Skills Builder Global

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ZŠ Do života, s.r.o.

Context

Our school offers education for pupils from Year 1 to Year 9. The maximum capacity is 11 pupils per year group. The school operates according to the "Into Life" (Do života) educational programme. We involve parents in school activities and cooperate closely with local organisations dedicated to children. We are a member of the Association of Small Innovative Schools (MIŠ). We offer interesting lectures and workshops to the parents of our pupils, as well as to the wider public. Another integral part of the school's programme is counselling in the field of upbringing and education. Core Pillars of "Do života" Developing trust in the child and their motivation We believe that every child has the potential and ability to learn. Therefore, we strive to foster trust in the child and their abilities so that they can grow and develop. We teach children how to set goals and how to stick to them. We purposefully work with programmes for the development of essential skills. Cooperation and communication We believe that cooperation and communication are key to success. Therefore, we work in age-mixed groups so that children learn to cooperate with people of different ages and abilities. We believe that quality relationships are the foundation for a successful school and society. Therefore, we support open communication and teach children how to resolve conflicts. Positive relationship with nature and democratic society We support a positive relationship with nature, movement within it, and its protection. We strive to use nature as a teaching aid. We believe that learning is fun, interesting, and natural. Therefore, we incorporate inquiry-based learning and experiential learning, which means we strive to use everyday experiences and activities to learn new things. We believe in a democratic society and teach children how they can influence decision-making at school and in the community.

Overall impact

Our school started implementing the Skills Builder methodology in the 2024/2025 academic year. 100% of the teaching staff, including educational staff in the after-school club, became involved in the programme. The Skills Builder programme helped us unify our terminology, so we "all speak the same language," and break down the development of essential skills. The development of essential skills is an integral part of teaching across all subjects. It is embedded in the planning of school life, lessons, school projects, and off-site activities. We also strive to link formative assessment methodology with essential skills. As children grow in skills, we grow with them.

Keep it simple

At the beginning of the academic year, essential skills were introduced to parents through experiential activities. At the same time, they were sent a link to the methodological portal, including the Skills Builder website, and information in the weekly bulletin. The entire school began working with the methodology on October 1st at a whole-school assembly. One month was dedicated to the development of each skill, and its introduction takes place during the morning circle (age-mixed groups) in the form of a skit, a task, or a mind map. Each month, teachers aim to try one of the Skills Builder activities in each teaching group, and then share their experiences at a joint meeting. A Skills Builder notice board is located in the central part of the school, where skill logos, including their individual steps, were gradually placed. In addition, essential skills logos for the given month were displayed in each classroom.

Start early, keep going

Educators set a clear annual plan for the implementation and development of essential skills. Introduction to a new skill took place in age-mixed groups, practice in school projects or form tutor lessons, and gradually extended into subject-specific teaching. The development of essential skills occurred in all teaching groups, and consistent sharing during meetings and the collective gradual implementation of skills for the entire school helped maintain persistence.

Measure it

To track progress, all teachers in the given group, as well as in the after-school club, complete the "Map the Field - Track Progress" forms. They share their experiences and opinions. Secondary school pupils themselves fill out the back of their record sheets and, together with the teacher, explain and reflect on what individual steps mean. Secondary school pupils create their essential skills profile through self-assessment, which then forms the basis for forming teams for collaborative projects. In primary school, reflection takes place together with the teachers. Tripartite sessions are also used to reflect on progress in essential skills - parents reflect purposefully with their children on their perceptions of their children's progress.

Focus tightly

Our long-term plan, regular class mapping using prepared forms, sharing their results with class teachers, and activity reflection help us to specifically focus on a skill and a step.

Keep practising

Individual skills were introduced in connection with whole-school two-month projects. Each whole-school project has a specific theme, within which the development of individual skills was included during planning. For example, the "Culture and Art" project included the development of creative thinking and a positive mindset. In individual subject lessons, teachers, together with the children, reflected on which skills they used or practised in the given activity. As a result, both children and teachers effectively mastered the given terminology, and essential skills became a part of reflections on outcomes from projects, nature schools, and secondary school pupils' expedition work.

Bring it to life

The school moved to a new location and wanted to get to know the surrounding area of Benátky nad Jizerou. In this project, children already used a number of essential skills. Parents regularly receive information about the skills being developed in the bulletin and weekly lesson plans, giving them the opportunity to focus on their development with their children in everyday family life. We involve parents in teaching through the "My Career Path" programme, where parents talk about their occupations and the essential skills they use in those professions. The development of essential skills is also reflected in activities outside of regular lessons and school, for example, a visit to the library by the 1st grade, whole-school projects, open days, and presentations by older children for the public.

What's next

We want to continue working with the Skills Builder methodology. We aim to integrate the development of essential skills into the regular operation of the school and all subjects, regularly reflect, and share our experiences in teacher cafés. We want to collaboratively create a database of tried and tested activities for essential skills development, including reflections on their pros and cons. We also seek to inspire each other by observing colleagues' lessons and visiting schools with good practice in using the Skills Builder methodology.

Czechia