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Wormholt Park Primary is a friendly school. We have a strong Rights Respecting ethos, which permeates throughout the school. The children and staff care about and take responsibility for themselves, for each other and for their environment. As a result, our school feels like a special place, where children are happy and demonstrate great enthusiasm towards their learning. Over the last few years, our curriculum has been redesigned to enable all our children to achieve their very best, not just academically but also in terms of developing the life-skills they will need for the future. Our commitment to developing and embedding these essential skills led us to Skills Builder. Together we have ensured that all the children in our school are learning, developing and using the eight essential skills not just in their day-to-day school life but also as a tool they can take forward and use at home and in the wider world.
Overall impact
The challenge day and week that we completed really allowed us to engage with our local community. This year we enjoyed the Special Delivery project, the children loved delivering letters to people in the local community and within the school. We combined this with a visit from the Postal Museum, and an English unit on writing. It was great for children to see the impact of essential skills in real life. The incorporation of Skills builder lessons in all timetables is an asset as it builds the knowledge of the essential skills through the school as all children are able to use the language and build on it as they move up through the school.
Keep it simple
The essential skills are embedded in the shared language of our school. Children see the skills displayed in every classroom and shared spaces throughout the building. The essential skills and their associated steps are referred to in our curriculum, and used within all planning. Children are rewarded in our weekly achievements assembly for using the essential skills within their learning. Throughout the week, classroom dojo points are earned for demonstrating the skills in class. Support staff and skill spotters in the playground have essential skill stickers to reward playground behaviour. All teaching and support staff have received skill builder training. The weekly skill builder challenge, from Homezone, is shared in our parents newsletter each week
Start early, keep going
The essential skills are explicitly taught from Reception to Year 6. All the children attend a skills builder assembly each week. They take part in a school-wide skill builder Challenge Day and a skills builder week. In addition to these, two skills are focussed on each half term school wide. These are shared with parents in the half termly curriculum guide that is sent home. Children’s school reports include updates and make reference to their development of the essential skills.
Measure it
Children are assessed regularly. Time is allocated in staff meetings every half term to complete this on the assessment hub. The steps for each skill are displayed in shared areas around the school. Teachers make use of the universal framework when planning.
Focus tightly
Time is allocated specifically for the teaching of the essential skills in every class timetable. This has ensured that essential skills, at the appropriate step are consistently taught each week. In addition to this, two skills are picked each half term for a school wide focus and these are shared with parents. Teachers make regular use of the Skills Builder hub.
Keep practising
The development and building of essential skills is always high on our school agenda. Regular time is built into each class timetable to develop these both explicitly and also across our curriculum. Having the skill icons printed and in all classrooms has made it really easy to refer to essential skills in lessons and make links between the curriculum and skills. Our after-school provision also ensures that children have the opportunity to further develop essential skills in clubs such as Lego club, filmmaking and book club.
Bring it to life
We take part in a school wide Challenge Day each year. Everyone enjoyed Operation Moonbase, it really brought out everyone’s creativity – we even had a couple of aliens visit! This is always a time of great excitement throughout the school and the children take delight in putting their essential skills into practise as a shared experience. In addition to this every year each class take part in a skills builder week. Our Year 6s, in their transition sessions are encouraged to think about how the essential skills will assist them in secondary school.
What's next
We are eager to continue to build within our community and with parents, we also want to look at how students can begin to think about their skill development for the future.
