Enhancing Enrichment and Empowering Independence with VR/AR
Pembridge Hall, based in Notting Hill, London, prides itself on its excellent reputation for preparatory and pre-preparatory education and providing forward-thinking learning environments, in which students aged 4-11 can reach their true potential and be fully equipped for their futures.
Initially sparked by the disruption of school trips and enrichment opportunities during the pandemic, Pembridge Hall has been on a journey of exploration with ClassVR, growing the number of headsets from 8 to 24. As part of its commitment to enhancing learning with technology, virtual and augmented reality is used across several subjects, with students immersed in their learning and teachers increasingly inspired by the rich and expanding resources in the Eduverse.
Building on Enrichment
At Pembridge Hall, ClassVR plays an important role in enhancing enrichment activities. A highlight of the annual school calendar are ‘topic days’, where students from each year group get to step away from their usual timetables to be fully immersed in a topic. Topic days include themes such as ‘Rainforest Day’ and ‘Space Day’, and help students to bolster their studies from throughout the year.
For Year 3’s ‘Egyptian Day’, students explored Ancient Egypt through several learning experiences and activities. “Everyone dressed up in traditional costumes and spent the day learning about Ancient Egyptian people and culture. We even had an artist come in to help students create traditional Egyptian art,” explains Seema Zerafa, Head of Digital Learning at Pembridge Hall. “Using ClassVR, students were able to travel back in time to immerse themselves in Ancient Egypt and explore the pyramids – it was amazing!”
ClassVR is now a firmly embedded feature in topic days for all year groups. “The impact of virtual reality has been huge,” says Seema. “There’s such a difference in how students engage with topic days since we introduced ClassVR. It makes learning even more impactful and memorable, and is a great way to build on all the other activities throughout the day.”
“The impact of virtual reality has been huge,” says Seema. “There’s such a difference in how students engage with topic days since we introduced ClassVR. It makes learning even more impactful and memorable, and is a great way to build on all the other activities throughout the day.”
Strengthening Computational Thinking
By exploring different ways of integrating ClassVR into the curriculum, Pembridge Hall discovered that Eduverse resources not only build on enrichment activities, but also strengthen computational thinking. “That’s what I love about ClassVR and the Eduverse, it’s fantastic for developing computational thinking,” says Seema. “Students need to think critically about where to go and how to navigate their environment. We’ve incorporated ClassVR into lessons on game creation and gaming skills, and it’s been incredibly effective. Our older students can also explore resources independently, which not only fosters independent learning but also reinforces their computational thinking skills even further.”
Empowering Teachers
Alongside captivating students, teachers at Pembridge Hall have also been on a journey with VR/AR. ClassVR is specifically designed for education, including its extensive library of curriculum-aligned resources – a key factor in Pembridge Hall’s decision to adopt the technology.
“One of the main reasons we chose ClassVR is because it’s so safe and child-friendly,” says Seema. “Only ClassVR content can be accessed from the headsets, and the classroom management portal gives us complete control over what the students see. This gives our educators total peace of mind because every resource is designed for young people.”
“ClassVR makes it easy to introduce VR/AR to the classroom,” says Seema. “You don’t need to be a tech expert, and it gives you everything you need to get the most out of it. After experimenting with ClassVR in my classroom, we’ve been helping more teachers to embed it into their lessons. They receive top-up training every year, so we can keep building their confidence and unlock new ways to use it in our classrooms.”
“ClassVR has already had a big impact on teaching and learning in our school. It’s opened up so many opportunities for innovation, and I’m excited to keep exploring everything it has to offer.”
“There are so many resources in the Eduverse we can use, literally thousands!” continues Seema.
ClassVR has had a big impact on teaching and learning in our school. It’s provided so many opportunities for innovation, and we’re excited to keep exploring everything it has to offer.
Immersive Learning in Every Classroom
The flexibility of ClassVR has made a noticeable impact at Pembridge Hall. Limited space is a common reality for London schools, and ClassVR’s portability helps to overcome the logistical challenges of teaching across multiple sites.
“Like many schools in London, our classrooms are spread across different buildings. ClassVR headsets come in compact, portable cases, so it’s really easy to move them between sites. That means students from reception through to year 6 can all access the same high-quality experiences.”
ClassVR’s versatility means that learning doesn’t have to pause while equipment is being set up or in by another class. Eduverse content can be accessed on a range on internet-enabled devices, teachers can adapt in the moment and still deliver engaging experiences.
“Eduverse content can be accessed on any internet-enabled device,” continues Seema. “So, if a teacher has an idea during a lesson but doesn’t have time to collect all the headsets, they can find the resource on the portal and display it on the board or can be sent to student devices. Students still get the benefit of learning from the resource, and often become enthusiastic about exploring the topic further with the headsets later on – it’s brilliant.”
Embracing the Journey Ahead
Seema is excited about the next phase of Pembridge Hall’s ClassVR journey, and is looking forward to introducing new AI features to further enhance teaching and learning with VR/AR across the school.
Our journey has been great so far. I’ve been feeling really inspired by all the new content in the Eduverse and the developments of ClassVR, so I can’t wait to see where our journey takes us next.