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At Perseid School, we are dedicated to providing every pupil with the highest quality careers education, which is pupil-centric, raises aspirations for life, encourages independence, builds confidence and empowers all pupils to plan and prepare for adulthood. Our personalised approach to careers education aims to inspire the potential of every pupil, and support every individual to discover their best next step. Careers education is embedded within our engaging and highly-aspirational curriculum and this is complemented by a consideration of the skills and traits our pupils already possess, and the ones they need most help in developing. We decided to get involved with the Skills Builder Accelerator Programme as we believe that by embedding the eight essential skills of employability across all subjects, this would support consistency of skill development in the four key areas of preparation for adulthood; employment, independent living, good health, and friends, family and community. As a result, we are confident that pupils at Perseid School can aspire to and realise a wide range of destinations beyond Perseid in which they can implement their knowledge of the eight essential skills.
Overall impact
Pupils are more aware of what skills they currently have and what skills they themselves want to develop as they work towards their best next step. This has enabled them to develop their self-reflection skills and take more ownership over their learning and progress. Furthermore, it has given pupils more purpose in their learning as they identify and work towards their aspirations.
Keep it simple
Through teaching within lessons, parent workshops, information sharing on our school website and focus assemblies, the whole school community including students, teachers and parents have all developed a good awareness of the eight essential skills. Students attend weekly assemblies during with they reflect on the focus skill of the week by adding photos and comments to their class Skills Builder floor book and also receive certificates to praise them for their progress towards this skill following focused skills teaching opportunities. There are various displays across the school both within the classrooms, corridors and other learning areas which link to the eight essential skills supporting pupils to consider their skills in all contexts throughout the day. On the school website, parents can access a link to the 'Home Zone', enabling pupils to work on specific skills challenges at home to further develop the skills they need for their best next step.
Start early, keep going
A weekly email is sent to all the teachers, highlighting the skill and step of the week and ideas for learning, including stories linked to the skill, challenges and skill specific vocabulary boards to support pupil communication. Essential skill development is incorporated into all areas of learning which enables pupils across Perseid School to build their essential skills including in our whole school Enrichment assemblies, special days and events, PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) lessons and focus weeks such as sport, art and careers week. Sixth form pupils have timetabled Preparation for Adulthood lessons which are based on developing essential skills as they prepare for their best next step. In addition, all pupils learn about essential skills in pastoral time, developing knowledge of the essential skills through the expanded framework and linking this skill to learning in morning group tasks and other lessons during the day, before reflecting on their progress at the end of each day/week.
Measure it
Staff assess formatively in the moment against the expanded framework and feedback to pupils, in addition to pupils themselves reflecting on their progress using strategies such as our class floorbooks to record the learning that's happening and where students are at and two stars and a wish to help guide reflections and next steps. Where appropriate, pupils complete our 'Beyond Perseid' Vocational Profile to self-assess and reflect on their skill development again using the expanded framework. Pupils revisit this each year, re-assess as appropriate and highlight next steps. Pupils also identify what skills they need to develop to support them to work towards their individual aspirations and their best next step, for example, if they aspire to be a football coach they may need to focus on developing leadership, teamwork and staying positive skills.
Focus tightly
Every key stage introduces and teaches the skill of the week in Enrichment Assembly and pastoral time through stories, challenges and other skill focused activities. Throughout the week in different lessons, the skill is revisited and pupil engagement and achievement with this is celebrated and praised including by giving certificates in end of week Friday reflection assembly. Skill of the week posters are displayed in every key stage. Sixth form has a timetabled Preparation for Adulthood lesson which the skills are incorporated into. Specific skill development using the expanded framework has been added to schemes of work i.e. Creative Curriculum, PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) and PE.
Keep practising
In addition to within all curriculum lessons, there are opportunities for pupils to also develop their essential skills across the wider curriculum including during educational visits, special days, enrichment assemblies and special weeks such as careers week and sports week. Teachers incorporate the skill of the week and two stars and a wish skill reflection slides (as appropriate) into all lessons and reference the skills explicitly throughout the day. For special weeks such as sports week, specific focus skills are chosen such as team work and staying positive which are embedded into all learning for the week. Furthermore, School Parliament reflect on their knowledge and progress towards essential skills every year as part of the school questionnaire in addition to thinking about what skills they are developing during meetings as they organise important events such as whole school votes and charity days.
Bring it to life
There are many opportunities for pupils to use their essential skills in real-life challenges, work experience, work encounters and other situations which will support them as they work towards their best next step. During National Careers week, students engaged in a skills builder project, developed their skills during work encounters and engaged in enterprise activities which supported them to develop skills such as leadership and problem solving. For all educational visits, pupils take our bespoke 'WORK' card to prompt external providers to talk about the skills they need to fulfil their roles.
What's next
For pupils to have more ownership over what the focus skills will be for special days and weeks such as sports week and arts week through whole school votes led by School Parliament.
