What is a classroom interactive display?
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A classroom interactive display is a large-format multi-touch panel, typically 65 to 86 inch, that replaces the projector-and-whiteboard combination for front-of-class teaching. Pupils and teachers can write, annotate, drag objects and run educational software directly on the screen using fingers or a passive stylus. The dominant UK brands are Promethean ActivPanel, ViewSonic ViewBoard, Samsung Flip, Clevertouch and BenQ Board.
Unlike consumer TVs and unlike standard digital signage, classroom interactive panels have:
- Multi-touch surface: 20 or 40 simultaneous touch points so a small group can work at the screen at once
- Built-in whiteboarding software: saves and exports lesson notes, often into Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
- Anti-glare bonded glass: reduces reflections under classroom lighting and resists damage from pens or pointers
- Android SoC: runs apps directly without a connected PC, with a Windows OPS slot if the school standardises on Windows
- Audio: built-in stereo speakers loud enough for a 30-pupil classroom without external amplification
The category sits adjacent to digital signage rather than inside it. The same Samsung, LG and Philips factories make commercial signage and interactive panels, but the software stack and the procurement route are different. Most UK schools buy interactive displays through the DfE's Risk Protection Arrangement or a framework like ESPO, CCS or YPO, with a 5-year warranty as standard.
Pricing in 2026 UK market terms:
| Size | Typical install cost | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| 65" | £1,400 to £2,200 | Primary classroom or smaller secondary room |
| 75" | £1,800 to £2,800 | Standard secondary classroom |
| 86" | £2,500 to £4,000 | Large secondary classroom, lecture theatre, science lab |
Add £150 to £400 for floor or wall mounting, £100 to £300 for a UK 13A spur and data connection if not already in the room, and £300 to £800 per panel for the optional Windows OPS module if running it as a Windows teaching PC. Many schools run digital signage alongside, but on a separate, lower-cost screen network.
Quick reference: 65-86 inch multi-touch panel with anti-glare bonded glass, built-in Android SoC and optional Windows OPS slot; common UK brands Promethean ActivPanel, ViewSonic ViewBoard, Samsung Flip, Clevertouch, BenQ Board.
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