ICT suite

In St Ives Junior School, we have a very highly specified ICT provision. As well as a PC, Interactive Whiteboard and Visualiser to aid learning in every classroom, we also have 35 RM All-in-One PCs in our ICT Suite.

With these 35 PCs in the suite, the child-to-computer ratio is always 1:1, which means that every child gets the full amount of lesson time to grapple with their own learning.

Our computer network is supplied by Research Machines, and runs the Community Connect 3 system over Windows XP. Using this system, we are able to provide a safe and fun learning environment for pupils, staff and parents. Add to that a high-speed, ultra-secure Internet provision supplied by RM and the South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) and you can clearly see that the scope for learning in ICT is astronomic.

Using RM’s advanced ‘SafetyNet’ filtering system, which is a centrally located Internet Content Filter service connected to over 2000 schools across the UK, we are able to actively control the content that pupils can access on the Internet. Being centrally located, we get the benefit of the vigilance of all 2000 supplied schools – if its filtered for one, its filtered for all. We can also filter individual sites locally, for added security.

As part of our ICT provision pupils create their own animations using ZU3D software.  They programme characters to dance using Yenka and programme our Go-Robo team of robots.  ICT is also used to support learning in other subject areas: in music we use innovative software called Groovy Music, and we have a large number of data loggers to use in Science and Maths lessons.  Pupils regularly record themselves using our audio digital recorders to impact on our story telling and writing skills.

We are a Frog school!  Frog is our Virtual Learning Environment where pupils can access and download key lessons from the day, can contribute to learning discussions and build their own web pages.  The sky is the limit!!

We also run lunchtime and after school ICT clubs and the suite is busy with pupils grappling with targetted learning from 8.25 a.m.