From their very first week, every study programme student takes part in a weekly Skills Hour. That includes students with high needs, who are supported by adapted materials based on the Skills Builder Framework. Our schemes of work are designed to revisit key steps over time, and the flexible structure means students can work at the right pace for them. Teachers also bring essential skills into vocational lessons and functional skills classes, helping students spot connections and practise what they’ve learned in different settings.

We’ve always been clear that the goal of Skills Builder isn’t just to collect evidence—it’s about helping students make tangible changes in how they behave, how they think, and how they approach new challenges. The focus is on formative development, not paperwork. We want to see students growing in confidence, becoming more independent, and progressing in ways that matter beyond just academic qualifications. Whether it's speaking up in a group, showing resilience when things go wrong, or leading a task in work experience, it's these real-life changes that signal true progress. We use the Skills Builder Benchmark tool three times a year. These checkpoints help students reflect on how far they've come and decide what to focus on next. We build in extra windows for goal setting and use the Hub to help teachers plan sessions that are just right for their groups. Some teachers go even further, cross-referencing data from the Hub and Benchmark to get a fuller picture. In some centres where IT is a barrier, we’re trialling paper-based options like the Skills Daily Diary. Benchmark data is also starting to shape conversations between staff and managers, and we’ve seen the shared language of the Framework help both staff and students make sense of what progress really looks like.

As mentioned, every student has a protected Skills Hour in their timetable. The scheme of work, and provided resources, guides teachers step by step through the Universal Framework, with activities that are reflective, practical, and engaging. Because of this structure, teachers feel more confident delivering the content, and are even asking for coaching to keep improving. Students take part in group discussions, practical tasks and self-assessments, and many have said they enjoy the chance to think about their progress in a different way. The sessions are not treated as add-ons or extras—they’re a valued part of the weekly sequence.

Essential skills aren’t just taught once a week and forgotten. We encourage teachers to highlight and revisit skills across their subject teaching. Functional skills lessons make use of listening, speaking, and problem solving. In vocational sessions, teamwork, creativity, and leadership come into play. Schemes of work, and more importantly resources/activities, are being updated to reflect this, and many teachers now naturally refer to skill steps during lessons. We’re also building skills into enrichment, trips and work experience. Trip forms are being adapted to ask about skill development, and virtual work experience and Challenge Days give students new ways to apply what they’ve learned. Examples of how skills are being used come up in team meetings and quality reviews, showing this is becoming a shared language across our settings.

Most of our students aim to take part in at least 35 hours of work experience, and we’re working with employers to reflect on how students are using their skills on placement. We're also building CV writing, interview practice and revision planning, making use of resources from The Hub, into the curriculum to support real-world application. Our Challenge Week is set to launch just after Christmas, with each centre taking part in skill-themed projects that bring the learning to life. We’ve already seen students respond positively to employer videos and practical challenges, and staff tell us students feel more prepared and professional because of the focus on speaking, listening and staying positive.