Judges ‘blown away’ by Larne school’s response to plight of pupils in Croatia

Linn Primary School received an interactive display through it success in ‘Classroom Stories’ which was run by global education technology company, Promethean.

Hazel Ritchie, primary five class teacher at Linn Primary School, said: “We are very excited to be the winners of the Classroom Stories competition. We’re sure that the Promethean ActivPanel will elevate our lesson plans and dramatically improve the children’s learning experience.”

The focus of this year’s competition was “celebrating positivity in education”. Schools across the UK were invited to make a two-minute video, illustrating a unique aspect of their classroom that made them proud.

Hazel quickly got to work alongside pupils in writing, filming, and editing their entry video. The finished product focused on the valuable partnership between Linn PS and a school in Finland, who came together in support of a Croatian school that had fallen victim to a devastating earthquake amidst the pandemic.

Looking out for entrants that showed passion, innovation, and imagination were guest judges Alex Bramley, National Teaching Gold Award-winner, and Andrew Murden from the National Association for Education Technology.

Linn Primary School’s entry video blew the judges away with its sincerity and poignancy, reinforcing the importance of human connection and support for children across the world who need it most. The fantastic entry saw the school claim the edtech prize, worth £3,000.

Reflecting on the win, Hazel added: “Thank you so much, Promethean, for choosing our school as the lucky winner of an ActivPanel. It’s a brilliant way to start the year and to benchmark the children’s hard work.”

Representing Promethean on the judging panel, Jim Wallis, head of UKI Market, commented: “We would like to congratulate Linn Primary School on their fantastic entry into the Classroom Stories competition. Promethean is always excited to celebrate positivity in education, and this is a wonderful example of how creativity and ambition in the classroom should be rewarded.

“We can’t wait to see how Linn Primary School engages with their ActivPanel over the current academic year and beyond.”

With the ActivPanel display now installed, pupils at Linn PS will benefit from a wide range of digital learning opportunities. As well as an onscreen writing experience, the resource comes pre-loaded with powerful applications such as an instant whiteboard, spinner, and timer. Teachers can also invite pupils to share content from their own devices, helping to create a collaborative environment.