Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Caerau, a Welsh-speaking primary school in Cardiff, needed support to upgrade their classroom display technology.

The school knew that the older technology was having a detrimental impact on the children’s learning outcomes, in addition to serving as a barrier to reaching new curriculum targets. See their story in this video, from the headteacher and other staff at the school:

Setting the scene…

The first step in any technology upgrade project is to understand where you are now, and to do this, we delivered our Classroom Healthcheck^® service. This provided a detailed report of what technology was currently in operation, how effectively it was working and to what extent it was supporting teaching and learning.

It quickly became clear that a vast majority of the classrooms needed reviewing urgently; multiple brands of out-of-warranty hardware, supported by obsolete software, were holding back the ability of teachers to teach and the enthusiasm of learners to learn.

Also, having undertaken an internet connectivity upgrade and invested in Chromebooks for teachers and pupils, the next step was to maximise the benefits with new classroom displays.

The Project…

Elementary Technology, as part of our relationship with Cardiff Local Authority, supported the school through the whole process – from planning and choosing through to buying and using their new technology.

We installed nine of the latest SMART Board 6000 Series interactive touchscreens, supported by SMART Learning Suite software and Lumio – an outstanding cloud-based teaching platform.

As a Welsh-speaking school, accessing teaching tools in Welsh is a key element in delivering lessons and supporting learning outcomes. Our experience and position in the market meant that we were able to work closely with SMART, to integrate Welsh versions of SMART Notebook and Lumio in the classroom, providing direct access to Welsh learning resources.  

We worked closely with the school’s ICT Coordinator to embed the new technology into everyday teaching we provided access to our Get Set Go training platform – self-paced training content filled with bite-size videos and quizzes, with each providing a named Certificate of Completion. For reinforcement and progression, this is being supported by an ongoing programme of teacher-led training and CPD.

Alaw Le Bon, Year 6 teacher and ICT Coordinator at Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Caerau said, “Elementary Technology trained us on how to do things at the school, as well as online” adding, “It’s important to help staff confidence and skills, so they know how to work it in their classroom”.  

We’re delighted with the direct results the school have experienced because of the new technology being installed and effectively used in day-to-day teaching. We’ve supported the school to deliver lessons in the Welsh language, improved learning outcomes for pupils of all ages and development levels, all whilst embracing the needs of the teachers and supporting their professional development.  

We look forward to continuing our close partnership with Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Caerau.

Date: 15th May 2018