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The skill steps within the Universal Framework are really useful for breaking the skills down into specific, easily understandable targets for the children to work towards; abstract concepts such as "Staying Positive" and "Creativity" can be quite difficult for children to grasp without specific details. Before using the programme we had used the online resources on the Skills Builder Hub. We had found them helpful in building staff understanding of the skills. The area we work in has a high level of economic deprivation - we feel it is vital for our children to explore ambitions and to have some agency in their futures. We want the children to be able to explain how the skills could help them later in their school & working lives if they continue to work on them.
Overall impact
We feel we have already been successful in embedding aspects of the programme into our school: children celebrate the skills weekly in Friday assemblies and are awarded for specific instances of showing the skills; one or two skills are included in teachers' lesson slides weekly to help the children focus on a small number of skills at one time. Pupil voice activities have shown that pupils enjoy celebrating the skills and see the value in learning about the skills alongside subject content. Continued Professional Development time is dedicated to Skills Builder each term and our progress in implementing the programme is shared with the whole staff in our half-termly Teaching and Learning Newsletter. We are really looking forward to having the children more involved in promoting the skills around school.
Keep it simple
Thomas Walling has a skill focus of the half term. Thomas Walling uses the Marvellous Me rewards system - badges have been created to reward students for working hard on developing their skills. When students receive a skills badge an alert is sent to parents with information about what they did. Parents can then send a virtual high five to their child. This is written into the rewards policy. Skills Builder is written into the teaching and learning expectations of the school and features on the observation form for teachers. Skills Builder is written into the curriculum plan and is part of the curriculum intent. All classrooms feature the Skills Builder icons as part of the information wall. Some classrooms also feature the skill steps. Next year all staff will have the skill steps as part of their working wall. There is a communal display which showcases the skills students have been working on and how they link to careers. Skills Builder was featured as a strength in the school Ofsted report.
Start early, keep going
Thomas Walling holds two assemblies a week which are class based assemblies. In these assemblies students work through the short lessons. Twice a half term there are reward assemblies in which students are rewarded for their skill development. This results in a certificate. Skills are referred to in lessons. Icons often feature on planning. Staff plan reflection questions to ask alongside the use of the icons.
Measure it
Some teachers record progress on the Skills Builder Hub. Some teachers refer to the skill steps students are on using the posters in their rooms. This insight has helped staff to better plan their activities and ensure that they are pitched at the correct level.
Focus tightly
Thomas Walling holds two assemblies a week which are class based assemblies. In these assemblies students work through the short lessons. During remote teaching staff also used the Home Learning Hub to place videos on SeeSaw for students and parents to complete. Lessons show the use of icons to highlight the use of skills to students. The observation proforma refers to the use of essential skills and requires a comment on how the skills are used in the lesson.
Keep practising
Skills Builder features within the curriculum intent. Lessons show the use of icons to highlight the use of skills to students. Our sports coach is an external provider - he has been given a laminated mat which shows the Skills Builder Framework. He talks this through every session and supports students to reflect on their essential skills through targeted questioning. As more clubs resume, this will continue.
Bring it to life
The school have started to create a resource bank of videos. Staff are using their contacts to get local employers to record a video of them talking about their job, the essential skill they use most often and the step at which they work. The school have also used The Skills Builder Projects and Challenge Days as part of the programme. These have helped students to draw links between the essential skills and the world of work.
What's next
Our focus moving forward will be supporting staff to further embed the use of steps into their planning and to develop our links with employers.
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