By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.
Co-op Academy Smithies Moor is a one-form entry primary school in a high area of deprivation, with a large number of pupil premium students. These students often settle in the area for life and so a key part of joining the Partnership was to provide them with a wide range of opportunities that would have an impact on their later life. One reason why embedding the skills has been so successful is that they are really transferable. It's referenced in all areas of school life and helps students realise how the skills will help them later on.
Overall impact
The overall impact has been really strong and positive. It is great to see students develop the skills further as they move throughout the school. The essential skills have been really well received by leaders, middle-leaders and teachers who see the value in it. It's also something that has been recognised more widely by Ofsted and the Trust. A big achievement is that children are able to talk about them both in classroom and after trips or other opportunities.
Keep it simple
The profile of the skills is really high and a great deal of emphasis is placed on using a consistent language. Staff are supported in their understanding and teaching of the skills through regular training, particularly for new staff to the school and ECTs. The skills are also built into the framework of the school, through incorporation into different policies including the trip policy and careers policy. Governors are also familiar with the skills and have a firm understanding of how they are developed across the school. The language of the skills is reinforced through weekly assemblies, class displays and the Class Charts reward system where students are able to get points for their demonstration and application of the skills. This is something parents are kept apprised of, receiving Class Chart notifications and regular skills challenges from Homezone to complete as part of their children's homework.
Start early, keep going
Skills education is a core part of personal development and careers learning at Co-op Academy Smithies Moor and students from EYFS all the way through to Year 6 have the opportunity to build and apply their skills. In Early Years the names of the skills are used, when relevant, when teaching different topics or activities and skill icons are displayed in the applicable provision areas within the classroom. From an early age, students become familiar with the skills and what they mean before then developing them in more detail.
Measure it
All year groups are expected to complete the baseline assessment for the skill on Skills Builder Hub. They are then encouraged to go back and reassess at the end of each skill focus to identify any progress made by the pupils. This is then shared weekly through the Hub reports and is also something that is shared as part of transition into the next year group. By doing this regularly, staff are able to pin point where students are with their skills learning and what steps they need to develop next.
Focus tightly
Explicit teaching is robustly built into the school year as teachers teach the skills fortnightly through explicit assembly slots using short lessons from the Hub. This has really helped to raise the profile of the skills and allowed the students to talk about and develop them. Staff receive regular reminders and expectations around this are clearly outlined at the start of each academic year. A recent pupil voice has showed the positive impact of this explicit learning as students have been able to recall and discuss what they have learnt.
Keep practising
Opportunities to apply the skills across the curriculum happen every week, with class teachers referencing skills in different subjects and facilitating discussions around them. Across the year, all curriculum leads have built the skills into their written curriculum, underpinning learning in each year group by identifying the key skills used in their subject areas and highlighting the relevant steps being applied in the planning documents. Students can also apply the skills outside of the classroom in extra-curricular activities. External club providers are familiar with the skills and have linked them to their clubs, making parents aware of what their children will be developing whilst taking part.
Bring it to life
Pupils at Co-op Academy Smithies Moor have lots of opportunities to learn about different careers and the essential skills have been woven into these. Visitors from the local area have come in to speak to students about their careers, including the police, fire service and Mayor - a part of these conversations involve them speaking about what skills they use day-to-day. Before such Q&A sessions, students are able to come up with specific questions they would like to ask, many of which are skills focused. Additional trips also allow students to apply the skills as teachers share a skills guidance document with external providers, outlining what the skills are and how they can reference them with students on the trip. Finally, students are also able to take part in Skills Builder virtual trips, applying their skills to particular projects and problems across the day before presenting them to employer volunteers.
What's next
We would like to continue to embed the skills further, particularly with the new staff joining for September, and finesse our approach even more including developing the assemblies, providing more guidance documents for ECTs and reviewing the curriculum further.
