Bournemouth and Poole College

Hugh Symons Audio Visual lands contract to provide world-class teaching aids for students at The Bournemouth & Poole College's new £11m extension

Bournemouth & Poole College's £11m extension, which includes a new theatre, opens next month, having taken about 18 months to build. Poole-based technology company, Hugh Symons AV, has beaten a host of international rivals to secure a prestigious £195,000 contract to supply the site at North Road with the most up-to-date audio visual teaching equipment in the world.

Students will be starting the new school year with classrooms equipped with 30 state-of-the-art 84" Clevertouch Plus interactive screens, supplied and installed by Hugh Symons AV, who are front runners in one of the toughest of markets for interactive teaching technology for colleges and universities. The new extension, which also houses a purpose built performing arts theatre to replace the Jellicoe Theatre in Constitution Hill, will rely heavily on the technology.

Interactive screens are changing the way we educate in today's classrooms. They help to give a new and improved lecture room experience for both students and teachers, and encourage connected learning and collaboration. For instance, teaching notes and instructions made on the Clevertouch Plus can be transferred electronically and instantly to the students' laptops or tablets. This means students won't need to hastily scribble down a formula or vital point while trying to understand a difficult concept.

One exciting use of the technology will be in the new theatre a 5m electric screen will give talented young dancers and actors the chance to watch their performances in real time on the screen while backstage - which means there will be no excuses for missing their cue!

Jo Kenny, Managing Director of Hugh Symons AV, said: "As a local company with many years expertise in audio visual technology for the education sector, we have had the real pleasure of supplying and supporting the college in the past.

"This is one of our biggest and most rewarding projects and we like to think our support in the past helped in the decision to award us this contract.

"The new building is a real credit to The Bournemouth & Poole College and with our front-line teaching aids, backed by some outstanding technology, both the staff and the students can look forward to a superb learning experience.

"Our relationship with the college works well because we are based close by and can offer a quick and informal approach to troubleshooting and training staff about how they can get the most from the equipment."

Peter Sykes, or college spokesman: quote here to come???

With Hugh Symons AV supplying the technology, next term promises to be a fascinating new experience for all concerned.