Skills Builder Global

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Základná škola Námestie mladosti 1, Žilina

Context

Základná škola Námestie mladosti 1 is a primary school located in Žilina, a city in northern Slovakia. Established in 1991, the school serves approximately 500 pupils and is supported by a dedicated team of teachers, teaching assistants, psychologists, and special and social education professionals. Our school ethos, School – Community of Personalities, is embedded in every aspect of school life. Seven years ago, we began developing essential life and learning skills in our own unique way. Motivated to enhance our approach and seek new sources of inspiration, we decided to join the accelerator programme. This school year marks a significant milestone in the Slovak educational system as we begin implementing one of the most comprehensive curriculum reforms. Our school is proud to be among the first to pilot and introduce this new national curriculum, which places a strong emphasis on skill development and competency-based learning. The primary objective of this reform is to modernise educational content and introduce more engaging teaching methods and approaches. The reform emphasises modernisation, diversification, and improved quality of education, with a strong focus on skill development. New areas such as Character and Metacognition have been incorporated into the State Educational Programme, underscoring the shift toward a more holistic and competency-based learning framework.

Overall impact

Participating in the Skills Builder programme reaffirmed that the path we chose several years ago was the right one. It allowed us to reflect, organise our efforts more systematically, and view our work from a fresh perspective. This school year, thanks to Skills Builder, we made significant progress in skill development. Our main focus was on building connections with the local community, opening our school to the wider public, and encouraging greater parental involvement in our activities. The excellent cooperation with our assigned associate was particularly motivating and brought a strong sense of satisfaction with what we have achieved so far. We are looking forward to working with her again! We also value the opportunity to connect with schools from different parts of the world, allowing us to share experiences and draw mutual inspiration. Thanks to these factors, we have a considerable head start in implementing the reform compared to other schools. That is why we would like to serve as a model and offer a helping hand to others. We know from our own experience that this is neither a quick nor an easy process.

Keep it simple

All classrooms begin the day with what we call a Morning Community (SOVA), led by the class teacher. This time is dedicated to skill development through structured activities. A designated supervisor coordinates the content of SOVA, providing teachers with a set of activities and flashcards focused on a specific skill, tailored to the pupils' developmental stage. We created our own skills icons where we implemented details from our school logo with the colour scheme of Skills Builder. Each year level focuses on one essential skill, which is developed gradually through consecutive steps. The supervisor communicates regularly with teachers to monitor progress and suggest adjustments when needed. We value an individualised approach, as each class may progress at a different pace. In Year 8, pupils focus on presentation skills, while in Year 9, the emphasis shifts to professional skills. These lessons have been a stable part of our curriculum for several years. Starting in the pre-school year, each pupil creates a personal portfolio to collect outcomes, worksheets, and activities related to their skill development. These portfolios are regularly reviewed during meetings called RUŽA, where the pupil, teacher, teaching assistant, and parents discuss the child's progress.

Start early, keep going

All year groups and classes are regularly engaged in skill development as an integral part of the school curriculum. Each academic year focuses on a different core skill, which serves as the dominant theme, underpinned by an essential skill from the Universal Framework.

Measure it

In addition to academic grades, our report cards also include a brief commentary that highlights the development of key skills. Starting this year, we have introduced weekly reports for Year 1 students. These reports provide an overview of the curriculum covered during the week, as well as updates on the pupil’s progress in the year-level skill focus. Each report includes self-assessment by the pupil, formative feedback from the class teacher, and input from the parent. Our aim is to gradually implement this system of weekly reports across all year groups. In higher year levels, students actively participate in the evaluation process by writing their own report cards. They assess not only their academic achievements—both in terms of grades and narrative comments—but also reflect on their personal development, cooperation with peers, and overall progress.

Focus tightly

Each student has the opportunity to develop their skills not only during the Morning Community (SOVA), but also through a variety of classroom activities integrated into everyday learning. Teachers meet regularly and participate in continuous professional development to ensure that skill-building becomes a natural and consistent part of every lesson. To support this effort, we have developed our own original tool – the CO-box – a resource box containing materials and activities designed to enhance cooperation and collaboration among students. Parents are kept informed about ongoing activities and student progress through social media, the school website, and regular in-person meetings. Student progress is monitored and evaluated through various assessment and self-assessment tools. A dedicated team of supervisors oversees the entire process to ensure that it runs smoothly, systematically, and that both students and teachers are fully engaged and actively involved.

Keep practising

What makes our school unique in the region is our strong focus on developing basic skills. These are not taught only in separate lessons but are naturally integrated across all subjects. We actively support independence, as well as critical and creative thinking, through methods such as inquiry-based learning—for example, in our Expedition project or peer to peer education. A key element of success is our team of mentors who have completed specialized training. They observe lessons, offer feedback, and hold regular consultations with teachers. Basic skills are also cultivated through extracurricular activities and events involving not only students but also parents, grandparents, and members of the local community. We regularly share these experiences on our social media and school website.

Bring it to life

We also develop skills through community activities, such as cleaning our neighborhood or organizing Challenge Days—eight of which take place during the school year. We actively involve our local community through events like reading for grandparents, Christmas gatherings, and our Open Day. To bring real life into the classroom, we invite guests from various professions to speak with students. Our support team—made up of school psychologists, a social pedagogue, and special educators—provides comprehensive care for students with special educational needs. They offer consultations for students, teachers, and parents, and we’ve created special rooms tailored to individual needs. Thanks to their work, we can confidently say that skill development at our school includes every child. We are also a training school for a local university, hosting teaching students for their practical training. From the start, we emphasize that skill development must be a key part of their approach. Our teachers have even shared their experience of integrating skills into lessons at a workshop for colleagues from a neighboring district.

What's next

We would like to continue building on the system we have established. Next year, eight out of nine year groups will already be engaged in morning community time and targeted skill development from the very beginning of schooling. The difference between students who have followed this approach from the start and those who joined later is clearly visible. Although we have made significant efforts, some members of the teaching staff are still in the process of fully embracing the concept. That’s why we aim to focus more on teacher training in this area. In addition, we are eager to inspire other schools to join the programme, as it can significantly support them in implementing educational reforms. We are beginning to be approached by schools in our region that are only starting to introduce morning communities, educational reforms, and the development of soft skills. For this reason, one of our future goals is to focus on supporting and training colleagues from other schools.

Slovakia