Turning Screen Time into Measurable Progress at the British School of Barcelona

Overview

British School of Barcelona is a leading British international school currently operating across three campuses in Barcelona. Serving over 1,000 students across Primary and Secondary phases, the school places a strong emphasis on high-quality teaching, developing a sense of independence, consistent learning experiences, and academic excellence.

The Challenge

For years 5 and 6 of primary at the British School of Barcelona (BSB), delivering consistent, high-quality home learning across multiple campuses that will encourage the students to think for themselves, drive their own learning whilst supporting knowledge in class has been a complex issue. A scalable, structured approach, recognising differences in ability and alleviating the burden of setting and marking was identified as a requirement.

However, a broader challenge was also emerging. Across Spain, concerns around screen time were increasing, with greater scrutiny from both parents and regulators. Any digital solution needed to clearly demonstrate that time spent on devices was not only controlled, but purposeful, contributing directly to learning, not detracting from it.

BSB needed a platform that could:

• Provide consistent, high-quality learning across campuses

• Personalise learning for each individual pupil

• Offer transparency for parents around how screen time was being used

• Demonstrate clear, measurable impact on student progress

The Solution

CENTURY was implemented across Maths, English and Science, supporting learning in lessons, through home learning, and as a targeted intervention tool. 

Powered by insights from over 40 billion data points, CENTURY understands how students learn and adapts in real time. Each pupil is guided through a personalised pathway, ensuring they are consistently working at the right level of challenge, creating a ‘productive struggle’ that drives meaningful learning.

For Primary students in particular, this ensures that time spent on screen is focused, relevant and impactful. Rather than completing generic tasks, pupils engage with content tailored precisely to their needs, whether that means reinforcing core skills or extending their understanding further.

CENTURY also provides full transparency. Teachers and parents can see exactly what each student is working on, how they are progressing, and where further support or stretch is required.

As Judy Dean, Head of Primary Castelldefels campus, explains:

“CENTURY is a tool to support children’s learning.  It does not replace high quality and carefully planned teaching and learning, rather it enhances great teaching in the classroom by providing a tool that allows students to practice, refine and apply learned skills. One of the most important aspects of CENTURY is that it allows each student to follow a personalised pathway, that subsequently enables the teacher to skilfully target support and challenge when needed.”

Asha Gilbert, a year 6 teacher added:

“CENTURY saves a huge amount of time as it provides instant, purposeful feedback to myself, the children and their parents on their progress.”

The Results

CENTURY is now embedded within Upper Key Stage 2´s learning culture at the BSB where consistent, personalised practice is key.

Crucially, this engagement is translating into measurable progress. Analysis of repeated attempts shows an average improvement of 23% in maths, with gains of up to 33% in some areas. These improvements are based on students completing nuggets at least twice, highlighting the impact of structured practice and personalised challenge over time.

Teachers have clear visibility of both engagement and progress which has become an important part of their formative assessment discussions. This has enabled more informed conversations with students and targeted interventions where needed. Importantly, this shifts the focus from outcomes alone to include effort, consistency and learning over time.

For parents and students alike, CENTURY provides reassurance that screen time is being used effectively. Detailed reporting makes it clear how digital activity translates into personalised learning and tangible progress.

Impact

BSB’s success with CENTURY demonstrates how screen time, when used purposefully, can become a powerful driver of personalised learning.

As David Gross, a Y5 teacher at BSB reflects:

“CENTURY helps us use data to personalise learning at scale. At BSB, we’ve seen how purposeful screen time can lead to real progress and increased independence, and that’s what made us embed CENTURY as an essential tool.”

With CENTURY embedded in its approach, BSB is well positioned to continue delivering personalised, impactful learning, ensuring every pupil’s time on screen is both meaningful and measurable.

Find out more about how CENTURY can support your international school.

If you are already a CENTURY customer and would like to know more about maximising your schools’ engagement with the platform, speak to your Account Manager or email support@century.tech