January 18, 2010 -- Cambridge University Press and Williams F1 have been jointly recognised with the leading industry award for excellence in ICT in education, the BETT Awards, for their curriculum software product, Race to Learn.

The product, which uses Formula One as an exciting point of engagement for primary school children, provides cross-curricular learning for Year 5 & 6 pupils through 12 half-days of teaching in many subject areas. It uses a range of multimedia content including real Formula One footage to promote individual and group working.

Winning the 2010 BETT Award for Primary Digital Content, Race to Learn was commended by the judges for “superb activities that are highly engaging for children” and “with helpful teacher introduction and age-appropriate activities, Race to Learn is a well thought through support for cross-curricular learning.”

Designed for interactive whiteboards, Race to Learn covers key curriculum topics – Science, Maths, Literacy, Geography, PSHE, Design & Technology, Physical Education – with each one linked to the relevant National Curriculum/Framework objectives.

“Our work with Williams F1 is a great example of how we are helping a diverse range of organisations deliver their education messages into schools through curriculum-based resources that teachers value – not just because of their educational content but also because they are engaging for children,” said John Tuttle, Managing Director of the New Directions Group, Cambridge University Press.  “Race to Learn was developed for the Press by Cambridge-Hitachi who provided editorial support, project management and the development platform for the resource.”

The BETT Awards’ endorsement of Race to Learn follows a highly successful pilot of the product at Oakdale Junior School in Redbridge. The pupils’ response to the trial was consistent with the BETT judges’ view that Race to Learn’s greatest merit is its ability to engage all students, both high achievers and reluctant learners alike. The teacher who led the pilot project, Dawn Hallybone said, “I would recommend Race to Learn because it gets children talking through its use of video and its teamwork exercises. It gives children exactly the kinds of things they are interested in and provides a captivating real-life context for their learning.”

Race to Learn was launched in September 2009 to UK primary schools and has already been licensed by the London Grid for Learning for online delivery to 2,000 primary schools across the capital.  Cambridge University Press and Williams F1 are now expanding the project overseas with foreign language versions currently in development.

Reviewed recently in the leading trade title, Teach Primary!, the product scored 10/10 and attracted commendations that included: “The activities have been carefully thought out and the children loved them.”

To find out more about Race to Learn, visit www.racetolearn.org  or contact Sarah Keefe, Marketing Manager, New Directions Group, Cambridge University Press, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge, CB2 8BS  Tel: 01223 325048 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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