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Hayfield Lane is a 2 form entry primary school based in the Doncaster area of South Yorkshire. Historically we were an R.A.F. based school, but when the base closed, the school context changed and we began to serve a different cohort of children. Over time we have had several ‘new build’ communities which again developed our cohorts in an alternative trajectory. So the community we serve today is a real mix of families, with children who have very differing life experiences and our education/curriculum needs to reflect that and cater for ALL the children we serve. Over a year ago we engaged with the C.R.L. (Careers related learning) Hub who introduced us to Skills Builder later on in that year. The audits and questionnaires that were carried out with the children demonstrated a lack of aspirations for many, low self-values, limited views on what they could be/achieve for some and gaps in behaviours for learning. We were part of a global/national project for Rethinking Assessment, developing skills around the 3 C’s (Creativity, critical thinking and collaboration). The skills as identified in Skills Builder aligned beautifully with the values and skills depositions formed as part of the Rethinking Assessment. It broke the skills down for us and gave us something we had identified as a need, but also an enhancement in the careers learning we had already begun. It gave the staff and children something tangible to work with, and we saw how we could integrate this with our personalised curriculum and every day cultures we had begun to develop, whole school.
Overall impact
Skills Builder has had huge impact on every aspect of the school. The design of the site itself with all the resources and assessment tools has enabled staff to use them easily and effectively. The teachers have said it is easy to use and is sequential by design. They are able to build on, week by week and the steps, including the expanded framework steps, have been easy to follow allowing children to also follow and use them independently. They are used frequently to develop children’s oracy understanding which is a huge focus in our school. The progressive steps of speaking and listening are broken down and shared with the children and this has really allowed children to understand how to become effective communicators, right from Foundation Stage. This was commented on by external bodies when visiting our schools. The program has enabled us to continue with our careers related learning raising aspirations and the outcomes of audits and questionnaires demonstrate the impact and growth here also. The challenge days have increased to challenge weeks, where we have been able to incorporate intergenerational learning with our families, exploring different sectors in the world of work. The skills have been turned into superheroes, which engage the children as they are relatable. All of our reward systems now align with the 8 skills and are celebrated as such. It is incorporated in all our teaching and learning across the curriculum and children are using this to critique their learning behaviours. Skills Builder has been intertwined with the 3 C’s work which has informed all of our deepening and ‘greater depth’ experiences in every subject. This means the skills are visited in 100% of our sessions as part of that. Ambition and aspirations have been raised for the children, and they communicate wider opportunities when it comes to their lives beyond primary and includes options for the world of work.
Keep it simple
Skills Builder launched with a "Moonbase Challenge" day, creating a positive buzz and engaging governors, parents, children, and staff.
Whole-school Monday morning assemblies, designed by the Deputy Head/Skills Hub lead, use direct Hub resources. These are personalized to fit current teaching, learning, and national events, modeling essential skills and consistent language for all children and staff. Assemblies culminate in a whole-school challenge focusing on that specific skill. Teachers then revisit that skill in a TRIBE TIME (class assembly), personalized to that class. Friday's "Golden Book" assembly rewards children for achieving or trying to achieve the skill, with examples shared publicly with parents.
Essential skills were developed into superhero characters, making them relatable and tangible. They are displayed in 100% of classrooms and used across the entire curriculum, ranging from deepening opportunities, peer coaching, target setting, general teaching and learning, and evaluations. They feature in policies, specifically the curriculum policy, reflecting behavioral and teaching/learning aspects.
Children move up the behavioral ladder for displaying essential skills, celebrating "in the moment" successes.
100% of classes have Skills Builder displays in classrooms, both main halls, and several corridors, promoting our identity as a Skills Hub school.
Start early, keep going
All learners have regular, planned opportunities for the learning & practise of the essential skills. The skills were mapped out across the school year for the entire school to follow. This allowed for a full school focus & was progressive by design & need. Within this, staff then decide which skills fit which lesson best in the school week - this allowed for not only teachers to have more autonomy with the skills, but to also personalise them based on needs & progress of the children.
We teach the skills across the entire school, including the nursery. It links with everything we do. We overhauled our entire curriculum’s deepening section on the curriculum grids and the skills were incorporated into these. We re-wrote our assembly designs & structures to have a model where we triangulate them & they lead on from one another, which allows ALL children to unpick their understanding around the skills, rather than in isolated assemblies. It dedicates discrete time to this.
The expanded framework is used to inform steps/targets in support plans for SEND children, who demonstrate difficulties in these areas.
Not only do EYFS use them in formal teaching, but use the skills in continuous provision as well. They have engaged with skills builder CPD specifically designed for EYFS as well as using ‘The Outdoor Learning Menu’. This was something as a school we wanted to explore further to ensure we started the work as early as possible, but in the best, most productive way possible.
Measure it
We use the Hub’s group assessment tool in 100% of classes. We focus on a skill at a time, and the class teacher assesses the class. Teachers know what skill step to prioritize and how to deliver it. After the session, teachers re-assess progress. The Skills Hub lead monitors and tracks this, informing progress and future CPD. In Upper Key Stage 2, children use personal ‘passports’ from the Hub to track progress. They use these as reflective journals to celebrate and reflect on demonstrating skills in school life or lessons. We want to explore this in lower Key Stage 2 and make them electronic for teacher tracking. Whole school targets are set in Monday assemblies, with steps and discussions coming from class sessions.
The Skills Hub lead monitors the Hub tracking system and discusses progress and resource engagement with individual teachers.
We trialed a ‘peer coaching’ group called AIMING HIGH with vulnerable, lower attainment children from Years 4 and 5. It focused on ‘speaking’, ‘listening’, ‘aiming high’, and ‘staying positive’, linked to writing. Children were matched by ‘liked’ abilities to eliminate inferiority. Children self-assessed and, by the end of the 6-week project, discussed their progress and the sessions' impact, documented in an ‘exit ticket’.
Comments on essential skills and progress are also on end-of-year reports.
Constant communication with staff and PPD (Pupil, progress dialogue) meetings inform the Skills Hub lead on which skills to prioritize next
Focus tightly
Explicit teaching is covered a few different ways. The skills are introduced and explored ‘en masse’ in a Monday morning assembly. This moves onto explicit, discrete sessions in class, once a week, where teachers use resources, short sessions and stories from the Hub. These resources are pitched at the appropriate level for that class as they come direct from using the class assessment tool, also found on the Hub. These are also personalised on a daily basis from teacher formative assessment from the discrete sessions, so the skill/s are drip-fed through all lessons.
Whole school staff CPD has occurred once a term with teaching staff so that consistency and accuracy when teaching the skills occur. We also dedicate time termly for a Skills-Hub co-lead to offer support and guidance to all teaching staff so it tightly aligns to the expectations set out in September when we launched it.
The skills are mapped out, whole school so we have a common language and common approach across the whole school.
Keep practising
Curriculum sessions are "chunk and chew," enabling staff to utilize essential skills. We avoid compartmentalizing knowledge and skills, ensuring pupils develop and apply them across subjects and problem-solve in the real world, fostering themed links and automatic connections. 100% of "greater depth" deepening statements explicitly incorporate essential skills, especially collaboration (teamwork, speaking, listening), critical thinking (problem solving, aiming high, staying positive), and creativity (creativity, problem solving).
The superheroes are present school-wide, a visual reminder to keep skills at the forefront. Focused CPD has been on independent child-led learning, which skills foster. Superheroes also feature in electronic short-term plans on PowerPoints.
Our school developed and designed its curriculum. All learning is theme-based, with everything linking up and project themes running through all learning. For example, Y1's "Once Upon a Time" unit on "The 3 Little Pigs" runs across all subjects (Computing, Geography, Science, DT, English, Maths). Skills are practiced and referenced in every lesson with the 3 C’s (star system). Hero use makes delivery explicit. Senior leader observations confirm consistent teaching and application of essential skills across classes.
Extracurricular activities, mostly internal, also transfer essential skills. Scotty’s "Scotty Hero’s Camp Adventure" clubs unpick teamwork, problem solving, and creativity. PE clubs, run by our PE le
Bring it to life
At Hayfield Lane Primary, termly "Big Projects" draw together learning, linking with Doncaster’s 2030 Education and Skills strategy. These community-focused projects incorporate many skills, often ending in an event or performance. Each year group has three annual projects linked with careers; staff have begun incorporating essential skills, and we're replacing one project with a Skills Hub one.
Last year's pupil voice audits highlighted perceived gender of words issues, particularly among disadvantaged students. This is key to using skills and career links to break stereotypes and open aspirations. We proactively increased employer encounters, from NHS in Early Years to female army/aviation role models in Year 6.
We ran "The Greeting Card Challenge" in autumn term, linking RE and diversity, ending in an awards ceremony. It generated impressive engagement. In summer, a whole week off timetable for careers and enterprise featured different Hub challenge weeks for each year group, from "Legal Eagles" in Y6 to "Teddy Bear’s Picnics" in F1. All weeks ended with parental engagement.
We worked with STEMM-WISE in South Yorkshire, developing skills for STEMM careers, including families for inter-generational learning. We've also developed leadership and teamwork skills through children's subgroups in reading, "Each Amazing Breath," PE, and Playground leaders.
What's next
As Skills Hub is embedded, we'll continue its growth and "tighten up" areas needing support. This includes refining class displays to instantly highlight essential skill steps for teachers.
We'll expand Skills Hub into extracurriculars like Forest School and dance. These skills, already in lessons, could become part of our daily "3 stars" to boost aspirations.
A new "Leadership in children" role with an SLT member will oversee leader ambassadors, breaking down leadership skills and qualities. This role will build children's skills sequentially using Hub resources.
We're training a third Skills Hub co-lead for representation across all Key Stages.
After challenge days/weeks, we've set goals with staff and children to enhance quality, outcomes, and incorporate intergenerational learning.
Finally, we'll explore Thrive integration with essential skills, focusing on "staying positive," "aiming high," and "speaking & listening" for self-development.
