Case Studies
Transforming Education: Whitley Bay High School’s Journey to Seamless Digital Learning with SharePoint and Teams
SharePoint offers transformative advantages for schools and multi-academy trusts, enhancing teaching and learning through seamless collaboration and communication.
Whitley Bay High School recently embraced the cloud with the help of Cloud Design Box, implementing a branded SharePoint intranet integrated with Microsoft Teams. This case study highlights how SharePoint has revolutionised teaching, learning, and communication at Whitley Bay.
About the Organisation
Located in North Tyneside, Whitley Bay High School is dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning. The school’s ethos is built on fostering strong, positive relationships and inspiring students to develop a love for learning.
"The combination of SharePoint and Teams is powerful. It reduces a lot of barriers when it comes to homework and assignments."
-Duncan Thurlow, Whole School IT Coordinator and Science Teacher
Challenges
The move to SharePoint was a natural progression for Whitley Bay, aimed at enhancing the relationships between teachers and students through seamless communication and collaboration.
Before SharePoint, providing students with access to resources outside school required significant effort. Teachers now upload materials and work on them in real time, ensuring instant accessibility for students both in and outside the classroom.
Duncan Thurlow explains: “Previously, it required a lot of legwork to provide students with access to resources when they stepped foot out of the school gate. However, now, things can be uploaded and worked on in real time, instantly.”
Solution
Cloud Design Box worked with Whitley Bay’s staff to develop a branded intranet and Class Dashboard, simplifying navigation between SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. This solution is particularly impactful because many students rely on smartphones and tablets rather than laptops or desktops: “Having resources stored in a system that can easily be accessed with a mobile device is brilliant,” Duncan says.
The collaboration features of SharePoint have also transformed staff workflows. Teachers now edit documents together in real time, enabling collaborative improvements to vital resources.
SharePoint has also proven valuable for the school’s administration team. Duncan highlights its role in streamlining communication: “In the past, communications were done mainly over email or on paper in pigeonholes, which can get lost or overlooked. Now, I can take a look at the area on SharePoint, and all the information I need is in one place.”
Microsoft Teams continues to play an integral role in the lives of students and staff at Whitley Bay High School. “The combination of SharePoint and Teams is powerful. It reduces a lot of barriers when it comes to homework and assignments,” Duncan shares.
Students benefit from having all resources stored in the cloud, reducing the risk of lost materials and enabling them to: access and download assignment tasks; refresh their memories with available resources; take quizzes; and stay in touch with teachers between lessons.
Duncan emphasises that SharePoint provides a more dynamic and fluid learning experience compared to previous platforms:
“At the end of the day, we want to make it as easy as possible for our pupils to get the help, resources, and support they need to take control of their learning. By giving them a solution that is native to them—on the devices they use every day—we are breaking down some of the hurdles young people face.”
The Future
Whitley Bay High School’s partnership with Cloud Design Box continues to drive innovation, creating solutions that inspire a love of learning.
With SharePoint and Teams, Whitley Bay is leading the way in modern education, providing students and staff with tools to thrive in a connected, collaborative, and digital world.
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