Building on our whole-school vision for digitally empowered education, we now turn our focus to the vibrant classrooms of the Prep School at LEH Foshan. Here, technology is not an end in itself, but a dynamic gateway to discovery. Guided by a philosophy of “purposeful and age-appropriate” use, tools like iPads and interactive screens become extensions of young learners’ curiosity, seamlessly integrated to enhance creativity, collaboration, and foundational skills. To explore how this tailored approach shapes early education, we spoke with Ms Bateman, Head of Prep School, and Mr Lewis, Computer Science Coordinator, who shared their insights on nurturing confident digital citizens from the very start.
Our Core Educational Philosophy
At LEH Foshan Prep School is purposefully woven into lessons alongside explicit Computer Science teaching. Our approach moves beyond mere usage to thoughtful integration, where digital tools are carefully selected to deepen conceptual understanding and unlock creative expression. By enhancing and extending hands-on, experiential activities, technology transforms passive consumption into active exploration. This synergy ensures that every digital interaction supports meaningful growth, empowering our youngest learners to investigate complex ideas, construct original work, and collaborate in dynamic new ways.
We define "purposeful" use as technology being the best tool for the specific learning objective. It is implemented in timed, teacher-led sessions, where the technology enables tasks that would otherwise be impossible or are significantly enhanced, such as coding a physical robot, virtually exploring an ancient civilisation in 3D, or collaborating on a shared document in real time. Crucially, screen time is never passive consumption; it is always active creation, problem-solving, or collaboration.
Digital Literacy in Prep School
In Prep School, Computer Science is taught explicitly through a structured curriculum, where students develop computational thinking, logic, coding, robotics, data awareness, and an understanding of how digital systems work. In addition, students develop technical digital skills that enable them to apply what they learn across the wider curriculum.
Computer Science Coordinator
In Key Stage 1, students learn foundational digital skills such as drawing, annotating, typing short text, and capturing photos or short videos. These skills are then applied in other lessons, for example, recording observations in Science or creating simple visual responses to stories in English.
In Key Stage 2, students develop more advanced technical skills, such as creating movies, podcasts and Keynote presentations. These skills are then applied in subject contexts, for example, producing a documentary in History, a narrated explanation in Science, or a presentation to communicate research findings. The focus is on students being able to transfer these skills independently rather than relearning tools in each subject.
Transition to Secondary School
At LEH Foshan Prep School, our use of iPads and interactive screens is guided by a core principle: technology thrives only when it is purposefully used to support learning. This foundational experience cultivates more than just technical competency; it builds the essential digital disposition a student needs to flourish in Secondary School and beyond. We envision our graduates as confident, discerning, and empowered digital citizens. They will move forward not merely as users of technology, but as creative problem-solvers who view digital tools as an extension of their own curiosity and capability. Empowered to think critically, collaborate globally, and communicate with clarity, they will ethically and effectively design, create, and share ideas, making technology a natural and integrated part of their ongoing educational journey.
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