Skills education is a core part of personal development and careers learning at Co-op Academy Smithies Moor and students from EYFS all the way through to Year 6 have the opportunity to build and apply their skills. In Early Years the names of the skills are used, when relevant, when teaching different topics or activities and skill icons are displayed in the applicable provision areas within the classroom. From an early age, students become familiar with the skills and what they mean before then developing them in more detail.

All year groups are expected to complete the baseline assessment for the skill on Skills Builder Hub. They are then encouraged to go back and reassess at the end of each skill focus to identify any progress made by the pupils. This is then shared weekly through the Hub reports and is also something that is shared as part of transition into the next year group. By doing this regularly, staff are able to pin point where students are with their skills learning and what steps they need to develop next.

Explicit teaching is robustly built into the school year as teachers teach the skills fortnightly through explicit assembly slots using short lessons from the Hub. This has really helped to raise the profile of the skills and allowed the students to talk about and develop them. Staff receive regular reminders and expectations around this are clearly outlined at the start of each academic year. A recent pupil voice has showed the positive impact of this explicit learning as students have been able to recall and discuss what they have learnt.

Opportunities to apply the skills across the curriculum happen every week, with class teachers referencing skills in different subjects and facilitating discussions around them. Across the year, all curriculum leads have built the skills into their written curriculum, underpinning learning in each year group by identifying the key skills used in their subject areas and highlighting the relevant steps being applied in the planning documents. Students can also apply the skills outside of the classroom in extra-curricular activities. External club providers are familiar with the skills and have linked them to their clubs, making parents aware of what their children will be developing whilst taking part.

Pupils at Co-op Academy Smithies Moor have lots of opportunities to learn about different careers and the essential skills have been woven into these. Visitors from the local area have come in to speak to students about their careers, including the police, fire service and Mayor - a part of these conversations involve them speaking about what skills they use day-to-day. Before such Q&A sessions, students are able to come up with specific questions they would like to ask, many of which are skills focused. Additional trips also allow students to apply the skills as teachers share a skills guidance document with external providers, outlining what the skills are and how they can reference them with students on the trip. Finally, students are also able to take part in Skills Builder virtual trips, applying their skills to particular projects and problems across the day before presenting them to employer volunteers.