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Butler’s Hill Infant and Nursery School is a larger-than-average infant school serving a community with significant levels of social disadvantage. The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) places our school within the bottom 3% nationally. We are a highly inclusive school, with 28.9% of pupils identified as having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), many of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and receive High Level Needs (HLN) or Additional Family Needs (AFN) funding. In recognition of this level of need, the Local Authority has awarded us Enhanced Provision status.
Most children enter our school well below age-related expectations, particularly in communication, language and social development. While attainment remains below national averages, pupils make strong progress from their starting points due to high-quality teaching, targeted interventions and a curriculum designed to meet their needs.
We became involved with the Skills Builder Accelerator because we recognised that many of our children need explicit support to develop the essential skills that underpin both learning and future success. Our pupils often face barriers related to communication, confidence, self-management and social interaction. Skills Builder provided a clear, progressive framework that aligned closely with our priorities around vocabulary development, speech and language acquisition, and oracy.
By embedding the Skills Builder essential skills across the curriculum, we have been able to give children consistent opportunities to practise and develop these skills in meaningful contexts. This has supported not only their academic learning but also their confidence, resilience and readiness for the next stage of education. For our pupils, many of whom face considerable challenges, developing these essential skills is a key part of helping them thrive both in school and beyond.
Overall impact
For Staff
Skills Builder has provided a consistent whole-school approach to developing essential skills. Staff have been able to use resources from the Skills Builder Hub to deliver weekly follow-up activities linked to the essential skills. The visual resources and common language used across the school have helped staff reinforce skills in all curriculum areas and everyday interactions.
For Children
Children are becoming increasingly familiar with the eight essential skills and can identify when they are using them in their learning. Skills are celebrated regularly through assemblies and classroom activities, helping children understand the importance of skills such as Listening, Speaking and Teamwork. The programme has supported the school's focus on oracy by giving children regular opportunities to discuss, reflect and demonstrate their skills.
Wider School Community
The whole-school approach has ensured that Skills Builder is highly visible throughout the school. Skills are celebrated during assemblies and displayed around the building, helping to create a shared understanding among staff, pupils and families of the importance of developing essential life skills.
Keep it simple
This year, Skills Builder has been introduced through whole-school assemblies where children learn about each of the essential skills. Skills are revisited regularly to reinforce understanding and ensure children can apply them in different contexts.
Every classroom has an A3 Skills Builder display featuring the skill icons, allowing children and adults to refer to them throughout the day. The icons are also displayed on flipcharts and lesson resources whenever they are relevant, helping children make clear links between the skills and their learning.
A dedicated Skills Builder display in the school hall provides a central point of reference for the whole school community.
Start early, keep going
Skills Builder is embedded across Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, ensuring a consistent approach from the moment children join the school.
A key feature of the programme is Butler’s Skills Builder Bear. Each time a new skill is introduced or revisited, the corresponding skill is added to the bear’s utility belt. This has become a memorable and engaging way for children to recognise and talk about the essential skills.
Weekly follow-up activities from the Skills Builder Hub ensure that children continue to practise and develop their understanding throughout the year.
Measure it
Teachers use classroom discussions, observations and pupil participation during activities to assess children's understanding of the essential skills.
Celebration assemblies provide further opportunities to recognise and celebrate children's achievements. Skills Builder certificates are awarded during the weekly Friday celebration assembly, helping children understand and value their progress.
Staff also use children's responses during classroom activities and discussions to identify areas for further development and reinforcement.
Focus tightly
Skills Builder has been integrated into everyday teaching rather than being treated as a standalone initiative. Teachers highlight relevant skills during lessons across all curriculum areas, helping children understand how the skills support their learning.
The use of icons on classroom flipcharts provides a consistent visual reminder and encourages children to identify the skills they are using during different activities.
The programme complements the school's wider focus on communication, language development and oracy.
Keep practising
Children have regular opportunities to practise essential skills through weekly classroom activities using resources from the Skills Builder Hub.
Skills are revisited throughout the year and reinforced during lessons, assemblies and wider school experiences. This repetition helps children develop confidence and apply the skills in a range of situations.
Staff actively encourage children to use the language of Skills Builder when reflecting on their learning and interactions with others.
Bring it to life
Skills Builder supports the school's ambition to prepare children for future success. By explicitly teaching and celebrating essential skills, children are beginning to understand how skills such as Listening, Speaking, Teamwork and Aiming High help them both in school and beyond.
The programme aligns closely with the school's priorities around communication, language development and personal growth, helping children build the confidence and resilience needed for the next stage of their education.
What's next
The next stage of development will focus on strengthening opportunities for children to apply their essential skills beyond the classroom.
Planned developments include:
• Adding Skills Builder icons to outdoor learning areas to support links with OPAL play.
• Introducing a whole-school Skills Challenge Day to provide practical opportunities for children to demonstrate and apply the essential skills.
• Continuing to embed Skills Builder across the curriculum and within the school's wider oracy strategy.
• Developing further opportunities for children to reflect on and discuss their own skill development.
