Dartmouth Academy, part of Education South West, is thrilled to announce its participation in the UK–Ukraine Reading for Pleasure Partnership, an initiative funded by the British Council and supported by the Department for Education.

This exciting programme connects schools in the UK and Ukraine to celebrate the joy of reading, share ideas, and inspire a lifelong love of books among pupils.

Recently, Miss McKay from Dartmouth Academy attended the opening conference in Poland, where she met teachers from both countries and explored innovative strategies to make reading more engaging for children.

As part of the programme, Class 1/2 at Dartmouth Academy has been partnered with a class of children in Ukraine.

The partnership aims to encourage reading for pleasure while encouraging cultural understanding and building meaningful connections between communities.

Class 1/2 will meet their partner class online shortly after half term to begin collaborative reading activities.

This initiative is part of a wider programme connecting 100 schools across the UK and Ukraine, supporting schools to use reading as a tool to develop pupils’ wellbeing, confidence, and international awareness.

Dartmouth Academy looks forward to sharing updates as the project develops and celebrating the connections built through the power of reading.

Miss McKay from Dartmouth Academy, said:

“Oksana, our partner teacher in Ukraine, was an inspiration.

She loved our approach to reading and shared some of their practices, which we’re excited to explore with our pupils.

This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for our children to expand their horizons, build confidence, and enjoy reading while learning about a different culture.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO at Education South West, said:

“We are delighted that Dartmouth Academy is taking part in this exciting UK–Ukraine partnership.

Projects like this open up the world to our pupils and it’s wonderful to see our schools creating meaningful international connections while inspiring children to enjoy reading.”