Elena Baturina's BE OPEN Foundation Helps London Primary Schools put Capital at Heart of Education

LONDON, October 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The London Curriculum for Primary Schools, aligned with the National Curriculum, and delivered by the Greater London Authority in 2016-2017 in partnership with the Mayor's Fund for London and with support from Elena Baturina's BE OPEN Foundation, gave children the opportunity to discover and learn from the rich history on their own doorstep.

10,000 pupils from primary schools brought learning to life as part of this new educational initiative launched by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. There has been a steady growth in the number of schools engaged with the programme since the launch in September 2016: from 185 in June 2016 to 343 in July 2017.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Our history and culture is a truly global one, so what better way for primary school children to learn, than directly from London's museums, art galleries and other fascinating institutions. Huge thanks to Elena Baturina and BE OPEN - their incredible support for the London Curriculum truly shows that London is open, as ever, to ideas from around the world."

Elena Baturina, philanthropist and BE OPEN founder, said: "We are proud to see the amazing results of London Curriculum. For the past year the programme has provided opportunities to enrich learning experience for hundreds of schoolchildren, make it an exciting educational journey. We hope that this will encourage their openness to the world, its diversity, ability to think out of the box, be bold and creative - all that BE OPEN hopes to promote by its projects throughout the world. We are grateful to the Mayor of London and the Mayor's Fund for the honour of having been part of this initiative, and believe that the London Curriculum has huge potential, both on a national and international level."

This is the first-time primary school pupils in the capital gained access to the Mayor's London Curriculum, which until now was only been available to secondary school pupils in Key Stage3. As part of the Primary Schools programme, learning packs on 'Going Underground', 'Illuminating London' and 'Rebuilding London' were developed.

Programme saw significant support from over 20 leading London cultural institutions including Museum of London, London Transport Museum, National Theatre, Natural History Museum and many more.

The Mayor officially launched the new London Curriculum for primary schools at a London Curriculum Festival in September 2016.