At Kates Hill Primary School in Dudley, an ambitious school serving a highly deprived area, immersive learning has found a powerful place in the classroom. ClassVR is helping staff deliver curriculum-aligned content in exciting and meaningful ways, bringing lessons to life and sparking excitement in pupils across the school.
We spoke with Becky Hall, KS1 Phase Leader and Curriculum Lead, about how virtual reality is being used in everyday lessons and the difference it’s making in providing new experiences and perspectives for their pupils.
Embedding VR Across the Curriculum
Since introducing ClassVR, Kates Hill has adopted a whole-school approach to its implementation. With 32 headsets stored in mobile travel cases, staff across all year groups can easily access and schedule sessions. A central booking system allows teachers to reserve the headsets in advance, ensuring every class gets regular opportunities to explore virtual learning experiences. “We’ve made it as simple and practical as possible for staff to book and use the VR headsets,” explains Becky Hall, “That’s helped build staff confidence and ensure the headsets are used consistently.”
VR is now embedded into lessons across history, science, and English – allowing pupils to explore everything from the Great Fire of London to faraway ecosystems.
It was great for them to see places they’d been learning about, like the Colosseum. VR made the lesson fun and interactive, helping them to connect with history in a way that felt real and memorable.
Immersive Learning in Action
Like many primary schools, Kates Hill faced the challenge of helping pupils understand abstract or unfamiliar concepts, particularly in subjects like history. ClassVR has helped to bridge that gap.
Mrs. Pardoe, a teacher at Kates Hill, saw how VR helped bring these concepts to life during their Romans topic.
“As soon as the children saw the ClassVR headsets, they were so excited,” she said. “It was great for them to see places they’d been learning about, like the Colosseum. VR made the lesson fun and interactive, helping them connect with history in a way that felt real and memorable.”
The immersive experience enhanced students’ understanding by allowing them to virtually explore historical landmarks and environments. One Year 4 pupil shared their experience: “It was a really fun way to learn. I haven’t been to Rome, so it was good to see what it would be like in some of the buildings we’ve learnt about.”
By deepening engagement and creating stronger connections to the content, ClassVR has become a valuable complement to traditional teaching methods.
From the Rainforest to the Page
For many pupils at Kates Hill, real-world travel opportunities are limited. ClassVR offers a powerful way to experience places they might never otherwise see, helping to spark imagination and make learning more meaningful.
“Many of our pupils don’t get the chance to experience the things they’re learning about,” explains Becky. “VR gives them that context. It gives them something to visualise and connect to.”
One standout example involved a Year 1 writing task, where pupils used ClassVR to explore the rainforest before writing postcards about their experience, describing the sights and sounds from their journey.
Before the VR experience, the student’s descriptions were basic, using adjectives like “green” and “leafy.” However, once they had experienced the rainforest in VR, their writing became far more detailed and vivid. They described the rainforest using sensory language such as “dark green”, “shady,” and “calm water”.
The improvement in their writing reflected not just vocabulary gains, but also deeper engagement and a stronger connection to the topic.
Beyond the Classroom
The impact of ClassVR at Kates Hill extends beyond traditional lesson time. The headsets are also used in after school and breakfast clubs, giving pupils more freedom to explore and engage with immersive content.
“In after school club, Year 3 and 4 pupils get to pick where they want to go, and they’re so engaged,” says Becky. “The children absolutely love it.”
From exploring coral reefs to flying in Santa’s sleigh, these sessions provide memorable enrichment experiences and help build confidence and curiosity in a more informal setting. Themed VR activities, such as Christmas journeys or planned ocean explorations, bring variety to the timetable and allow staff to adapt content to seasonal or topic-based learning.