Education South West (ESW) has deepened its partnership with Ukraine to Support Secondary School Reform.

ESW, a trust which runs 14 schools across Devon, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting schools in Ukraine by participating in a recent national forum 'From the Curriculum to the Classroom', held in Kyiv.

The forum brought together 30 Ukrainian "ambassador" schools piloting key elements of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform, alongside international partners and education leaders.

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, was invited as a featured speaker. He joined a distinguished international panel to share insights into how schools in the UK have translated national curriculum objectives into innovative classroom practices and tailored subject offerings.

His contribution helped set the tone for discussions on adapting curricula to student needs, encouraging school-designed courses, and using digital tools to support classroom transformation, core goals of Ukraine’s reform for specialised upper secondary education.

The forum, which featured speakers from the OECD, World Bank, Finnish Ministry of Education, and education ministries across Europe, focused on helping schools move from curriculum theory to implementation. Mr Shanks joined other guests in presenting concrete strategies for course planning, student choice, and teacher development.

Mr Shanks is working with the OECD in supporting school partnerships and curriculum reform in Ukraine and this builds on ESW’s earlier involvement in Ukraine, when Mr Shanks addressed a national education conference in Lviv in late 2024, opened by First Lady Olena Zelenska. Four ESW schools, Coombeshead Academy, Teign School, Kingsbridge Community College, and King Edward VI Community College (KEVICC), are actively partnered with Ukrainian ambassador schools as part of an OECD-facilitated international network.

The Devon schools were the first in England to join the initiative, which includes partners from more than ten countries. The goal is to offer Ukrainian schools insights and support as they develop flexible curricula, expand student choice, and improve career guidance under the NUS model.

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: “As school leaders, we should do all we can to support all children. Children and colleagues in Ukraine need our support. This forum demonstrated how international collaboration can drive real progress. The determination of Ukrainian educators to innovate in the face of adversity is profoundly inspiring. ESW is proud to continue offering practical support to this vital reform effort.

“We’re calling on more UK schools to get involved; please get in touch with me. The reform work in Ukraine is bold, student-centred, and deeply values-led. Supporting it is not just the right thing to do, it enriches our own communities and reminds us of the power of education to connect and uplift.”

All Education South West schools have UNICEF Rights Respecting accreditation, which recognises their commitment to creating safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive.

It is focused on creating a culture which supports and challenges all whilst also working with those in and outside their community of schools to improve all.