A P6 class at Wishaw Primary School has embarked on its first-ever international partnership connecting with pupils in war-affected Ukraine, as part of a landmark programme using literature to build bridges across borders
The school is among 100 schools in the UK and Ukraine officially paired through the British Council's UK-Ukraine School Partnership programme, funded by the UK Government, which uses a shared love of reading to foster cultural understanding and support emotional wellbeing.
Lyndsay Ellis, who teaches P6 at Wishaw Academy Primary applied for the programme initially and describes the partnership as a great opportunity that aligns with the school's existing ‘Rights Respecting’ work.
She said: "It allows our children to pass on the joy they've found in books to someone else, while also giving them the chance to meet other people. Particularly with Ukraine, it ties in beautifully, as we’re discussing empathy, respect, resilience, and all those important values."
The school, which has already been accredited through Scottish Reading, is now collaborating with Ternopil Lyceum 21, an arts school in Ternopil, in Western Ukraine. The pupils are meeting together online every week, reading together, and practicing English.
Wishaw Academy Primary was the first school in Scotland selected to take part. In February, staff attended a residential training and networking event in Poland alongside 15 UK and 15 Ukrainian schools. As the only Scottish representative in her cohort, Lyndsay travelled to Poland for the training and to meet her Ukrainian counterpart Anzhelika Lishchenko.
She said: "To actually sit face-to-face with someone who's living in a war zone was really an eye-opener. We have no grasp of that working in schools in Scotland - what it means to be heading for a bunker every day and the trauma that must put their kids through."
As part of the project, the classes have exchanged letters and videos to introduce themselves. "When I came back from Poland, I gave them the letters received from the class in Ukraine - they were beautifully written and the children had drawn little pictures," Lyndsay explained, "My pupils had recorded introduction videos and the Ukrainian children responded with their own. While we had consciously avoided mentioning the war, several of the Ukrainian children mentioned it in their letters, which my class found really interesting."
Over the past two months, the two classes have met regularly online, with teachers allowing students' interests to shape their interactions.
She said: "We really want the pupils to lead the discussions. When we came off the first video call, the children all said, 'we need to prepare questions for next time’. They want to maximise the time, they just loved it.”
The Wishaw pupils were particularly struck by the similarities they discovered with their Ukrainian peers and Lyndsay believes the benefits from the partnership will extend beyond the classroom.
She said: “The children were really blown away at finding somebody in the class who likes to cycle just like them, or boys who are really into football. For the class, this connection gives them an idea that there's a wider world, but that despite the distance and what these kids are going through, they're still doing the same things, have the same hobbies and wishes for the future.”
The partnership has also created a special opportunity for two Ukrainian pupils who joined Wishaw Primary's infant department three years ago. Originally from Odessa and now in Primary 2, they were thrilled to take part in the online calls.
Lyndsay said: "They were very excited. One of them was quite concerned when she heard I was going to meet Ukrainian teachers - she didn't think going to Ukraine was a good idea at all!"
Looking ahead, Lyndsay hopes to develop collaborative reading projects using dual-language books provided by the British Council, which feature the same stories in both Ukrainian and English.
She said: “The plan is to create something tangible together, we’ll arrange for the Ukrainian pupils to read in their language and our pupils in English - letting them hear native speakers while creating something meaningful together.”
The UK-Ukraine School partnership was launched to mark the 100-year agreement between the UK and Ukraine and has drawn over 750 applications from UK schools since opening in January. Around 3,000 pupils and 100 teachers are currently involved in the programme, with five Scottish schools joining the next group.
The school is one of five schools from Scotland taking part in the programme. Speaking about its importance and impact in Scotland, Peter Brown, Director, British Council Scotland, said:
“This programme comes at a critical time when thousands of schools in Ukraine have been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict, with many children learning under difficult conditions and experiencing heightened anxiety and stress.
"Building International connections at school can be very powerful during these times. For the teachers and pupils involved, the connection with Ukraine is providing invaluable real-world context for their work on developing characteristics like resilience, empathy, respect, and global citizenship.”
The UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership programme, funded by the UK Government as part of the broader UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership, has connected approximately 3,000 pupils and 100 teachers across both countries. It launched in January with authors Michael Morpurgo and Frank Cottrell-Boyce in attendance and attracted over 750 applications for just 100 partnership places.
The Programme is part of the broader UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership, a long-term commitment to deepening cooperation in education, defence, trade, and community ties. In a world gripped by conflict and uncertainty, cultural and educational exchange is a powerful force for peace and understanding.
For 90 years, the British Council has worked globally to promote mutual understanding through arts, culture, education, and the English language—including with conflict-affected or fragile states, where it plays a vital role in reaching long-term security and stability, grounded in mutual respect and collaboration. To find out more about the programme visit: https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/uk-ukraine-partnerships.
To find out more about British Council Scotland’s work visit https://scotland.britishcouncil.org/ or follow on X, Facebook, or Instagram