How One School is Thriving, Growing and Saving with ThingLink

Kyla Ball September 29, 2025

At Hackbridge Primary, the introduction of ThingLink has transformed teaching and learning in a range of ways. In just a year, staff have seen shifts in how pupils engage with learning, how teachers manage their time and resources, and in pupil success and attainment. From boosting confidence and independence to improving collaboration and efficiency, ThingLink has had a ripple effect across the whole school community. In this case study, we explore how Hackbridge Primary has embraced ThingLink and the powerful impact it’s had in just one year.

Digital Learning at Hackbridge Primary School

Hackbridge Primary School lies in the London borough of Sutton and has around 840 pupils across 7 years. It is currently “4 form entry”, so 4 classes of 30 Reception pupils join the school at age 4 each year. At Hackbridge, pupils in Year 2 have access to a Chromebook and selected platforms and apps on a 1:2 basis, and all pupils in Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) onwards have access to a 1:1 Chromebook in every lesson. 

LEO Academy Trust Introduces Hackbridge to ThingLink

Nathan Brown is a Year 2 teacher (ages 6-7) and Digital Leader, and he first encountered ThingLink at an event hosted by nearby LEO Multi Academy Trust. Having seen how effective ThingLink was as part of LEO’s acclaimed and highly successful PedTech approach, Nathan introduced the platform to Hackbridge from Year 2 upwards in September 2024. 

Nathan used ThingLink’s Certified Creator Course to learn quickly how to create engaging learning materials with the platform. He then created How To videos to share his ThingLink design approach with his fellow staff members. Nathan started using ThingLink to create and share English resources such as phonics maps and literary writing guides. This example below shows how an image is used to house a wide range of resources. Some are colour coded for differentiated learning – with pupils able to identify and choose the most appropriate material for their level. Its use has now expanded into different subjects. 

Nathan and his colleagues created and shared ThingLinks across their organizational account using shared folders, grouped into Year group resources for ease. They are then shared with the pupils via Google Classroom. 

ThingLink Becomes a Core Tool at Hackbridge 

The school’s organizational ThingLink statistics show that the platform has quickly become an indispensable and core part of the school learning ecosystem:

• Over the academic year, each child has used the platform at least once per day. 
• The majority of the ThingLinks are created using 2D images
• 50% of the ThingLinks are created using the AI-powered image generation tools, built into the creation flow. 
• Every member of the Hackbridge teaching staff has created at least one learning resource with ThingLink. 
• ThingLink resources in total have been viewed over 124,000 times in the first 8 months of use.  
• Most days see ThingLink view numbers of 1000+, and some days as high as 7000+
• For example, in Year 2 (99 pupils), each ThingLink is viewed between 500-700 times in total, with each ThingLink used for 2-3 lessons each and each pupil accessing the relevant ThingLink up to 7 times per activity. 

The Difference that ThingLink has Made at Hackbridge

The introduction of ThingLink has had a huge impact on pupils, teachers and the day to day running of the school. Nathan summarised the benefits that he and his colleagues observed and recorded over the course of the first year that ThingLink has been used at the school.

Increased engagement

• Whereas pupils’ previous experiences of technology were mainly game-focussed, the staff, pupils and parents now view it as a tool to assist with learning.  

Saved time

• ThingLink has saved a substantial amount of teacher hours in resource creation time. This is partly because of the ability to share the digital resources between year group classes. It is also in part due to the fact that each ThingLink can support a variety of differentiated learning resources, which pupils can choose from, all from the same place. (More details below.)

Increased attainment

• Firstly, the integrated language tool (Microsoft Immersive Reader) in ThingLink has allowed Nathan to level up literature work with his pupils. The read-aloud function means that he can add more challenging words. 
• Secondly, attainment has increased – most significantly amongst the less able pupils. Because differentiated learning materials can be accessed by all pupils from the same ThingLink, the less able pupils are less self-conscious about what they are using, which in turn increases their confidence in their learning.

This mirrors the findings in the ground-breaking 2024 PedTech Impact Report by Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith.

“No pupil has any idea who is doing which level. I’ve seen in their work the difference that it has made – their independence and the lack of stigma. They have built independence, grown in confidence – because of not being singled out. They don’t feel different any longer.”

Nathan Brown, Year 2 Class Teacher, Hackbridge Primary School

Increased accessibility

• Immersive Reader’s translation tool makes the resources more accessible to EAL pupils, who are similarly able to support themselves more effectively.  

Improved behaviour

• Less time spent focussing solely on less able pupils who are now more independent, means more teacher time per pupil overall. Nathan observes that pupil behavior has improved as a result. 

Saved money

• Creating and sharing digital resources with ThingLink has already seen Hackbridge save money on printing costs in the first 6 months- albeit modest savings of £800. Nathan anticipates that the savings will continue to increase as ThingLink use grows.

ThingLink: Fuelling the Digital Revolution at Hackbridge 

The adoption of ThingLink at Hackbridge Primary School has marked a significant shift in how digital technology is used to support teaching and learning. What one teacher began in Year 2 has grown into a school-wide approach that enhances engagement, supports differentiated resources, and fosters greater independence among pupils. By empowering both teachers and students with accessible, interactive learning tools, ThingLink has helped transform classroom culture, close attainment gaps, and streamline the way resources are shared and used. As the school continues to build on this momentum, ThingLink stands out not just as a digital tool, but as a catalyst for long-term, meaningful educational change.

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