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Caister Academy
Caister Academy in Norfolk is part of the Creative Education Trust, a network of schools working together to empower young people with the knowledge, skills and creativity they need to succeed in school and in life.
How do they use the Skills Builder Framework?
Caister Academy have a teacher training session to look at how to use the Framework in the classroom and then they run a Challenge Day with Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, to ensure the students across Key Stage 3 build their essential skills for success in and beyond school. The Framework allows teachers to explicitly praise students when they see them displaying the skill behaviours, positively reinforcing the essential skills.
Why do they use the Framework?
Caister Academy realised that they could use the Skills Builder Framework and resources to fill some of the skills gaps that they had already identified that existed across Key Stage 3.
What's been the impact of using the Framework?
As a result of using the Framework, pupils are now able to talk about the different skills, they are able to transfer the skills across different subject areas whereas previously they would not have been able to do this and part of that has been identified in Caister’s recent “Good” Ofsted report. As the Skills Builder Framework becomes even more embedded across the school, the students will understand the skills that are needed, be able to talk about them and they will be able to implement them.
“I have been able to see a totally different side to some students today and it has really surprised me – kids who have never spoken up in class stood at the front to present their ideas to the room.”
“It’s tough when you have people in your team that don’t want to take part at the start. As we’ve gone through the day though, we’ve pulled together more. We can use our team skills going forward in school and in life.”
“At the moment we’ve got pupils in Year 9 who are now able to talk about the different skills, they’re able to transfer the skills across different subject areas whereas previously they wouldn’t have done.”