Penn Wood is a large primary school with 460 pupils in Slough. With a veritable explosion in the use of digital photography taking place in the school, and a plethora of media files being generated by children in word-processing, painting and other programs, IT-literate staff have been struggling to cope with an increased workload and less IT-literate staff have found it hard to organise and locate digital materials. Issues of privacy and security began to arise, but it seemed a shame to solve the problem by restricting access to this treasure trove of media.

Headteacher, Jane Girle, sees School Life as a way to not only solve these problems, but to take full advantage of the opportunites that the multi-media age presents. Sharing details of events, which are illustrated by pictures and scanned work, School Life can create a real sense of community with members of the school, parents and visitors becoming much more aware of personalities and activities. Children can take away and share their memories of school life with their family and friends more effectively than would ever have been thought possible just a few years ago.

Park Gate House St John the Baptist