These cutting-edge releases will make their debut at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2025, running from February 4 to 7, 2025. Visit SMART at Stand 1C170 in Hall 1 to explore how these innovations elevate collaboration in meetings, learning environments, and hybrid workspaces.

Interactive Podium Addresses Key Needs in Higher Education and Business

A recent SMART survey of IT directors and professors revealed critical challenges in instructional spaces impacting higher education and businesses:

• 52% of respondents indicated the need for real-time feedback features: The need for instant feedback emerged as the top priority for engagement in-person and online.
• Need for annotation capabilities: The ability to annotate presentations directly is crucial for simplifying complex concepts and making training more interactive.
• 30% of higher education campuses still use outdated technology: Legacy projectors no longer meet the needs of modern learning environments.

The new SMART Board Mini interactive podium addresses these needs in modern instructional settings and workspaces, letting presenters more freely face and engage their audiences with robust tools for real-time collaboration, industry-leading digital inking that can be saved and shared, and high-quality audio and video for hybrid meetings and instruction.

Across industries, the SMART Board Mini empowers presenters to excel by seamlessly connecting in-person and remote audiences. With its interactive tools, it supports more connected, engaging spaces by simplifying complex workflows while allowing presenters to focus on what matters most, their audience.

It’s estimated that over 20% of the global population is neurodivergent, but traditional classrooms often exclude these students by prioritising norms designed for neurotypical learners. These environments create significant challenges, forcing neurodivergent students to expend energy masking their differences rather than focusing on learning. This research tackles these barriers head-on, reshaping how we think about inclusion and engagement for all.

“A learning space where everyone feels safe, happy, and part of the community”—that’s the vision of Matt Harrison, lead researcher at the University of Melbourne and co-founder of the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project. Identifying a significant gap in education, Harrison’s collaboration with SMART set out to amplify the voices of neurodivergent students.

“Our extensive literature review found that only a very small number of studies actually included the voices of neurodivergent students. By engaging directly with these learners, we gathered authentic insights into strategies and tech tools that make a real difference,” said Harrison. This groundbreaking, student-centred approach delivers unparalleled data to empower educators with evidence-based solutions for fostering inclusive classrooms.

The research identified 36 actionable recommendations tailored for education leaders and teachers. These insights provide a roadmap for implementing technology and designing inclusive spaces that support diverse student needs. From specific tech tools to enhancements of existing classroom practices, the findings offer practical, scalable steps that educators can use immediately to increase inclusion and engagement.

Among the actionable steps emerging from this research are:

• Transforming Engagement: Adopt specific EdTech tools that affirm student voices, identities, and self-identified needs.
• Empowering Student Voice: Involve students as collaborators in choosing and implementing tools and other classroom options.
• Child-Centred Practices: Shift away from traditional behaviour-based approaches and focus on each student’s strengths and needs.

This research highlights technology’s transformative role in creating equitable learning environments in classrooms around the world. “These recommendations offer educators and education leaders a clear pathway to designing classrooms that prioritise inclusivity,” said Jeff Lowe, SMART Technologies Executive Vice President. “By listening to the voices of neurodivergent students and understanding their needs, we can ensure our technology considers those needs, creates meaningful change and success for all students.”

For SMART, inclusion has always been a priority. This collaboration not only validates the positive impact of its current products but also drives future innovations designed to meet the needs of all learners. By incorporating neurodivergent perspectives into future product design and development, SMART is setting a new standard for inclusive technology that supports every student’s success.

SMART is showcasing this groundbreaking research and technology to support neurodiverse learners for the first time at Bett 2025 in London. Educators and school leaders are invited to visit SMART’s block party launch event at Stand SP20 at 11:00 am on day one of Bett to take a session with Tisha Poncio to explore the findings and experience the technology, including an informative session. Plus, join Katie Novak and Anthony McGeeney at the SEND Village for a deep dive into the recommendations for ensuring neurodivergent student success. To explore the full findings and begin implementing these strategies in your school or classroom, access the research report here.

The survey of 1,000 students and 500 educators at UK universities found that educators think that students are using AI to complete around two-fifths (43%) of their studies on average. Whereas students say they are only using AI to complete almost a quarter (24%) of their tasks on average. In fact, just over 1 in 5 (21%) university students surveyed say that they don’t use AI at all in their studies.

When it comes to specific uses for AI, students appear to be using it to enhance their learning and prepare for exams. They are using AI most for research (56%), exam revision (43%) and writing content like essays and assignments (39%).

Although they may not be using it as much as their educators think, more than half (52%) of university students surveyed say that their grades have improved since using AI, with 8% saying that they have improved substantially.

AI is having positive impacts on higher education, and educators are more likely to feel this
The majority of university educators (85%) and students (67%) think that AI is having a positive impact on higher education. Personalised learning (51%), increased productivity and efficiency (47%) and better support (45%) are the top benefits of AI usage according to students and educators surveyed.

Educators appear to be more positive overall about AI’s impact on higher education. Just over a fifth (21%) don’t think AI is having, or could have, a negative impact on higher education – seven times the proportion of students who said the same (3%). Continuing this trend, less than half (44%) of students think AI has improved the quality of higher education, while 72% of educators believe the same.

Lack of AI policy threatens academic integrity

Despite the overall positive sentiment around the impact of AI on higher education, less than half (48%) of educators say their university has a policy in place to manage it, while almost two-thirds (62%) say higher education is unprepared to handle AI usage. Without AI regulation in place, 68% of students and 74% of educators believe that the technology will undermine the credibility of university degrees.

More than half (54%) of students surveyed say that the rise in AI usage makes passing exams easier than it used to be, while a greater proportion (70%) of educators feel the same way. With this in mind, over half (53%) of educators and 43% of students think that using AI to help with university work should be considered cheating.

As many as 1 in 10 students surveyed admit to submitting AI-generated work without disclosing it. And while over a third (38%) of educators say they’ve received more AI-generated assignments and essays in the past six months, only 42% feel confident in detecting it.

Skills needed to maximise benefits of AI

It’s not just students who are using AI for their work, almost half (48%) of university educators surveyed often use the technology, with just over 1 in 5 (21%) using AI all the time. Educators use it most for tasks like drafting correspondence to students (46%), setting work for students (45%) and planning lectures or tutorials (45%).

Despite this, less than 2 in 5 (37%) educators think their peers have the right skills to use AI to their advantage.
A third (33%) of students believe using AI in their studies is helping or would help to prepare them to use it in their future work. However, almost a quarter (23%) would use AI in their studies more if they had a better understanding of the technology.

With only 42% of educators saying their universities have incorporated AI literacy into their curriculum, there is some way to go to ensure students are well-equipped to use the technology effectively.

Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer at Coursera, commented: “This research shows AI is already delivering tangible benefits in higher education, from improved student grades to enhanced educator productivity. However, there is a notable gap between educators’ perceptions and actual student AI usage. This overestimation could lead to restrictive policies being put in place. Instead, universities should focus on developing comprehensive AI literacy programmes. Clear guidelines and proper training will not only protect academic integrity but also ensure graduates enter the workforce with the skills to leverage AI effectively in their careers.”

According to UNICEF, nine out of 10 children are worried about climate change, with 89% of children saying they don’t feel enough is being done to tackle the climate crisis, and 81% feeling that they are not being listened to.

Canteen to Classroom seeks to empower children to make climate-friendly dietary choices at both school and home through the provision of high-quality, evidence-based lessons developed specifically for primary schools.

“Children today care deeply about the climate crisis and, in my experience, they want to know how they can make a difference. The food we eat is a super place to start. Educating children on the impact of their food choices is essential in nurturing future generations who are both health and environmentally conscious,” said Martin Skingley, Education Manager at ProVeg UK, and previously a teacher of 16 years.

“Through our School Plates programme, we realised we were making huge positive changes in the canteen, but hadn’t prepared any resources to directly support children in understanding the importance of these changes. Education was the missing piece.

“Plant-based foods have numerous benefits and our programme for children in Foundation Stage right up to Key Stage 2 celebrates these in an engaging and informative way, making it easier for them to make choices and take actions that are good for themselves and good for the planet,” Skingley added.

Evidence-based lessons

The programme is made up of 24 specially-made, evidence-based lesson plans with engaging lesson presentations, and additional resources aimed at saving teachers and education providers precious time and effort.

The lessons adhere to the national curriculum in England and provide a well-rounded view of healthy and sustainable eating. Lessons do not need to be taught sequentially and can be delivered as stand-alone sessions, as a half-term block, or as a way of supporting and enhancing themed weeks or special learning days.

“We know that school timetables are already tight, so we have created ‘ready-to-go’ lessons that can fit in and around what schools already do. And, all of this we provide for free,” Skingley said.

The new initiative complements ProVeg’s hugely successful School Plates programme that has been running since 2018, and currently works with major catering partners across the UK. The non-profit has helped turn tens of millions of school dinners meat-free or plant-based while developing tasty, nutritious, and sustainable menus.

The Department for Education has set a target for all schools in England to have a climate action plan in place by 2025. The programme can work in tandem and help educational settings achieve sustainability goals so that planning becomes action. Involving children, young people and learners is imperative to inspire their enthusiasm to help drive positive change and enable them to share their knowledge in their local communities.

All Canteen to Classroom lesson plans are available to download for free here.

The campaign is encouraging educators from both public and private sectors to dedicate just 45 minutes a week to help transform the life of a child in care, providing essential academic support and mentorship to some of the most vulnerable young people in the country.

Now in its fifth year, Lumina is a transformative non-profit collaboration initiated and led by Shaftesbury Enterprise, Harrow School’s initiative focussed on improved educational and life outcomes for young people.

Lumina has already made a significant impact on the lives of children in care, enhancing their educational outcomes and future opportunities. Since its inception the programme has supported over 100 children in care and teachers participating in the programme now number 100. The campaign aims to add more teachers as it expands.

With growing national demand for additional support for young people in care to meet their educational targets, the programme is seeking to expand its pool of teachers to ensure that even more children can benefit from its tutoring support.

One of the most powerful elements of Lumina’s success is the trust and connection formed between students and their volunteer teachers. Each teacher commits to just 45 minutes a week, working one-to-one with students to prepare them for their public exams, predominantly GCSE and A Level. These sessions offer academic guidance and a sense of stability for children who have experienced disrupted schooling due to personal circumstances.

The impact of this short but focused time commitment can be profound, helping to boost students’ confidence and performance, while also teaching vital life skills like critical thinking and communication.

Tim Dalton, Director of Shaftesbury Enterprise and a participating teacher on the Lumina programme, said: “The power of teaching goes beyond educating individuals and equipping them with the skills to succeed in life. Our profession is also about instilling confidence and encouraging those who need it, to master their full potential and strengthen their relationships.

“Lumina is evidence of the transformative effect that dedicated tutoring can have on children’s lives. We know the model leads to success for our students and now we need other teachers to volunteer for the programme so that we can help to make a positive difference for as many looked after children as possible.”

Gitanjali Bhattacharya, Director of Lumina, believes that the programme’s volunteer-led model is what makes it so effective:

“At Lumina we know that 45 minutes of focused, one-on-one support can transform a young person’s educational experience in ways that go far beyond the classroom. Many of the children we work with have faced significant barriers to their learning, and what they often need most is someone who can give them time, attention, and guidance to help them catch up and thrive. By building trust and consistency through regular tutoring, we are not only improving academic outcomes but also giving these young people the confidence and skills to succeed in life.

“We’re calling on teachers across the country to join us in this mission – whether from state schools and academies, or the independent sector – to help us reach even more children in care who deserve access to quality education and personal development opportunities. Volunteering a little time each week can have a profound and lasting impact on a child’s future.”

Lumina’s campaign aims to build a network of teachers in the United Kingdom who are willing to volunteer their expertise outside of their regular duties. By getting involved, teachers will not only contribute to the academic success of looked-after children but also become part of a movement that is working to close the gap in educational attainment for some of the country’s most vulnerable students.

Lumina, which started by serving the London Borough of Harrow, has rapidly expanded due to its success. It now partners with multiple local authorities, including Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon, Wandsworth, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire, ensuring that looked-after children in a variety of settings have access to the programme’s transformative tutoring services. As Lumina continues to grow, the need for more volunteer teachers is greater than ever.

Teachers interested in joining the programme can sign up on the Lumina website, where they can learn more about the simple, yet impactful role they can play in shaping the lives of children in care.

The traditional library – physical textbook landscape has evolved at a rapid rate over the past decade, accelerated by virtual learning and rising costs. The partnership, led by the University of Leeds’ Libraries Access and Acquisitions team, will aim to strengthen academic resources and increase accessibility to higher education, diminishing the cost and time spent seeking physical textbooks.

Gauthier Van Malderen, Founder and CEO of Perlego, said: “The University of Leeds’ partnership with Perlego is an exciting milestone for both us and the broader world of education, shaping the future of higher learning together. We’re so proud to partner closely with the university to ensure that students have fair access to a wide range of academic resources, all through a platform that’s intuitive and inclusive. We’re eager to keep driving our mission forward—empowering students and educators with accessible, technology-driven learning solutions.”

Perlego’s content will seamlessly integrate into the university’s existing library systems, including its reading lists, offering both students and staff access to a user-friendly, comprehensive and ready to use learning tool. Perlego’s all-inclusive access model allows every licence holder at Leeds to explore the vast catalogue of academic texts.

Accessibility and inclusivity is built into every aspect of Perlego’s platform. Its features such as screen reader compatibility, read-aloud functionality, and BeeLine integration for dyslexic readers are designed to support students with additional needs, ensuring equal access to learning materials for all and will be fully available to University of Leeds students.

Elly Cope, Head of Access & Acquisitions, University of Leeds Libraries said: “We are excited to begin our partnership with Perlego for this academic year. We were drawn to their commitment to accessibility, they make it central to the platform and the reading experience both on desktop and their mobile app. Now we can provide these resources with no access limits imposed on our University community, which is a really positive step forward for us. We can widen access to key resources with a more inclusive digital experience as we support staff and students on every step of their academic journey.”

As part of the exhibition, the Food Museum is looking to borrow objects from the public to help bring the story of school dinners to life. Did you work in school food? Do you have items such as school dinner staff uniforms, lunch boxes, menus or other related objects that you’d like to share the story of? If so, the museum would love to hear from you.

The Food Museum is particularly seeking the following items for inclusion in the exhibition:

• School dinner staff uniforms: We are looking for uniforms from any period between 1906-2024. These will help tell the story of the crucial people who made our school dinners.
• School uniforms: We are interested in a small selection of school uniforms from any era to add context and atmosphere to the exhibition.
• Lunch boxes: Both modern and historic lunch boxes are needed to tell the story of children who brought their meals from home instead of eating a cooked school dinner.
• Packaging from packed lunches: Do you have any packaging from packed lunch items that evoke memories—good or bad? This will help us explore the diverse contents of packed lunches over the years.
• Popular culture objects: If you own popular culture items where school dinners are featured, such as Olive the Dinner Lady from Beano or Horrid Henry and the Demon Dinner Lady, we’d like to include them in the exhibition.
• ·International school dinner objects: We want to share school dinners from all around the world! We’re looking for objects relating to school dinners from outside of the UK, including packaging, lunch boxes and menus.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a major exhibition and share your memories of school life. If you have any of these items, or anything else relating to the theme of school dinners and would be willing to lend them for the exhibition, please email schooldinners@foodmuseum.org.uk.

Whether you remember school meals with nostalgia or dread, had packed lunches or hot dinners, or have wondered about the origins and future of school meals, this exhibition will explore these questions and more. The Food Museum is collaborating with a range of partners including the Quadram Institute, Norse Catering, Museum of the Home, and the School Meals Service Project, along with input from young people and school meal providers. But to make this exhibition truly comprehensive, they need your help!

Heywood House will serve as a central part of ACS Cobham’s new Lower School Village, which includes woodland forest, tree houses, a new modern dining hall and purpose-built classrooms. Students will also be able to benefit from bespoke playgrounds and football pitches, a full sized running track, a 25 metre swimming pool, and a 500 seater auditorium.

The Lower School Village was made possible by a £10m investment by ACS International Schools and builds on the success of the existing Lower School. In June, ACS Cobham’s Early Childhood team were awarded the Pearson Bronze award for Early Years Team of the Year 2024, in recognition of their high levels of enthusiasm, expertise and commitment to education.

Heywood House sits on a 128-acre estate, which dates back to 1206 when the Heiwude family owned the land. After changing ownership throughout the centuries, the House was eventually owned by King Leopold of the Belgians, before being bought by ACS International Schools in 1975.

Robert Crowther, Head of School at ACS Cobham, said: “I’m delighted to be able to open our new,  innovative Lower School Village with the transformation of Heywood House. These state-of-the-art facilities will enable our students to fulfil their potential, support academic, social, and emotional development, and ultimately, enrich their education. Our Early Childhood team have already achieved a lot of success, and we are excited to build on that further in the following weeks, months and years.”

At the ceremony, a parent of a child who attends ACS Cobham, said: “Developing a love of learning in young children is so important, and this is something that ACS Cobham truly values and is demonstrated by the teachers and the experiences that they create every day.”

The new initiative represents a significant leap in educational methods. No other school or college has delivered a programme that entirely replaces traditional teaching for the core curriculum in the classroom with AI-driven adaptive learning platforms. The programme offers an alternative for students who find classroom learning settings either too challenging – or not challenging enough – while also serving those who struggle with the isolation of home-based learning.

Students learn at their own pace, allowing higher achieving students to remain challenged, while students who need more time to master their learning no longer need to worry about keeping up with the class. Learning coaches, who undergo a rigorous multi-stage recruitment process involving in-person assessment days, cognitive tests spanning verbal reasoning and emotional intelligence, support the students and will focus on their motivations, progression, and holistic wellbeing.

The programme is distinct in its emphasis on developing the whole person, equipping students not only with academic knowledge but also with the life skills necessary for personal and professional success. This is through a unique and ambitious co-curriculum, which focuses on students’ broader development in areas such as active citizenship, critical thinking, digital literacy, artistic expression, public speaking, self-awareness and entrepreneurship.

The Sabrewing programme draws its name from the remarkable Sabrewing hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are celebrated for their exceptional agility, resilience and adaptability. They also excel in navigating their environments independently and tend to fly solo even over great distances. The intention is to develop the same independence, self-reliance, resilience and adaptability in the students, as they progress on their own personalised learning journeys.

The first intake of students will begin in September 2024, with the enrolment process now ready. The initial target is to have 20 students supported by three coaches. Prospective students and their families are encouraged to visit the David Game College website at www.davidgamecollege.com/ai for more information and to register their interest.

John Dalton, Co-Principal of David Game College, commented: “While the notion of classrooms without teachers might seem radical, our aim is to enhance learning, not replace teachers. This model allows students who thrive in non-traditional settings to excel through a personalised and highly supported educational journey.”

“Education should be as innovative as the technology that shapes our world,” declared David Game, Founder and Co-Principal of David Game College. “Our aim is to advance the way education is delivered by offering a tailored educational experience that continually adapts to the needs of each student.”

Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, Chief Executive, Independent Schools Association, added: “The Sabrewing programme is fascinating. Using AI to drive an adaptive learning approach has the potential to be a real game-changer and at David Game College they are looking to underpin this innovative approach with serious educational expertise. I am really excited to see this project develop and to see what the pupils can achieve.”

Gabby Donald, a Partner at the firm, said: “The new Labour Government’s legislation to remove the VAT exemption from private education has been widely discussed and was to be expected, but the effective date of 1st January 2025 will come as a surprise to many.”

She added: “Schools will now be in a race against time to work out the amount of VAT they can deduct on their own costs due to this policy change – this will be an important step in working out how much cost will need to be passed on to parents when the VAT inclusive price for fees for terms from 1st January is recalculated.”

Gabby said: “The VAT deductible by the schools will mean that the increase in fees to parents should be less than 20%, but with pressures on family finances coming sooner than expected, parents and schools will benefit from having conversations about likely fee levels sooner rather than later.”

She added: “Those pressures could include the fact that boarding fees and private education fees to parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs (‘SEN’), where the Local Authority (‘LA’) is not responsible for funding the pupil’s place at the private school are now both subject to VAT. The impact of removing the VAT exemption part way through the academic year on non-LA funded SEN pupils and their parents is a concern given the early implementation of this policy.”

Gabby said: “However, we now have confirmation that nursery fees, including those attached to private schools, will retain VAT exemption. As will before school, after school and holiday clubs where a childcare service is being provided rather than education. Also, certain supplies closely related to education will continue to be treated as VAT exempt e.g. transport, school meals etc.”

She added: “This announcement is coupled with the immediate introduction of anti-forestalling measures. Meaning that prepayments made after or on 29 July 2024 that relate to terms starting after or on 1 January 2025 will be subject to VAT. The Government has confirmed that HMRC ‘stands ready to challenge’ the validity of prepayments received by private schools prior to the introduction of these anti-forestalling measures. So, schools and parents will need to act quickly to ensure they are ready for the VAT changes quickly coming their way.”