ACS joins forces with Williams Esports to revolutionise digital learning and career readiness

In acknowledgement of the rapid growth in the billion dollar esports industry, ACS International Schools has signed an exclusive agreement to become the first UK secondary school affiliate of Williams Esports, a division of the world-renowned Williams Racing team, to boost its digital learning offering to ensure that its students are prepared for the fast-changing world of work.

To support the learning outcomes of this affiliation, ACS International Schools has purchased six full-sized gaming rigs which are available to ACS students across its campuses at Cobham and Egham. With these gaming rigs, the school group aims enhance its curriculum by using the influence of esports to bridge the gap between entertainment and education and to help students develop a wide range of skills alongside technical skills in game design, such as communication, teamwork, leadership and critical thinking.

Speaking on the impact of the affiliation with Williams Esports, ACS International Schools’ Chief Executive, Tim Cagney, said “Our aim is to showcase the power that affiliations and partnerships can have on student learning and what schools can offer as part of a curriculum. Through this one-of-a-kind affiliation, we want to be an example for other schools and help achieve positive outcomes for students by continuing our investment in future technology.”

The introduction of the Williams Esports gaming rigs adds to an already impressive collection of opportunities that aid technological literacy and offer insight into new career paths for students. These include:

• ACS Egham’s Digital Design course, which uses esports to aid technical, creative and project management skills. As part of the course, students learn key digital marketing skills, editing skills, and how to promote and stream events. The course culminates in a student-led esports tournament, encouraging collaboration, creativity, and engagement within the wider community.
• ACS Hillingdon’s esports club, which enables students to compete against each other and players all over the world. Students are also given the opportunity to practice animation techniques and study game design principles that bridge the gap between gaming and educational innovation. The club hopes to soon be included in school-based esports league, the British Esports Sports Federation.
• ACS Cobham has also launched new state-of-the-art multi-use science labs and circular computer suite, further expanding opportunities for technology-driven learning across disciplines.

ACS International Cobham’s Head of School, Robert Crowther added “This affiliation with Williams Esports is a transformative step for our students. By combining education with cutting-edge technology, we’re not just honing a passion for gaming — we’re preparing students for emerging careers in digital media, game design, and technology-driven industries.”

Steven English, Director of Esports at Williams, said: “We’re delighted to formalise this affiliation with ACS International Schools. At Williams, we strive to democratise Formula 1 and make it as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. The racing simulators provide incredible experiential value for people to really feel the sport, but much more than that they can be tools to support development, coaching and education, as well as enhancing a wide range of key personal and professional skills. We’re excited to collaborate with ACS International Schools to bring this to life across the student base and wider communities.”