Shaftesbury School’s ‘Classroom of the Future’ has been hailed as one of the top 100 educational innovations in the world.

The classroom, which has no desks and white boards covering the walls, allows students to explore topics with technology to support them. That means, for example, a History lesson in which youngsters use virtual reality to explore ancient civilisations may be followed by a Biology lesson in which students experiment with hydroponics and investigate the food of the future.
Now HundrED.org, a global organisation focused on innovation in education, has rated the classroom a ‘learning space of the future’.

HundrED.org’s Global Collection 2023 showcases the leading innovations and innovators globally. Shaftesbury School was shortlisted from a field of 3,488 submissions and judged by a panel of 188 education experts from around the world, before going on to win the UK spot.

Alex More, a teacher at Shaftesbury School who led the creation of the Future Classroom, received the prize in Helsinki. She said: “I am immensely proud that our project has been recognised as among the best in the world. It is a huge honour and testament to the amazing work Shaftesbury School is doing in this space, providing forward thinking education for students, inspiring them and preparing them for the future.”

Headteacher Donna London-Hill added: “We are incredibly proud that our Future Classroom has been recognised on the global stage. We believe in inspiring our students, preparing them for the workplace of the future, and exploring innovative ways of teaching. The Future Classroom enables us to do all of this, and both students and teachers love using this space for learning.”