Skills Builder

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Central Primary School

Context

The Ashington Learning Partnership (ALP) consists of two large Primary Schools (Bothal Primary School and Central Primary School) in Northumberland. Across four sites, the ALP collectively caters for 1,500 pupils from age 2-11 - serving an area of significant deprivation. The ALP currently holds the Skills Builder Gold Award and looks forward to gaining Flagship Status during the Summer of 2022. With Flagship Status, the ALP looks forward to developing a leading role in sharing, promoting and developing practice for Essential Skills and participating in cutting-edge research. This year, we were proud to represent Skills Builder, nationally - as part of the Partnership Event in London and WISE Award. Across 15 years, and in conjunction with both local and major employers, the ALP Trust has developed, embedded and refined 'Skills for Life' (resilience, communication, team-working, being safe, problem solving and self-motivation) as an intrinsic part of our organisation. As these Essential Skills resonated with the Skills Builder Essential Skills - we embraced the Skills Builder approach in 2020. As important as any subject area - from the age of 2 - the ALP has set ambitious age-related expectations for Essential Skills, setting a trajectory for our pupils for success in Secondary Education, Further Education/Training, Higher Education, the workplace and life. As part of our routine practice, the Essential Skills are explicitly taught and practiced across subject areas and the wider curriculum. Outcomes are systematically and robustly assessed, data forensically/quantitatively analysed and used to inform practice, target skills/children/gaps identified and targeted and case studies developed for our most vulnerable groups of children. The Essential Skills are intrinsic to everything we do and ensure our children are fully equipped to 'Be the best they can be' This case study can only capture a fraction of what we do - we would love to discuss our work with you.

Overall impact

The Skills Builder Accelerator Programme is outstanding. This is evidenced by the comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data that we routinely collect. Highlights and overall impact are set out within the Principles below.

Keep it simple

The Essential Skills are intrinsic to everything we do. Skills development is embedded and refined - for example, through our school development plans, curriculum intent, planning, pupil/staff books, planners - and is celebrated by our community. Our Teaching and Learning profile details the delivery of Essential Skills through the science of learning. Professional development meetings afford opportunities for staff to use deliberate practice to refine their teaching of Essential Skills. Parent meetings have an Essential Skills focus. Our action/development plan for Essential Skills is set out over three years and is closely monitored by a lead governor.

Start early, keep going

'Everything we do starts at two' from the age of two, pupils within the ALP Trust are explicitly taught, develop and practice Essential Skills. The teaching of Essential Skills within EYFS has been developed in conjunction with Early Years specialists. All classes have dedicated pupils who act as Skills Spotters. Skills Spotters are identified by the Skills Spotter badges that they wear and 'spot' development/ achievement in Essential Skills by their peers. Pupils are rewarded through weekly assemblies that focus on skill development recognising effort and achievement in building skills. Our schools have a thriving Skills Council that directly influences decisions relating to Essential Skills - council members can be identified by the Essential Skills badges that they wear. Bespoke visual displays of the Essential Skills are embedded across our organisation.

Measure it

As important as any subject area - from the age of 2 - ambitious age-related expectations have been developed for Essential Skills, setting a trajectory for our pupils for success in Secondary Education, Further Education/Training, Higher Education, the workplace and life. Outcomes (and progress) are systematically and robustly assessed, data forensically/quantitatively analysed and used to inform practice, target children/gaps identified and targeted and case studies developed for our most vulnerable groups of children (inc. PP and SEND). Each term, we collect the career aspirations of all pupils - this is tracked/monitored across their journey through our schools. Essential Skills undertake a systematic cycle of monitoring, review, reporting, moderation and improvement.

Focus tightly

As part of our routine practice - from the age of two, Essential Skills are explicitly taught and practiced across subject areas and the wider curriculum. Essential Skills lessons are timetabled within our school timetable and taught by all teachers. Essential Skills lessons are taught as bespoke lessons based on the Skills Builder framework. For example, one teacher taught Problem Solving (Following Instructions), using a lesson that required pupils to follow instructions to create origami animals. Robust assessment data (please see Principle 3) is used to inform practice - ensuring that Essential Skills lesson are pitched precisely at the correct level for all pupils. Assessment data is also used to set class target skills and target skills for individual teachers. Target skills are displayed on the door of all classrooms within our Trust.

Keep practising

All teachers teach Essential Skills across the wider curriculum and across subject areas (Essential Skills are embedded in the curriculum). In addition to the core curriculum offer, extra-curricular learning has been offered through a remote platform where weekly Skills Challenges for families are shared. Parents actively engage in praising their children's skills development and share their efforts - our favourites have included the 'Family Band', 'Drone Challenge' and 'Weather Watch'. An extension of the curriculum, extra-curricular and outdoor activities highlight the development of Essential Skills.

Bring it to life

The ALP Trust holds the Career Mark for our work with careers and Essential Skills. Progressive opportunities are built into the curriculum for children to apply the Essential Skills they are developing. With Skills Builder, opportunities have included - Challenge Day events, employer Q and A sessions and Virtual Visits. These opportunities have proven outstanding in drawing explicit links between Essential Skills and Careers. Our Trust works with a wide range of employers, including - Arup, BMW, AkzoNobel, Wild About Adventure, Primary Engineer and the Challenger Space centre. Our outdoor provision has been developed to compliment this offer - including the recent development of an enchanted garden and STEM shed.

What's next

As a Flagship school - the ALP Trust would like to develop a leading role in sharing, promoting and developing practice for Essential Skills and participating in cutting-edge research.

North East England

United Kingdom