Elementary Technology, in partnership with 123ICT supported St Mary’s Catholic Primary School to upgrade their school hall technology with the installation of a state-of-the-art video wall.

The school hall was originally home to a failing projector, which provided poor visuals for the children and was becoming expensive to maintain. We spoke to Headteacher Patricia Pickering, whose vision helped bring the video wall to life at the school.

Why did your school decide to choose a video wall over a replacement projector?

As a school, we wanted to get rid of the projector we had in the school hall. Not only was the projector costing a lot to maintain, with parts needing to be continually replaced, we wanted to improve on the technology we already had. We’re lucky enough to have touchscreens in every classroom and we wanted to be able to offer the same quality of visuals to our pupils as a whole school, not just on an individual classroom by classroom basis.

We spoke with our IT provider, 123ICT who suggested we look into a video wall as an alternative. They then put us in touch with Elementary Technology and the upgrade started from there.

How did you find working with Elementary Technology?

We were really impressed with Elementary Technology. The installation wasn’t a straightforward one, as the wall we wanted to hang the video wall screens from wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight. To make sure the install could still go ahead and on the wall we wanted, the installation team from Elementary Technology, who were onsite for 2-3 days, built a bespoke mount and casing out of plywood, which enabled the screens to be mounted on the wall we wanted and finished off to look professional. The team were incredibly meticulous, measuring out the wood and carving on site to make sure it fit perfectly.

How has technology helped you deliver better education?

Since having the video wall installed, we’ve been able to offer children the very best visual experience. The touchscreens we already had in the classrooms helped enhance class learning, but this wasn’t the case for whole school events like assemblies, which were made difficult because children had difficulty seeing the content. Since the installation of the video wall, all of the children are able to access the content on screen no matter where they’re sat.

Have you seen any other benefits to the new technology?

The video wall has transformed activities for both staff and pupils who use the hall. For pupils, we’ve been able to use the video wall for nativity play backdrops, PowerPoint slides for parents’ meetings, PE lessons or to support learning by showing nice photos related to a topic they’re currently learning.

The new technology has also benefited staff at the school. The fact that it’s so easy to use and every teacher can simply plug in and go, means that we’ve been able to use the video wall for staff training and Zoom meetings.

What advice you can give to other schools looking to upgrade their EdTech?

If you want to improve the technology in your school, then do it. I would say, make sure you get advice from your trusted IT provider or a brand agnostic specialist supplier to help you make the right decision for your school. Since having the video wall installed, we could never go back to having a projector and I think that speaks volumes for the impact the technology has had on our school.

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Date: 25th January 2021