Nintendo UK joins Digital Schoolhouse as new lead partner

Author: Laura.Martin

We’re thrilled to announce our new lead partner Nintendo UK, which will continue to support our vision to revolutionise the grassroots of UK Computing and in turn diversify the games talent pipeline. Through our expert network of schools and colleges, Nintendo UK will help us to bridge the gap between industry and education reaching a projected 32,000 pupils in the next academic year alone with an initiative based on play-based learning combining creativity, fun, innovation and education. 

The team is also incredibly excited to announce the launch of the Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team Battle with Nintendo Switch, which is expected to reach 60 schools and colleges, and over 6000 pupils. 

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Our tournament, which piloted in 2017 with just 4 schools and a handful of participants, recently experienced its biggest year yet, engaging over 5000 pupils with both practical and soft skills with participation in professional esports roles, crafted by the video games industry for education. The event spanned across 7 live knockout events and one grand finale at the Gfinity Esports Arena in Fulham Broadway as part of the London Games Festival. 

This year, working together with Nintendo UK, the Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team Battle tournament with Nintendo Switch is predicted to successfully engage both girls and boys with over 70 playable characters across the series. Teachers and pupils will experience minimal setup and maximum mobility, in a tournament that for the first time ever, isn’t bound to the Computing room. 

Kalpesh Tailor, Head of Communications at Nintendo UK said: “Nintendo UK is extremely excited to be working together with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse as lead partner. The Digital Schoolhouse programme uniquely combines computing, fun, creativity and innovation, all of which are synonymous and at the heart of Nintendo’s values. 

Through this collaborative partnership we aim to reach more teachers and pupils than ever before, in order to help inspire the next generation of young minds across the UK. Through Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team Battle tournament with Nintendo Switch, as well as through other play-based learning initiatives, we want to be able to provide young adults with fun and unique experiences that will form positive lasting memories as well as foster the development of skillsets within students which they can take with them into their future.” 

Nintendo’s introduction as lead partner, sees PlayStation® join the programme’s growing roster of support including the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which enabled Digital Schoolhouse to exceed its original target of 50 Schoolhouses to start this September – in order to successfully address the shortage of teachers capable of teaching the computing curriculum and inspire young people to follow routes into the creative digital workforce. 

The previous lead partner enabled Digital Schoolhouse to achieve national expansion, in addition to successfully rallying support from major players in the UK video games industry including SEGA and Ubisoft. Thanks to their support, Digital Schoolhouse has come a long way - very quickly and we are pleased they will be remaining a sponsor of the programme. 

We are excited to see where Nintendo’s introduction will take DSH next. Now more than ever, there’s plenty of appetite from schools across the country, and the games industry as a whole, to improve digital skills provision for students across the country. 

Now with 55 Schoolhouses starting in September 2019, and one in every county of Northern Ireland, Digital Schoolhouse together with Nintendo UK, are set to influence a staggering number of pupils and teachers in what is predicted to be a landmark year and a brand-new chapter with Nintendo UK. 

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