Key pals keep in touch as Skype gives pupils transatlantic link-up

For more than ten years children at Scarborough College's junior school have taken part in a key pal exchange with the Steward School in Richmond, Virginia after a pupil moved from America to the independent North Yorkshire school and helped set up the links.

Now the nine- and ten-year-olds from both schools not only speak to each other on email but also face-to-face using a Skype video conferencing link which allows classrooms either side of the Atlantic to become one.

Nigel Pettitt, Scarborough College Junior School's ICT co-ordinator said: "Despite the five-hour time difference we have able to set up a link twice every week at 2.45pm, which is just after registration for them.

"When we created the key pal programme every pupil in year five was given a profile and we paired everyone up with a key pal from the other school. It wasn't always boys and girls together there were some boys paired with girls."

Now these pupils can talk to their friends face-to face to share their experiences and compare the subjects they are learning in school. It also allows teachers to learn about the different curriculums and subject matters that British and American schools are teaching.

Mr Pettitt is looking to set up Skype video conference links with other schools across the world and he believes the technology will become a big part of future lessons across the curriculum.

"It is invaluable for the pupils, " he said. "It is not just for teaching ICT. I am also a geography teacher and it enables you to show the pupils that there is a whole world out there. "

Mr Pettitt said many families had formed friendships as a result of the partnership between the schools with some even travelling across the Atlantic to meet up.

The link was first started by former Scarborough College pupil Siobhan Restorick who gave teachers an email address for Katherine Goodpasture, a teacher at her old school in America.

Five years ago Miss Goodpasture visited Scarborough College at which point Siobhan was still at the school as a sixth form student.