About the Project
Dore Primary School, located in the historic town of Dore, has taken part in the Erasmus+ programme for the past four years. The initiative, known locally as Erasmus+ praksa, brings together teachers, pupils and community partners from several European countries to develop inclusive, innovative teaching methods.
The core idea behind the practice is to give pupils a realworld context for learning foreign languages, digital skills and intercultural awareness. By collaborating with partner schools in Spain, Germany and Italy, Dore Primary creates a network of shared resources and joint lessons that go beyond the traditional classroom.
Students from Dore Primary School during an Erasmus+ activity (photo credit: Dore School)
Key Objectives
- Enhance language competence: Strengthen spoken and written English, Spanish and German among pupils aged 711.
- Promote digital literacy: Introduce basic coding, robotics and safe internet use through collaborative projects.
- Foster intercultural empathy: Encourage pupils to respect cultural diversity and develop a European identity.
- Support teacher professional development: Provide teachers with training on inclusive pedagogy and projectbased learning.
- Create lasting partnerships: Build sustainable connections with partner schools that continue beyond the funding period.
Signature Activities
Throughout the academic year, Dore Primary School has organised a series of activities centred on the Erasmus+ theme. Below are some of the most successful:
1. European PenPals Exchange
Pupils write and exchange letters with their classmates in Seville, Munich and Bologna. The activity improves writing skills, encourages cultural curiosity and results in a collection of shared stories that are later displayed in the school hallway.
2. Coding Challenge Robots Across Europe
In partnership with a German school, students learn to program simple robots using the Scratch platform. The challenge culminates in a virtual competition where teams solve a series of tasks that mirror realworld problems such as waste sorting and traffic safety.
3. Taste of Europe Food Festival
Families and students prepare traditional dishes from each partner country. The festival provides a sensory learning experience and opens discussions on nutrition, cultural history and sustainable food practices.
4. Teacher Mobility Workshops
Two teachers from Dore Primary spent a week in Milan, observing classroom techniques and sharing best practices in inclusive education. Upon return, they hosted a series of workshops for their colleagues, creating a multiplier effect that reaches the whole school.
Measured Outcomes
The Erasmus+ practice has produced tangible benefits for pupils, teachers and the wider community. The following data were gathered during the most recent evaluation cycle (20242025):
- Language proficiency scores rose by an average of 12% across the three target languages.
- 79% of students reported feeling more confident when communicating with peers from other countries.
- Teachers who attended mobility workshops indicated a 30% increase in confidence applying inclusive teaching strategies.
- The schools digital resources repository grew from 15 to 48 lesson plans, many of which are now shared on the national Erasmus+ portal.
Future Plans and Sustainability
Building on the success of the current cycle, Dore Primary School intends to expand the Erasmus+ practice in several directions:
- Introduce a Green Europe module that integrates environmental education with language learning.
- Secure additional funding from both national and EU sources to support longer teacher exchanges and new digital equipment.
- Develop a studentled blog where pupils publish reflections, short stories and videos in the target languages, fostering authentic communication.
- Strengthen community involvement by inviting local businesses to sponsor cultural events and provide realworld contexts for project work.
The schools leadership is committed to embedding Erasmus+ principles into its strategic plan, ensuring that the benefits continue for future generations of learners.
