Our commitment to digital development

Our commitment to digital development is at the very heart of our education and School life. Everyone at Downe House shares the same digital experience. Our girls, our staff, our houses and our classrooms are connected through a holistic digital provision of software (Office 365) and hardware (Microsoft Surfaces). This commonality is crucial because it enables the whole community to be inclusive and innovative.

We also know that digital technology will help prepare girls for the life after Downe House by providing them with a richer educational experience and by giving them the skills and confidence to enter the wider world of study and work, where digital literacy and technology will play a huge role.

Particularly relevant at the moment, our commitment to digital progression means that we can maintain an exemplary quality of teaching and learning whether at school, home or anywhere else.

Our Digital Strategy is driving the ongoing transformation of teaching and learning, helping us to ensure that Downe House girls are fully prepared for the future.

Mr David McClymont

Director of Information Systems

Microsoft Showcase School

We are proudly a Microsoft Showcase School and have been since 2018, pioneering state-of-the-art educational technology at school and in the wider education sector.

CPD for staff is a huge element of our digital strategy and we are delighted that Downe House has the highest number of Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts trained in the UK, which creates a School culture of adaptability and innovation; our aim is to encourage all staff to continue to work towards this award. Our digital strategy means that we, staff and students alike, are prepared for innovative and collaborative learning from anywhere – at home or in the classroom.

Microsoft Surface Programme

Research shows that innovative digital teaching and learning is facilitated by students’ ready access to standardised technology. To this end, every new student begins School with their own fully set-up Microsoft Surface Pro (a hybrid tablet with stylus) and has an extensive induction on the variety of ways they can use and experiment with this device to best suit their own learning style.

To ensure that parents are up-to-date with the latest age-specific technology trends and concerns, we invite E-safety experts to talk specifically to our parents about internet safety and managing technology at home.

How we’re using technology

Curious to see how digital technology features specifically in school life? Read our stories below.

Our E-Champions

We believe that it is crucial for the girls themselves to pioneer new technology and lead our digital strategy. We have a group of tech-savvy girls across the school who work together to raise awareness of digital best practice and online safety. For example, the team have created their own E-Champions 5 Top Tips infographic and E-Champion Dominica has produced a helpful infographic of vocabulary to inform us about our digital presence.

Our digital strategy

We our committed to progressing our digital strategy at a whole school level. To this end, our Director of Information Systems is on our Leadership team and works closely with staff across the school to ensure that our digital technology meets our academic and pastoral needs. On top of this we have a team of digital leaders from different departments to champion our digital strategy and work with our Director of IS to move us forward. You can read more about our Director of Information Systems, Leadership team and digital leaders here.