A leading education trust in North London has showcased how it uses innovative digital technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) to create remarkable futures for thousands of pupils.
Connect Education Trust, a multi-academy trust, hosted a Digital Learning Day at Bowes Primary School in Enfield to highlight how it is placing pedagogy at the forefront of digital learning.
The event was supported by Avantis Education, creators of ClassVR, the world’s first virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) solution designed exclusively for education. Avantis showcased its Future Forests Toolkit, a new climate-focused education resource, which is the result of a partnership with the Rainforest Foundation UK.
Attendees included senior leaders from other multi-academy trusts, who saw how ClassVR was used during a live lesson, and heard from teachers and pupils about how the immersive technology has enriched learning across the school.
Bowes Primary School’s use of ClassVR was recognised for its positive impact on learning by Ofsted, England’s national schools inspectorate. The report, which rated Bowes ‘outstanding’ in all key areas, detailed the way the school uses digital technology including VR to “enhance pupils’ experiences across the curriculum”.
Gulev Karayel, Director of IT and Communication for Connect Education Trust, says the day was a huge success.
“Our visitors were very impressed by the breadth and depth of learning opportunities available with ClassVR across the curriculum and at all key stages,” she explains.
“We were proud to be able to showcase how we have used digital learning to deliver meaningful experiences that have enhanced learning for all our pupils. They could see how the children were excited to use the technology, but also how confident and focused they were while using it.”
Teachers at Bowes demonstrated how they have used various technologies, including interactive instructional platforms, to improve oracy, vocabulary and retrieval practice.
“There were lots of discussions around the purpose of using the right technology in the right way,” adds Gulev.
Andrea Tonks, Customer Success Executive at Avantis, demonstrated ClassVR at the event.
“Connect Education Trust is an excellent example of a forward-thinking organisation that is making the most of the immersive learning opportunities available with ClassVR,” she says.
“At Bowes, the seamless integration of ClassVR across the curriculum empowers students to confidently harness the technology as a dynamic learning tool from an early age.
“Seeing the students using the VR headsets then excitedly discussing what they had learned, and how they felt more connected to the topic as a result, was a powerful reminder that when technology is used with purpose, it doesn’t just teach – it inspires, ignites curiosity, and transforms the way young people engage with learning.”
