Digital Transformation
At Fairgreen International School, we thoughtfully integrate technology into our academic programme to enhance learning while preserving the importance of face-to-face connection and meaningful relationships.
Dear Fairgreen Families,
As we close another academic year, we want to take a moment to share with you the exciting work we’ve been doing to evolve and strengthen Fairgreen’s digital ecosystem with wellbeing, innovation, and excellence at its heart.
Earlier this year, we undertook a comprehensive review of how digital technology is used across our entire school community. With the support of an external consultant, we conducted a full-scale audit of our digital practices, tools, infrastructure, and culture, engaging with students, staff, parents, and leadership to better understand our digital landscape.
At the centre of this work was a clear vision: to harness technology for innovation and academic excellence while fostering a healthier digital balance for all members of our school community.
What Is a Digital Ecosystem?
In a school setting, a digital ecosystem is the interconnected network of tools, platforms, policies, and practices that support learning, teaching, communication, and administration. It includes everything from the devices our students use, to the platforms we communicate through, to the policies that guide how we interact with technology.
Key Steps Taken This Year
Following our audit and deep reflection on our school’s values, where Wellbeing, Academic Excellence, and Innovation are equally essential, we established a set of clear, strategic goals.
Here are some of the major initiatives we’ve implemented this year:
- Digital Governance Team
We created a dedicated Digital Governance Team that meets regularly to oversee the development and implementation of our new digital strategy. This group ensures we’re making steady progress on our short and long-term goals, prioritising actions that promote safety, innovation, and wellbeing.
- Purposeful Use of Screens
This year, we’ve deepened our commitment to intentional technology use, guided by the latest research, including UNESCO’s recent recommendations around screen time. We now distinguish between passive screen use (such as watching videos or reading online content without interaction) and active, engaging use that enhances learning. At Fairgreen, we are working to eliminate passive, substitutional practices and instead use screens only when they meaningfully enrich the learning experience. Technology is never a replacement for quality teaching, but a tool to support it. Our teachers have received targeted professional development to ensure technology is integrated purposefully, consistently, and with student wellbeing at the centre.
- Staff Training & Development
On top of this, teachers received professional development focused on meaningful tech integration, including:
- Pedagogical frameworks for instructional technology
- Accessibility and inclusion features on Apple devices
- Responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI)
- How to Use Apple Classroom to facilitate focused learning environments
- Supporting Our Community Through the Digital Wellbeing Team
This year, we’ve proudly established our Digital Wellbeing Team; a collaborative group made up of our Head of Wellbeing, Head of Counselling, and Technology Integration Specialist dedicated to supporting students and families in navigating the digital world in balanced, informed ways. The team hosts regular Tech Clinics for Parents, offering practical, research-based guidance on popular apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Roblox, as well as topics such as screen time, digital boundaries, and tech-induced stress. These sessions often feature student perspectives and trusted resources, helping parents understand both the tools and their impact. In January, we hosted a Parent Book Club around Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, fostering shared dialogue among parents and staff. Through these efforts, we aim to promote healthy digital habits rooted in connection, awareness, and wellbeing.
- Student Digital Wellbeing Workshops
As part of the DREAMS curriculum, we have facilitated workshops to help Secondary students reflect on their personal technology use. They set individual goals like avoiding devices at night or setting limits on certain apps, steps toward healthier digital habits.
- Fairgreen Unplugged Days
This year, we proudly launched Fairgreen Unplugged Days, a schoolwide initiative that invites students to spend the day learning screen-free. These days have been a wonderful opportunity for students to reconnect with hands-on activities, deepen face-to-face interactions, and reflect on the importance of digital balance in their lives. The response from both students and staff has been overwhelmingly positive, and, in light of this success, we’re excited to announce that Fairgreen Unplugged Days will become a regular part of our school calendar, taking place once every half term in the next academic year.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM) for Secondary
We have made the informed decision to roll out Mobile Device Management (MDM) to our secondary students next academic year, a step we believe is essential in today’s digital learning environment. MDM allows us to create a safer, more focused school experience by applying settings, restricting access to certain apps or content during the school day, and promoting more intentional use of technology. Already used successfully in our Primary School, this system has proven effective in reducing distractions and supporting student wellbeing. Extending it to our Secondary School will help ensure that all students benefit from a learning environment where technology enhances education while protecting their safety and digital balance.
- Artificial Intelligence: A Responsible Approach
We’ve also taken significant steps this year to explore how AI can be used meaningfully and ethically in education. A key milestone was the development of our AI Policy and AI Guidelines which outline how we will introduce AI to students in developmentally appropriate ways, aligned with IB principles and international best practices.
Our goals include:
- Promoting responsible, age-appropriate use of AI
- Ensuring AI enhances learning, not replaces thinking
- Upholding academic integrity and critical thinking
- Embedding ethical, sustainable AI use across grade levels
We are currently finalising the AI Policy and will share it at the beginning of next academic year, and the document will remain under ongoing review as research and global standards evolve.
- Celebrating AI in the Grade 5 PYP Exhibition
One exciting development this year was the thoughtful integration of AI into the Grade 5 PYP Exhibition. Under close teacher supervision, students used age-appropriate, teacher-monitored tools like SchoolAI to explore how generative AI works, evaluate its outputs critically, and understand its ethical and environmental implications. Students interacted with bespoke AI tutors where teachers were able to monitor student prompts and responses, ensuring safe and purposeful use. Students learned about data protection and were encouraged to reflect on sustainable and responsible technology use. This structured approach not only enhanced their inquiry but also built a strong foundation for ethical digital citizenship as they continue through the IB continuum.
- Strengthened Internal Communication
To protect privacy and manage our internal communication flow, all school-related communication is contained within our secure Google system. This gives us control and ensures student data is protected.
- Privacy-Respectful Photo Practices
You may see teachers taking photos of students, rest assured - these are captured using an app that uploads images directly to the school’s secure Google Drive without being stored on personal devices.
Looking Ahead
This year was only the beginning. With our Digital Governance Team in place, a clear strategy guiding us, and a shared commitment to student wellbeing and innovation, we are confident that Fairgreen will continue to lead the way in building a balanced, thoughtful digital culture.
We deeply appreciate the partnership of our parent community in this work. Together, we can model and nurture the kind of digital literacy and responsibility that our students will need for the future.