British International School, Abu Dhabi

From the UK to Abu Dhabi, Serif covers ICT needs

David first started using the Serif Design Suite in the UK in 2004, after looking for a school-friendly, stable and affordable solution to introduce courses which taught graphics software in a planned way. At that time, he had just taken over the running of the Design and Technology (D&T) department of his old school. The school used DrawPlus and PhotoPlus as its main applications in D&T, and PagePlus for desktop publishing in the ICT curriculum. The art department also used PhotoPlus extensively to enable students to quickly explore image manipulation to act as stimulus for GCSE Art and Design and A-Level Fine Art.

Challenge

David then moved to teach at The British International School of Abu Dhabi (BISAD), as head of ICT and D&T. BISAD is a Nord Anglia school founded in 2009, and is already delivering a premium quality education. It is a truly international school currently following the English National Curriculum from Early Years up to Key Stage 3. David says: “I was keen to purchase a software suite which would enable students to use ICT creatively, and I needed a set of applications which could be used across the school. Having considered the alternatives to Serif, I decided the current Design Suite is the best to encourage young students’ creativity through a balance of ease-of-use and advanced features.”

Solution

David continues: “Purchasing the software was simple and our products were delivered by Serif within a few days of receiving payment – a rare treat in a part of the world where getting hold of resources is sometimes a long-winded process! Installation was equally uncomplicated and the whole suite integrates together seamlessly.”

Benefits

In ICT and D&T, the school will be broadly tracking the QCA schemes and will use the Serif Design Suite in both subjects. David says: “I have found the new version of WebPlus (X4) to be a very powerful web design package and its familiar look and feel, along with its built in graphic manipulation, will be easy for students to adopt now that they are familiar with DrawPlus and PhotoPlus.”

The school will initially be using WebPlus X4 with Year 8 students studying Unit 9 (Publishing on the Web). It will also be used in Year 9, where students will put together websites which use richer content with greater interactivity. In D&T, DrawPlus and PhotoPlus will be used for the presentation of designs and the production of working drawings. The students can also output designs to the school’s cutter/plotter, so David will be making use of this for packaging projects, tee shirt designs, stencils, signs and so on. The art department will be using PhotoPlus for the production of pop art from photographs.

Looking Forward

David continues: “The children react with excitement and enthusiasm when shown the software. I tend to teach DrawPlus first as several of the gallery features and effects are very easy to use and really have the wow factor. The youngest children are able to get instant success after a very short introduction and once they get familiar with the intuitive interface they are off exploring.”

“The philosophy at BISAD is to embed active learning through investigation into all subjects and the Serif Design Suite will provide a set of tools for students to use across the curriculum. I intend to use Serif as we move forward to IGCE and International Baccalaureate as the school continues to grow.”

Evaluation copy is only available to Heads of ICT in International schools, one copy per school as a single user licence.