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We have been using the 'Skill of the Month' initiative to focus on a particular essential skill, and regular reminders in lessons linking to Learning Objectives. Certificates are home for parents to see children's progress. We use Challenge Days and Trips to engage essential skill learning in the wider world.
Overall impact
The students are enthusiastic about the Skill of the Month, because they are able to track their development through the Skills Builder Universal Framework.
Keep it simple
Each month, teachers will focus on a particular essential skill for students to build on throughout that month. Lessons will be tailored to use essential skills as part of the Learning Objectives. As well as this, certificates are sent home with students so that parents have the opportunity to see how their children are progressing with essential skills. The school have also assigned Skills Builder Challenge Days and trips for students to use essential skills in a practical setting.
Start early, keep going
We've used the Skills Builder Challenge Days as a way to embed essential skills into the Reception education curriculum upwards. For example, one of the Challenge Days involved our students creating greeting cards which they were then able to sell to parents.
Measure it
We use the Skills Builder Hub to record and analyse each student's essential skills progress. Teachers are then able to use this information to track how the class are doing as a whole, and how they can develop their ongoing lesson plans accordingly.
Focus tightly
Our students are able to focus tightly on a particular essential skill each month, which they can build on during subject lessons through practical activities. Teachers regularly use resources on the Skills Builder Hub to find interactive challenges and exercises for students to complete.
Keep practising
We're able to keep practising essential skills because teachers have linked skills to areas of the curriculum in Long Term Projects (LTP) and are always reminding students to think about which essential skills they are using when they are working on a particular activity.
Bring it to life
Trip days are fantastic and children, staff and parents love them. We're looking forward to them resuming again soon.
What's next
We want to continue with everything we have put in place this year and decide the best programme moving forward. We are looking to work to the next award eventually. Our school is going to continue working to develop students' essential skills on a daily basis within the curriculum.
