We launched the Skills Builder framework to our entire student body from Year 7 through to Year 11. We built dedicated time directly into the timetable, providing our students with one hour per fortnight during Personal Development (PD) lessons and a 30-minute weekly PD tutor session to practise essential skills regularly. Staff used the Hub assessments and recommended resources to support student development continuously. Extracurricular opportunities were also linked to essential skill acquisition; for example, a student-led coding club enabled leaders and participants to actively develop their planning, leadership, and teamwork abilities over time.

Our tutors took responsibility for class-level assessments using the Hub’s statement-based assessment tool each half-term. This was demonstrated to us in the training session and was a clear and easy to use tool, we found this was a good starting point as a diagnostic tool to understand the best skill step to work on with our students. Students then completed self-assessments and compiled evidence using digital Skills Builder Passports saved on our Teams platform. Staff integrated baseline training into professional development sessions to ensure accurate assessment. In addition to formal Hub data entry each half-term, we used student and staff voice to assess overall progress and gather opinions on the implementation of the Skills Builder framework to ensure we have consistency and develop a robust approach to embedding skills.

We set aside dedicated, explicit teaching time for essential skills within our Personal Development curriculum, scheduling a minimum of two PD tutor sessions and one PD lesson focused on skills every half-term. Tutors delivered short Hub lessons directly informed by class baseline data to ensure targeted instruction. Quality assurance was maintained through regular learning walks and drop-ins by senior leadership, ensuring consistency across different classrooms. Small group interventions based on assessment data were also constructed for SEND students to provide tailored skill development.

Our subject teachers actively promoted essential skills by referencing them in daily lessons and embedding skill icons into presentation slides. Students applied their skills across wider school activities, including National Careers Week links, Duke of Edinburgh awards, drama productions, and work experience. For school trips, proposal forms were explicitly linked to essential skills, and host organisations were provided with support documents to ensure consistent language during off-site visits. Our Year 10 students utilised a dedicated reflection log during their work experience to identify and evaluate the essential skills they demonstrated in real-world environments.

We connected skill development directly to real-world contexts through careers-related events, such as a Year 9 employer day, a Year 8 STEM event, and a Year 11 post-16 pathways event. Further practical application took place during mock interviews and visits from further education providers. Year 10 students completed a week of self-sourced work experience, logging their skill development throughout. Students also managed refreshment stalls during parents' evenings and raised funds in advance for international trips to Borneo and Peru, offering practical opportunities to apply enterprise, teamwork, and problem-solving skills outside the traditional classroom setting.