Skills Builder Global

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Základní škola a mateřská škola, Voděrady, okres Rychnov nad Kněžnou

Context

We are a rural school defined by our new School Education Programme (ŠVP) with the motivational title 'WE ARE A TEAM'. We pride ourselves on an individual approach to each student, including systemic support for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the effective use of supportive measures. Our functional school counseling center ensures a safe and stimulating environment. We are a pilot school of the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic (NPI CR) and believe that the development of soft skills is the key to our children's successful future.

Overall impact

The program has brought system and new energy into the school. Every month, the entire school focuses together on one selected skill, which we intensively connect with regular form teacher lessons. Effective communication is a pillar for us – we learn to openly name problems, solve them, set goals together, and subsequently evaluate them. This reflection on the implementation of the methodology helps us constantly grow.

Principle 1: Align

We bet on clarity. We communicate the selected monthly skill across the school using a unified language. We always focus on the most important things that are succeeding in the given area and complement them with concrete examples from the everyday life of the class. A simple and clear framework enables the involvement of all students without distinction.

Principle 2: Plan

We start developing 'essential skills' as early as nursery school and smoothly build on them in primary school. Persistence is essential for us – we do not address skills sporadically; rather, they run through the entire school year and extracurricular activities. Students thus acquire solid foundations on which they can build throughout their lives.

Principle 3: Measure

We changed the meeting system – instead of group meetings, we organize individual triads (teacher-student-parent), where we focus on the personal progress of each student. We regularly involve students in self-evaluation tests to determine educational outcomes. Together with them and their families, we monitor how they succeed in fulfilling the principles of good practice and advancing further in their skills.

Principle 4: Teach

Thanks to our monthly focus, we know exactly which 'step' to concentrate on. For example, within teamwork/cooperation, we do not just learn to 'help each other', but targetedly train how to divide tasks in a team. This specific approach allows students to experience immediate success and teachers to provide precise feedback.

Principle 5: Practise

We practice skills in action and in an inspiring environment. We use our outdoor gazebo for educational activities and care for raised garden beds together, which naturally develops responsibility and cooperation. Skills are a solid part of not only teaching, but also sports activities, clubs, and project days.

Principle 6: Apply

We actively seek nationwide and regional project challenges. We work closely with neighboring schools near Voděrady and regularly communicate with students' families. Our activities, from fairs to excursions to companies in the region, show students a direct connection between skills from school and their application in the real world.

What's next

Our goal is to further deepen the 'WE ARE A TEAM' philosophy and integrate effective communication into every minute of school life. We plan to continue developing the school climate, expand outdoor learning, and inspire other schools by sharing our experiences with the Skills Builder methodology. We want our school to be a place where everyone feels heard and supported in their growth.

Czechia