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Corngreaves Academy, Cradley Heath, Sandwell, welcomes children aged 3–11. From our Roots and Shoots Pre-School through to Year 6, the Skills Builder programme is embedded in everything we do.
We are proud to serve a community facing high levels of deprivation, where many families experience the challenges of unemployment and higher rates of crime. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background. By developing essential life skills alongside academic learning, we give our pupils the strongest possible start to their educational journey and prepare them for future education, employment, and life.
At Corngreaves Academy, we regularly celebrate the message of Little People, Big Dreams because it reflects our ambition for every child. We want all of our pupils to be happy, healthy, confident, and resilient, with the skills, aspirations, and self-belief to achieve their full potential and make a positive contribution to the world around them.
Overall impact
The Skills Builder Accelerator programme has had a significant and lasting impact across our whole school community. For teachers, it has provided a consistent language and framework for explicitly teaching and recognising the essential skills across all areas of the curriculum. This has strengthened curriculum planning, encouraged meaningful reflection, and ensured that the development of essential skills is embedded within everyday teaching rather than treated as a standalone initiative.
For our pupils, the impact has been transformational. Children confidently use the language of the eight essential skills, recognise their own strengths and areas for development, and are increasingly able to apply these skills across different subjects and real-life situations. They understand why these skills matter and how they will support them in secondary education, future employment and everyday life. The introduction of our Education with Character passports has further motivated pupils to demonstrate the skills consistently and celebrate their achievements.
The wider community has also benefited from the programme. Parents have developed a greater understanding of the importance of essential skills through workshops, ClassDojo updates, Facebook posts and opportunities to participate in school events. Our Careers Fair, Career Drop Down Days and employer engagement activities have strengthened links with local businesses and professionals, giving children valuable insights into the world of work and raising aspirations.
One of the greatest highlights has been seeing the Skills Builder framework become part of our school culture. The language of the essential skills is now used naturally by pupils and staff across the school, from Pre-School to Year 6. Whether in the classroom, during enrichment activities, or through interactions with visitors and employers, children are able to identify, discuss and demonstrate the skills with confidence. This whole-school commitment has created a shared vision for developing resilient, confident and well-rounded learners who are equipped with the skills they need to succeed both now and in the future.
Keep it simple
Skills Builder is embedded throughout our curriculum, with the eight essential skills threaded through every lesson. From Maths and Reading to Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), children are encouraged to develop and demonstrate these essential skills in all areas of learning. Class teachers recognise and celebrate their use through ClassDojo, praising pupils for applying the skills both in and beyond the classroom.
Across the school, electronic displays and TV monitors reinforce the Skills Builder language and highlight how the essential skills are connected to our curriculum. Parents are also actively involved and are encouraged to support their children's development of these skills through ClassDojo, Facebook, and parent workshops.
We regularly invite parents into school to see the skills in action, giving them the opportunity to observe their children applying the essential skills in everyday learning experiences, such as our popular Art Workshops. This strong partnership between home and school helps to reinforce the importance of the Skills Builder programme and supports children in developing these lifelong skills both in school and at home.
Start early, keep going
Skills are developed progressively from Pre-School through to Year 6, ensuring a consistent and age-appropriate approach to building pupils' confidence and capability. The Skills Builder framework has become an integral part of our classroom culture, with teachers routinely referencing the essential skills when introducing learning, setting tasks, and reflecting on achievements.
Pupils regularly use resources from the Skills Builder Hub alongside activities across the curriculum to develop and apply the eight essential skills in a range of contexts. Opportunities to demonstrate these skills are embedded within everyday teaching and learning, helping children to recognise their importance both in school and beyond.
Measure it
At Corngreaves, pupils are assessed regularly to monitor and support the development of the eight essential skills.
Teachers receive regular reminders to complete baseline assessments before beginning explicit teaching of the skills, ensuring that progress can be accurately measured over time. Ongoing assessments then inform planning and enable staff to provide appropriate support and challenge as pupils progress through the Skills Builder framework.
Focus tightly
Children participate in a dedicated Skills Builder session every two weeks, where a new essential skill is explicitly introduced using high-quality resources from the Skills Builder Hub. These sessions are carefully planned and are often woven into curriculum lessons, enabling pupils to learn about a skill before immediately applying it in a meaningful learning context.
The explicit teaching of the essential skills continues throughout the curriculum, with teachers providing regular opportunities for pupils to develop and demonstrate their skills across a range of subjects. This approach ensures that the skills become embedded in everyday learning rather than being taught in isolation.
All children are encouraged to model and demonstrate the essential skills throughout their learning. When pupils consistently apply these skills in practice, they are recognised through a stamp in their Education with Character passport, celebrating their achievements and reinforcing the importance of developing these lifelong skills.
Keep practising
At Corngreaves, children have a wide range of opportunities to develop and apply their essential skills beyond everyday classroom learning. These include Career Drop Down Days, dedicated Skills Builder sessions, our Big People, Little Dreams programme, Buddy Reading sessions, World Book Day, and a variety of other themed drop-down events throughout the year.
Bring it to life
At Corngreaves, children have the opportunity to meet a wide range of professionals at our annual Careers Fair. This event enables pupils to engage with people from a variety of industries and career pathways, broadening their aspirations and understanding of the world of work.
Through discussions with employers and professionals, children explore the different routes into employment, the qualifications and training required for specific careers, and the essential skills used in the workplace every day. These real-life interactions help pupils recognise the relevance of the Skills Builder framework and understand how the eight essential skills contribute to future success.
To extend this learning, pupils also access remote Skills Builder sessions and virtual employer encounters, allowing them to explore a wider range of careers and hear first-hand from professionals beyond the local community.
What's next
We also plan to increase opportunities for pupils to apply their essential skills in authentic contexts by expanding our partnerships with local businesses, employers and community organisations. Through additional careers events, enterprise projects, leadership opportunities and enrichment activities, children will continue to make meaningful connections between their learning and the wider world.
