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Brook Green Centre for Learning is a SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) school for young people aged 11-16 who have cognition & learning and social, emotional & mental health needs. Through the Skills Builder program, students are provided opportunities to explore, discuss and apply the essential skills across the whole school curriculum. The development and recognition of the essential skills help to prepare our students in their chosen pathways, provides students with confidence and continuity in their next steps.
Overall impact
Being able to share the Hub reports has become very celebratory with staff and students as it visualizes student development and skill usage. For example, being able to demonstrate the strength of our project with Poole Farm. The increased use of the skills logo across the different curriculum areas and within lessons. This has not only increased the Skills Builder presence in school further, but made it easier for students to understand what they need to be doing at different points in the lesson. For example adding a 'listening' sticker on the the power point slide shows students that at that point they need to be listening. It has also been interesting to hear students talk about skills in their EHCP review meetings, with the introduction of a Skills Builder slide in the 'Listen to me' booklets.
Keep it simple
Skills Builder is integrated across the whole of Brook Green; as part of our lessons, wall displays, the bases for our Challenge weeks and as part of our formative feedback. Every class and classroom has a set of Skills Builders stickers, which enables every member of our school community to award others when examples of skills are witnessed. To support this further, there are displays in each of the Key Stage Areas. Weekly reward time is also influenced by Skills Builder, with activities being offered having to link to the Skill of the Week. Tutors plan activities that demonstrate and practice the skills of the week. All subject areas identify the skills to different parts of their lessons through the use of the skill logos and have reflected on the different skills used in their subjects through their schemes of work.
Start early, keep going
All of our students from year 7 to 11, use and access Skills Builder throughout their learning. Each subject area includes references to the 8 essential skills within their planning and delivery. Developing the essential Skills has become integral to our tutor program with tutors selecting and completing activities from our own 'Building Me' program, which combines the Skills Builder projects and skills with mental health & wellbeing. At Key Stage 4, students develop their awareness of the essential skills not only through their core subjects, but also whilst working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Awards and throughout any Careers related learning.
Measure it
Each term each tutor group works on a combination of skills that support the Building Me project that they are working on. Throughout the year, every student has multiple opportunities to develop each of the skills. To reinforce the recognition and in celebration students are awarded stickers, which are put in to their work to record where and when that skill was used or witnessed. This provides consistent visible feedback. Tutors have a key role in the delivery of Skills Builder at Brook Green, as they often use their tutor times to discuss & share the separate skills and record their group's progression their using the Hub report, and through student's Skill Passports. Despite the varying needs within each group, progression is noticeable and evidenced through the 'Hub' reports. Teachers and Learning Assistants have also had training on how to use the Skills Builder platforms for their groups. Hub reports are also used to record and measure the effectiveness of some interventions and off site projects.
Focus tightly
Each week all students have at least 2 Tutor time sessions in their timetables, which is allocated time to work on essential skills along side other tutor-based activities. Alongside our core curriculum offer, this year we also offered a 'Preparing for Adulthood' program, which focusses on life-skills. This program is aimed at students who may not be studying for external examinations, eg. GCSEs. We are looking to expand this further next year by further combining it with Talentino, Young Enterprise and a music project. This program will use the Hub and Unit Awards to record and show development. Staff are supported to share what they do, thus enabling Skills Builder to be incorporated into each subject area and their curriculum in the best ways possible for our students.
Keep practising
Throughout the year students have opportunities to apply their essential skills not only in their daily curriculum, but also as part of collapsed timetable days such as Numeracy Day, World Book Day, RE (Religious Education) Days, STEAM Days (Science Technology Engineering, Art and Math), activities completed during National Careers Week and during our end of school year Challenge week. Activities on offer range from orienteering, to baking, to entering the 'Spirited Arts' Competition, and participating in our 'You're Hired Scheme. This year we have started to link the employability skills with well being, as the two seem to be intrinsically linked. This has been done by expanding the Skills Builder projects to include a range of well being activities and awareness. Tutors work on this program during their tutor times.
Bring it to life
All students have the opportunity to visit places of work or meet with employers. Where possible these encounters are tailored to the student's expressed interests in order to ensure that they are relevant. Students in years 9 and 10 also develop their core skills outside of the classroom as part of their Duke of Edinburgh awards. Work experience placements are completed by year 10 students and again in year 11. In order to be able to offer students the range of work experience placements required students complete placements at various times throughout the year and for bespoke amounts of time. Within our school setting, we have a small Cafe on Friday mornings where students use their Enterprise skills to make and sell coffee and ice-creams.
What's next
There is still development required with the 'Building Me' program; as it requires input and activity suggestion / provision from all staff involved in its delivery. This will continue to evolve over time. All subject areas are also continuing to standardize and develop their schemes of work. As they do this further, reflection on how the skills are included in the lessons and learning will occur.
