A secondary school in East Renfrewshire has launched an international partnership, connecting pupils with a school in Raipur through a shared passion for Formula 1 and STEM.
Woodfarm High School has been taking part in the Learning Sectors Programme, a British Council initiative supported by Formula 1, which brings STEM learning to life through global collaboration between schools in the UK, India and South Africa. Woodfarm is one of five schools from Scotland to take part in the programme so far, which is connecting 700 schools globally.
The pupils at Woodfarm have worked with their peers at Delhi Public School in Raipur on Formula 1-themed engineering projects and have already addressed real-world challenges, including hot topics such as electric vehicle technology and even how to harness bioelectric energy from shellfish waste. The collaboration has focussing on STEM learning looking at aerodynamics and sustainable transportation.
John Murray, a product design teacher at Woodfarm High School, explained how the school got involved: "We were inspired through a previous British Council partnership with a school in Brazil. When the Learning Sectors programme came up offering partnerships in India or South Africa, I jumped at the chance – it’s such great way to extend our work connecting internationally and for pupils to learn about other cultures."
The collaboration began with cultural exchange through personalised postcards, where Woodfarm and Delhi Public School pupils shared facts about Scotland and India. Since then, the pupils have exchanged photos and details about their STEM interests and their academic achievements. They have also shared their designs and ‘build experiences’ through regular online meetings and recorded videos, navigating global time differences while learning about each other's schools and approaches to learning.
The Woodfarm project was structured like a real Formula 1 team with 20 pupils taking on different roles. John Murray explained how the Learning Sectors project worked: "We had the first years as the mechanics, the third years as the engineers, and four second-year girls formed our Formula 1 media team, collecting information and relaying it via video and 'news flash' segments to peers in India."
"As Scotland moves towards all sales of automobiles being electric by 2035, these real-world sustainability challenges such as aerodynamics and electric vehicle performance will directly affect the pupils working on the project."
The partnership proved so successful that Woodfarm High School achieved the Foundation level of the British Council’s International School Accreditation this year. John Murray reflected on the experience: "To work alongside teachers in India has been a fabulous experience for both me and my pupils. It truly is what international collaboration and STEM education should be about as we progress through the 21st century. Friendships have been created among our pupils but also between our teachers."
The teachers in Scotland and India are now in regular contact and hope to continue the partnership for many years to come, with plans already in motion for pupils to maintain their connections into the new academic year.
Peter Brown, Director, British Council Scotland, said about the programme: "This programme demonstrates the power of international collaboration in STEM education. The Learning Sectors programme, supported by Formula 1 has enabled the pupils to create real meaningful connections across continents despite the challenges of working across time zones and different academic calendars. Woodfarm High School and Delhi public school have shown remarkable innovation in creating meaningful connections between young people in Scotland and India."
The Learning Sectors Programme is now open for application from all Schools in the UK. As part of the programme UK schools are matched with a partner school in India or South Africa and classes work together on a real-world STEM challenge. The programme is part of the British Council's broader commitment to fostering international understanding through education and arts.
For more info and to apply you can visit the Learning Sectors site at https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/learningsectors
To find out more about British Council Scotland's work visit https://scotland.britishcouncil.org/ or follow on X, Facebook or Instagram.
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