EARLIER this year, Cadoxton Primary School on Victoria Park Road, Barry, unveiled their new state-of-the-art immersive classroom space which offers an interactive and sensory-based experience for users.

The classroom, which was funded through Welsh Government's Community Focused Schools Grant, uses Immersive Interactive software to operate which boasts a large library of ready to use programmes available in numerous languages, including Welsh.

The 360-degree room creates a digital projection which uses all four touch screen classroom walls and the ceiling to bring the real-world into an immersive experience for students, also using sound, smell, and wind.

The classroom offers a huge range; from fantasy and fairy tale such as stepping inside a children's book or the deep sea to more practical experiences such as emulating being on a train platform.

With help from Vale of Glamorgan Council's Sustainable Communities for Learning Team with their application, Cadoxton Primary School received a grant of £141,007 from Welsh Government and teamed up with BT to bring the immersive classroom to life.

The staff at Cadoxton find the classroom particularly useful for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) or additional learning needs (ALN), but it is also used for everyday lessons such as Welsh and creative writing exercises. Learners are also working on developing their own interactive resources to use and share with the community, which include the history of Barry.

As part of the community resources that Cadoxton Primary School supports and offers, the immersive classroom space is available to book by external users for a fee. With a wide variety of programmes both primary and secondary schools can use the space, but as Immersive Interactive also hosts a number professional learning and technology modules the school is also calling out for local businesses or community groups to enquire as well.

Hannah Cogbill, Teacher and Senior Leadership at Cadoxton Primary School said: "The immersive classroom has been an incredible asset to our school and has encouraged teachers to think of more creative ways to deliver learning, such as immersing pupils into fantasy worlds for creative writing exercises.

"It's also a vital resource for our pupils with EAL and ALN, not only due to the number of languages that is available, but the type of situations we can emulate. For example, we had one pupil who was going on a plane for the first time and was incredibly nervous. With our immersive classroom space, we were able to recreate the experience for them.

"This is a fantastic addition to our school, and we implore anyone interested to get in touch with us to find out more. Whether you're a fellow educator or looking for a more creative way to deliver team training, the immersive classroom offers a wide range of uses."

Cllr Rhiannon Birch, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Education, Arts, and the Welsh Language, said: "The immersive classroom goes beyond the traditional classroom boundaries and provides a limitless potential of ways to engage pupils, particularly those who may struggle with the traditional learning experience.

"This project is at the cutting edge in terms of technology and is an outstanding example of the future of learning.

"I look forward to seeing how the school continues to use this technology and hope it can become an incredible resource, not just for our schools, but members of our community too."

The immersive classroom space is available to hire for £30 per hour and can comfortably fit up to 15 adults at a time. As the classroom is just off the school's indoor sports hall, you can also book the sports hall at the same time for an additional £30.

Bookings are flexible and can be reserved Monday to Friday from 8am – 10pm. You can also request an induction to learn how to use the software beforehand.

You can book online at Cadoxton Primary School's website, or contact the business manager at [email protected]