Skills Builder Global

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Naše základní škola, z.ú.

Context

Naše základní škola, z.ú., located in Liteň in the Beroun region, was founded nine years ago as an initiative by a group of parents seeking alternative educational approaches for their children. From the very beginning, the school has focused on supporting the development of each child’s potential across all nine grades. Initially, classes were organized into mixed-age groups spanning three grade levels, promoting peer learning and cooperation. As the number of students increased, we transitioned to separate classes for each grade.Currently, the school has 117 students, with a maximum of 16 students per class, which allows us to maintain a personalized approach and a family-like atmosphere. The school’s motto, “A School of Shared Learning – for Children and Adults Alike,” reflects our core philosophy. We believe that a school should be a learning environment not only for children but also for the adults who guide them. We strive to ensure that everyone in our school community – students, teachers, and parents – feels respected, accepted, and heard. Together, we learn how to build equal and harmonious relationships, communicate openly, give and receive feedback, manage emotions, and resolve conflicts constructively. Our vision is to be a living, evolving school that grows in harmony with the needs of children, educators, and the wider community.

Overall impact

Soft skills development has been a top priority at our school since its foundation. We follow the principle that “if children are not feeling well, they won’t be able to learn.” Community circles are a regular part of our teaching practice, helping to build trust, communication, and strong classroom relationships. When we explored the Skills Builder principles, we realized that many of them were already naturally present in our school – although often applied intuitively by individual teachers. The introduction of the Skills Builder methodology gave us a clear framework and step-by-step guidance for developing these essential skills in a conscious and systematic way. As a result, we can now better monitor students’ progress and more effectively support their growth in key life competencies.

Keep it simple

We selected one theme for each month, which we focused on throughout the school. At the beginning of the month, the theme was introduced during a staff meeting. Class teachers who chose to participate brought the theme into their classrooms in various forms—such as class discussions, creative art projects, and more. Posters related to the theme were displayed in the classrooms to keep the message visible and present.

Start early, keep going

Before the school year began, the teaching team was introduced to the core principles of the Skills Builder programme. During this initial meeting, it became clear through discussion that many teachers were already using some of the principles in their teaching, often intuitively. We were careful not to present soft skills as something separate or additional but instead aimed to build on what was already happening in the classroom. Each teacher had the option to join the initiative voluntarily. For the 2024/25 school year, participation remains optional. Skills Builder leaders help keep the themes alive and regularly remind the team of the current focus.

Measure it

Throughout various activities, students receive feedback from both their peers and teachers and are also guided toward self-assessment. Some teachers use dedicated Skills Builder booklets in their classrooms, while others record specific observations in the Edupage school system. In some cases, students also saw their soft skills development reflected in their end-of-term report cards.

Focus tightly

Once a month, a new Skills Builder topic is introduced at the staff meeting. The current monthly (or bi-monthly) theme is also displayed on the school bulletin board. Over the course of the year, we cycle through all the essential skills. Teachers are encouraged to get involved as much as possible. In both lower and upper primary classrooms, the Skills Builder cards are gradually being added and referenced during lessons. In the lower years, class teachers independently assess their group and determine which step of the skill ladder they will focus on next. In some classes, teachers chose to focus more intensively on foundational principles, such as “We listen to each other,” if they felt these needed to be reinforced first. For example, in Year 3, students created a monthly poster that was shared across Years 1–3 and in the school’s after-school club to support whole-school engagement with the skill of the month.

Keep practising

Teachers regularly referred to the Skills Builder posters and skill cards displayed in their classrooms. There was a shared effort to dedicate at least one lesson per week specifically to practising a selected skill, integrating the development of that skill directly into the teaching process. In activities where students naturally practised skills other than the current focus, teachers highlighted and reflected on those additional skills afterwards, helping students recognize their relevance and application.

Bring it to life

We connect skills to real-life contexts through project days, where students work on real-world challenges, often outside the classroom. For example, lower primary students took part in the nationwide “Ukliďme Česko” (Let’s Clean Up Czechia) campaign, where they dealt with practical issues related to collecting and disposing of waste. Students in upper primary engaged in an international project on World War II and democracy. They used the Skills Builder cards during their final presentations to reflect on and explain the specific skills they had used while working together—and made these skills visible to their audience as well.

What's next

In the upcoming school year, we plan to increase the sharing of good practices among teachers during regular staff meetings. Our aim is to gradually motivate more teachers to actively engage with and apply the Skills Builder methodology. We also intend to further integrate skill-building into classroom activities across all grades, through adjustments in our newly revised school curriculum (ŠVP). A key goal is to create a whole-school, unified approach to tracking skill progression. To support the implementation, we have invited an external mentor to guide us in applying the Skills Builder framework more effectively.

Czechia