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Waltham Forest College is a highly successful and aspirational further education college supporting around 7,000+ students across London. Waltham Forest College is an anchor institution, serving its local community with skills and education for 85+ years, and is the third largest employer in Waltham Forest. The College works in close partnerships with key employers to ensure the curriculum provision aligns with local and regional skills and training needs, and to ensure students are supported to progress into highly skilled careers. Waltham Forest College got involved with the Skills Builder Accelerator programme and implemented the Skills Builder Framework to develop learners skills, knowledge and behaviours in the 8 essential skills that improves learners life-outcomes.
Overall impact
The overall impact of the Accelerator Programme at Waltham Forest College has been profoundly positive for teachers, students, and the wider community. The programme has provided teachers with new tools and methodologies to integrate essential skills into their curriculum effectively. Professional development sessions have empowered teachers to adopt innovative teaching strategies that focus on practical skill development. Teachers have reported higher levels of student engagement and participation in class activities. The structured approach of the Accelerator Programme, with its focus on real-life applications and skill assessments, has made learning more relevant and exciting for students. Students have shown significant improvements in their essential skills, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership. The initial skills assessments and ongoing evaluations have provided clear pathways for students to enhance their abilities. The structured feedback from one-to-one sessions and the achievement of SMART targets have boosted students' confidence in their skills. They feel better prepared for future academic and professional challenges.
Keep it simple
At Waltham Forest College, we have taken comprehensive steps to build awareness of essential skills among students, teachers, and parents, and to support the consistent use of the language of the Universal Framework. We have embedded the Universal Framework directly into our Teaching and Learning Framework, ensuring that all courses incorporate essential skills development as a core component. This integration ensures that every lesson and activity is aligned with these crucial skills. We provide regular training sessions and workshops for our teachers to familiarise them with the Universal Framework and effective methods for teaching and assessing essential skills. This training helps ensure that educators are equipped to integrate these skills into their daily instruction.
Start early, keep going
We have introduced a skills assessments that learners complete when they join to ascertain their starting point linked to the 8 essential skills. Overtime with with high engagement in employability, enrichment and work experience learners are able to build their essential skills. Tutorials have been badged to this framework to build awareness and understanding.
Measure it
At Waltham Forest College, we have implemented a robust system to assess and track the development of essential skills among our learners, ensuring they understand their progress and areas for growth. This include a baseline evaluation, upon joining the college, all learners complete a skills assessment linked to the 8 essential skills. This assessment helps ascertain their starting point and identifies their strengths and areas for improvement .Based on the initial assessment results, personalised learning plans are created for each student, tailored to their specific needs and goals in developing essential skills. All tutorials have been aligned with the Universal Framework to build awareness and understanding of essential skills. These sessions explicitly focus on developing and reflecting on these skills. Tutorials include a range of activities designed to enhance specific skills, such as teamwork exercises, leadership challenges, and problem-solving scenarios.
Focus tightly
At Waltham Forest College, we have further strengthened our support for essential skills development through structured one-to-one sessions and the use of SMART targets. One-to-one sessions take place every six weeks, providing a consistent platform for personalised student support. These sessions focus on individual progress and challenges in developing essential skills. Questions during these sessions are mandated to concentrate on how students are building their essential skills. This ensures that each conversation is productive and directly relevant to the students' growth. Tutors provide tailored feedback and guidance based on the student's specific needs and experiences, helping them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This not only helps students build their skills effectively but also ensures that they are well-prepared for future academic and professional challenges.
Keep practising
To give students ample opportunities to practice their essential skills, the College incorporates various methods within and beyond the curriculum. Some effective strategies include curriculum Integration, work experience, employability sessions, enrichment opportunities, community and volunteer work, and role play. By offering these diverse opportunities, Waltham Forest College ensures that students have multiple avenues to practice and develop their essential skills, preparing them for success in their future careers and personal lives.
Bring it to life
To help students see how they can use essential skills in wider life, the College maintains a focus on these skills through the lens of employability. The relevance of the skills to the workplace is consistently made clear to students. The College has created a work experience booklet which integrates the essential skills and offers the students an opportunity for reflection on how they have used these skills in workplace settings. By integrating these strategies into both the curriculum and work experience contexts, the College helps students make meaningful connections between their academic learning and real-world applications. This not only enhances their understanding but also prepares them for successful careers and lifelong learning.
What's next
To build on our successes and address any challenges encountered during the implementation of the Accelerator Programme, Waltham Forest College will continue providing regular professional development opportunities for teachers to stay updated with the latest educational practices and technologies. This will help them effectively integrate essential skills into their teaching. We will explore the introduction of mentorship programs where experienced students and alumni can guide current students in developing their essential skills and navigating career pathways. The College will continue to hold regular events to celebrate student achievements in developing essential skills. Recognising and rewarding progress can motivate students and highlight the importance of these skills.
