Case Study

Colney Heath School

School No: 454

Voting System

Colney Heath School trialled a Promethean ACTIVote voting system during the autumn term 2006.

Headteacher Peter Rose writes:

Use of ACTIVote System for Pupil Voice (SEF2)

As a new head I wanted and needed to obtain information about how the children perceived the school.  As well as this I used this opportunity to get their input into the creation of our new vision and aims and data to create our School Travel Plan.

A simple questionnaire was set up using ActivPrimary Software, based on many of the questions in the OFSTED style questionnaire. 

I inputted photographs taken around the school and clipart to personalise it and adapted the wording slightly for our Reception and Year 1 classes.

The ACTIVote system allowed me to go to each class, ask the 20 questions and get the data immediately.  Each session lasted no more than 20 minutes per class of 30, but it was the analysis which took much less time than usual.  After each class I was able to print out graphs to show responses for each question in percentage terms and input all the data into an excel spreadsheet.  Therefore my analysis happened almost immediately.  I am also able to continue to use this data as it is stored electronically, especially the graphs which are great to show to governors and staff.

For me it has saved a lot of time and provided me with quick valuable information in a format I can use.  For the children it was great fun to use the handsets and made them enthusiastic and motivated in what could be a long a tedious questionnaire, this was especially true for the younger children.

They still today five months later ask when they can use the ACTIVote again.  I know that other schools use them for their parents’ views and of course for day to day teaching.  I would be more than happy to discuss or show in more detail this project to any school.

Pete Rose
Headteacher Colney Heath School