Early Years education sets the foundation for a generation of confident, creative problem-solvers. Connect Education Trust understands this well, placing communication and collaboration at the core of their curriculum. To support this vision, they carefully selected PlayPanel - a tool designed to enrich learning through interactive play and oracy.

Here’s how they planned, chose, bought and now use the PlayPanel across their trust.

Building strong foundations through technology

Gulev Karayel, IT Director at Connect Education Trust, highlights their approach to Early Years: “We build a strong foundation for every child in the Early Years, fostering a lifelong love of learning through curiosity, creativity, and care.” The Trust nurtures “the whole child - emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively - within safe, inclusive, and inspiring environments.”

Recognising that “children learn through play and exploration, guided by an ambitious curriculum,” they sought technology that would support essential skills like “oracy, collaboration, and critical thinking, while ensuring hands-on experiences remain central.” The Trust’s commitment to preparing pupils for tomorrow’s world inspired them to find “innovative, engaging solutions that align with modern educational demands.” This led them to PlayPanel.

Finding the right tool for every learner

PlayPanel was chosen as a key part of the Trust’s wider oracy strategy. Gulev explains that the Trust wanted “to create spaces where talk and collaboration are at the heart of learning, and the PlayPanel does exactly that and more.” Its inclusive design means it “caters for all learners, regardless of ability or learning style.”

The Trust valued how PlayPanel comes “pre-loaded with Yellow Door apps that comprehensively cover the entire EYFS curriculum.” These apps effectively “combine play and learning, inspiring children to engage with all areas of the EYFS framework.”

A partnership based on understanding and support

The Trust’s collaboration with Elementary Technology went beyond a standard purchase. Gulev describes their experience: “Elementary Technology was much more than just a supplier – they truly understood the purpose behind what we were looking for as a solution, like the PlayPanel.”

“They took the time to understand the unique needs of our trust, the learning environment, and the impact we wanted to make in our settings.” Their expertise helped “identify the right tool to achieve our goals.”

Support continues beyond buying: “Their training and ongoing support have been excellent – they’ve been there every step of the way to ensure we’re getting the most out of the PlayPanel.” This combination of advice and commitment made a lasting difference.

Impact felt by pupils and staff

The effect of PlayPanel on pupils’ learning has been positive and multifaceted. “We have seen increased independent learning as pupils engage confidently with the activities.” It has also helped “develop teamwork skills and helped children manage their behaviour effectively, creating a better environment for learning.”

From a teaching perspective, PlayPanel supports language growth and cooperation. “By using the interactive features, pupils are encouraged to use new words and phrases in context, which helps expand their vocabulary naturally.” The collaborative nature “fosters teamwork, as students work together to share ideas and solve problems.” This builds communication, listening, negotiation and support skills.

Staff feedback has been equally positive. “Staff have really enjoyed how the PlayPanel encourages independent learning and supports a wide range of curriculum areas through play.” The range of “thoughtfully designed content” is valued, as are the resources from Elementary Technology that “help teachers with their planning by clearly outlining how each application supports different learning processes.”

Listening to children is a priority for the Trust. “Pupil voice is extremely important to us, which is why we decided to purchase more PlayPanels across our school and within the trust.”

When asked if they would recommend working with Elementary Technology, Gulev replies: “Yes, I would definitely recommend working with Elementary Technology. The team is incredibly friendly and always ready to help. They take the time to listen carefully, support the planning process, and guide you in choosing and buying the best technology.” Their “approachable and helpful attitude makes working with them easy and enjoyable,” with a clear focus on “creating a positive impact.”

We're looking forward to seeing what happens at Connect Education Trust in their future and continuing to work with them on more projects like this!

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