Finberry Primary School in Ashford played host to over 100 guests on Friday 4th November who attended the school for an open afternoon in celebration of its recent Microsoft Showcase Award.
The Mayor of the Borough of Ashford, Councillor Jenny Webb and Councillor Matthew Forest present the school with a certificate of recognition.
A prestigious award from software giant Microsoft, there are currently under 100 schools in the United Kingdom that have achieved Showcase School status.
Visitors were welcomed into the large school hall, where children and staff from across The Stour Academy Trust were on hand to demonstrate and answer questions about the technology and teaching techniques that are used on a daily basis by children and staff at the school.
The Mayor of the Borough of Ashford, Councillor Jenny Webb and Councillor Matthew Forest, were in attendance and presented the school with a certificate of recognition from Microsoft Worldwide Education.
Parents and visitors were able to tour the school to see the children following The Stour Academy Trust’s Vision for Education in practice. The vision for education focuses on giving children the necessary skills to allow them to thrive in our modern, 21st century world. The school’s focus on collaboration, inclusivity, the purposeful integration of technology and personlised learning was clear to see as children welcomed parents into their classrooms.
On achieving Microsoft Showcase status Finberry Primary School has joined a global community of schools that harness digital transformation to create immersive and inclusive experiences. We were absolutely delighted to have so many visitors come and help us celebrate this accolade and to see how we are equipping children 21st century learning skills in our inclusive school environment.
Dr Stella Scharinger, Executive Headteacher of Finberry Primary School
It was an overwhelming and extraordinary experience to witness the newly designed methods of teaching the young people in this technological age. The school was incredibly impressive and congratulations to the students, the teachers, teaching assistants and the parents for their hard work in being one of the few Microsoft Showcase schools in the country and around the world to achieve this remarkable status – well done to you all!
Madam Mayor, The Mayor of the Borough of Ashford
The event was very well organised/ presented. As a parent, it was nice to hear what the apps being used are/how the different year groups use them. It was also nice to see the different classrooms using the technology in different forms. We were very impressed with the green screen room!
Parent from Finberry Primary School
What is a Showcase School?
Microsoft Showcase Schools are a global community of schools engaged in digital transformation to improve teaching and learning. Showcase Schools create immersive and inclusive experiences that inspire lifelong learning, stimulating development of essential life skills so students are empowered to achieve more.
Showcase schools use Microsoft’s Education Transformation Framework to drive a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement.
There are currently under 100 schools in the United Kingdom that have achieved Showcase School status.
