A Radlett primary school is pioneering the use of interactive whiteboards which allow teachers to bring lessons alive with cutting-edge technology.

Fair Field Junior School is one of the first in Hertfordshire to install the system which cost the school around £20,000, and was made possible by additional sponsorship from Watford-based electronics giant Sanyo.

Headteacher, Doug Helsby said the system which has been built into every classroom, has had an amazing effect and completely changed the teaching environment: "We have noticed a huge effect on the children. Those who are good at reading like it because you can link to extra resources and look things up on the Internet. Even the shyest children get very involved and parents are pleased as the children go home and talk enthusiastically about what they have learnt."

British technology company Promethean created the award-winning software which is projected from ceiling mounted projectors onto the whiteboard.

High resolution images can be clicked through and the teacher can draw on the screen using a cordless digital pen.

Parent Governor Bridget Adams explained that it was not long before even the less techno-friendly teachers at Fair Field were appreciating the software's advantages.

She said: "Teacher's can plan lessons at home and store or reuse them or share them with other staff".

A Year 6 pupil said:"It is very good, we used to have a white board and you sometimes couldn't see it. We use CD-Roms and in Maths and English we use ActivStudio. It is good for science as it gives us a good idea of what things look like."

Stephen Norris, Educational Adviser for Prometheus said : "It is a great time saver teachers produce an electronic version of their lesson on what is a bit like a flip-chart and whiteboard rolled into one it is having instant access to several filing cabinets."

So far Prometheus have installed 20,000 ActivBoard systems across the UK and estimate about 20 per cent of schools are using one in some form or another.

May 28, 2003 10:30