By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
We wanted to get involved with Skills Builder to allow children to be exposed to clear language to help support them with career choices and basic transferable skills. It also helped support our core values and aligned with our vision as school.
Overall impact
The Skills Builder Accelerator Programme has helped support our planning structure but also helped start to explicitly exposing the children to the essential skills they need throughout their education and their future career.
Keep it simple
Essential skills form part of our School Development Plan. Essentials skills are written into the curriculum documents at a step level. Skills Builder displays feature in every classroom and our logo includes the Skills Builder icons. Each half term a curriculum newsletter is sent home to parents, this features the essential skills and they are also promoted through a promotional video. The essential skills are linked to our house points system which are awarded in lessons, play time, projects, sport day etc.
Start early, keep going
We begin to build the essential skill with our children from Reception. This focus continues to varying extents, all the way up until Year 6.
Measure it
Every teacher has made a baseline assessment of the children's essential skills using the Skills Builder Hub assessment tool. Over the course of the year, a majority of staff have revisited these assessments and reassessed.
Focus tightly
Students are explicitly taught the essential skills in their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE). Infant years are using Skills Builder's resources, while junior years ensuring bespoke links to the curriculum. Students are learning about the essential skills everyday and teachers are supported by the Skills Builder Universal Framework to support this. Our Bounce Back programme helped to develop the skills of Listening, Speaking and Staying Positive, As well as our home learning plan which included remote learning plans to support the development of essential skills.
Keep practising
The essential skills are linked to all subjects. Our curriculum documents reference the essential skills and inform subsequent teaching and learning. Students to engage in different challenges through the year to enhance their communication skills, for example a reading challenge.
Bring it to life
During our sports day this year, we gave children the opportunity to earn additional points linked to Skills Builder's essential skills. This included earning points for Speaking, Listening, Teamwork and Problem Solving to achieve the best possible outcome for their house team. We also were involved with an external company called Access Hight Education who gave children the knowledge of skills required within specific job roles. We also completed a session on resilience which focused on Problem Solving, Listening, Speaking, Aiming High and Leadership in relation to their learning. Children were able to reflect on why these skills are important not only for their future employment but also their education. An NHS themed week incorporated the essential skills into discussions and most year groups have engaged in off time table days to work on projects which allowed them to apply their skills.
What's next
We want to continue to ensure that the essential skills are explicitly being taught and resources are consistently used from the Skills Builder Hub to support both staff and students. We'd also like to explore the use of Skills Builder to support our children with Special Educational Needs.
.png)
