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Greenfield School, Hanoi

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Greenfield School, Hanoi
Context
Established in 2012 and licensed by the Vietnamese Government, Greenfield School is a bilingual private school offering education programs for grades 1-12. Over 10 years of establishment and development, Greenfield School has become an institution that provides education from the primary level to the end of high school. It has a student body of nearly 3,000 students across all three education pathways, including the Vietnamese MOET Programme (Ministry of Education & Training), the Cambridge International Programme, and the Global Citizen Bilingual Programme. The decision to apply for the Skills Builder Global Accelerator in the 2022-2023 school year and incorporate this foundational skillset into the children's curriculum aligns with the school's mission and vision. We hope that implementing this project will equip our students with a solid foundation, enabling them to succeed not only during their time at school but also in the labor market and on the path of global integration.
Overall impact
The school year 2022-2023 at Greenfield School has been a year of significant progress in emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded skills-development framework. One of the three crucial competency areas that has been widely introduced to all parents, teachers, and students throughout the school is the incorporation of the 8 essential skills of Skills Builder. This initiative has been promoted at a general understanding level.
Keep it simple
In addition to displaying posters and decorations in the corridors, we utilized various PR formats, including introduction videos, articles, and social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, and our website, to promote The Skills Builder Accelerator and the partnership between Skills Builder and Greenfield School. Furthermore, we incorporated the introduction of these skills into workshops for parents and teachers, highlighting their importance within the school's well-rounded development framework. In practice, considering our large student population and the presence of three different education pathways, we initially launched the implementation with a specific group of high school students enrolled in the Global Citizen and Cambridge Pathways. These students are already familiar with international programs, making them an ideal starting point. After evaluating the effectiveness of this initial phase, we plan to expand the implementation to a wider range of students. To further engage our students, our PR team designed a handbook incorporating the skills in a manner that aligns with Greenfield's values. These handbooks are given as gifts to encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities.
Start early, keep going
As this is our first year implementing this program systematically in the school, our main focus was on raising awareness and providing a general introduction of the skills to the entire school community. We specifically targeted the demonstration of the program with students enrolled in the Global Citizen and Cambridge classes. To provide more specific information, we integrated Skills Builder into the syllabi of two main subjects: Personal Development Skills and the Career Counseling Program within the aforementioned pathways. Additionally, we ensured that these 8 skills were closely integrated into every applicable learning activity. For instance, we used them as criteria for selecting suitable activities. This approach allowed students to become familiar with the skills, recognize their practical value, and enjoy the process of developing them, rather than feeling pressured to learn a completely new skill system.
Measure it
In the first year of implementation, our focus was not primarily on assessment and measurement. While we did provide training for teachers responsible for the subjects, we considered it a demonstration year for reflection and improvement in preparation for the following school year, when we would expand the program to a wider range of students. During this initial phase, we employed a variety of methods, including portfolio work, offline and online rubrics, and observation. However, we maintained flexibility in our approach, recognizing that the first year was primarily aimed at familiarizing students and teachers with the skills rather than placing heavy emphasis on formal assessment and measurement. This allowed us to gather valuable insights and make necessary adjustments for future implementation.
Focus tightly
The majority of the curriculum learning across the three education pathways makes reference to the Essential Skills. Dedicated personal development lessons are scheduled, during which teachers provide targeted and clear instruction on these essential skills. The teachers assess their students' progress on the Hub platform and select an appropriate skill step for their student group. We have shared an example timetable for the upcoming year, which includes the integration of the Skills Builder. Each skill has been aligned with a topic for each year group to facilitate effective delivery.
Keep practising
To ensure the seamless integration of these skills, we incorporated them into tasks and activities within subject lessons. We relied on the offline handbook guidance to provide valuable insights and suggestions for reinforcing the skills within the curriculum. This approach effectively incorporated the skills into students' daily learning experiences.
Bring it to life
Throughout the academic year, we offered guidance and encouragement for students to engage in debates spanning diverse subjects and areas. This provided an opportunity for learners to showcase their subskill development through public presentations on stage. Furthermore, we organized various school-wide events and projects aimed at highlighting the significance of essential skills for our students. Below are examples of academic activities in the English language that we organized for students, which were aligned with the Skills Builder criteria: Spelling Bee Competition: We conducted a spelling competition for students in Grades 1-3, where they had the opportunity to showcase their spelling skills and compete in a friendly environment. Top Speaker Kids: This debate competition was specifically designed for students in Grades 4 and 5. It provided them with a platform to develop their speaking and argumentation skills while engaging in lively debates on various topics. Storytelling Competition: We organized a storytelling competition in English for primary students. This event allowed students to enhance their language skills, creativity, and presentation abilities through captivating storytelling performances. A-Level Entrepreneur Scholarship & Global Citizenship Scholarship: We introduced scholarship programs for A-Level students, focusing on entrepreneurship and global citizenship. These initiatives encouraged students to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and a sense of social responsibility. By organizing these events, we aimed to foster the growth and application of essential skills among our students in an engaging and competitive environment.
What's next
Essential Skills have become an integral part of our school's curriculum and educational framework. Next year, we will continue to implement the Skills Builder as one of the key knowledge pillars of the PDS subject, as mentioned previously, based on our review and the lessons learned from this year. Additionally, we will expand the incorporation of these skills into the assessment criteria of all other subjects as a compulsory aspect. To achieve this, we need to plan comprehensive training for teachers, providing them with a detailed understanding of the program and equipping them with the necessary tools to apply what they learn to develop subject-specific assessments that incorporate the Skills Builder. We will also focus on developing our own resources that help contextualize our culture within the teaching of essential skills. Furthermore, we will ensure that the skills and steps outlined in the annual education plans are embedded throughout all cycles and subject areas.
Vietnam