in November.