Essential Skills

Preparing students for the world of work and their future careers is an important part of our careers education programme. To support this, we work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company and The Skills Builder Partnership.

The Skills Builder Partnership’s vision is “for everyone to build the essential skills to succeed.” The Skills Builder Universal Framework is the world’s leading tool for measuring and developing essential skills. It breaks the eight essential skills into a clear sequence of steps, starting from beginner level through to mastery.

The framework is backed by years of research and has been developed in collaboration with leading businesses, academics and educators. It brings together different skills frameworks into one clear and practical approach that supports students in building the skills they need for life beyond school.

The eight essential skills are embedded throughout our curriculum and form part of students’ learning both in school and at home. We aim to develop each student’s strength of character by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need for a successful future.

Essential skills support learning in the classroom by boosting academic achievement, perseverance and self-belief. Research shows they can reduce the likelihood of being out of work and increase earning potential across a lifetime. They are also linked to improved wellbeing and life satisfaction.

The Skills Builder Framework breaks each of the eight skills into progressive steps, supporting students’ development from beginner through to mastery. It provides a structured approach to developing skills that are often described as “soft skills”.

Skills Builder is embedded throughout our school ethos and practices, including our policies, staff training, curriculum, wider curriculum, INSPIRE programme in form time, collective worship, careers events, personal development activities, educational visits and learning at home.

Essential skills are highly transferable and help students succeed in any career, anywhere. Students with stronger essential skills are more likely to experience greater life satisfaction and can earn up to 12% more than their peers.

On a wider level, a workforce with stronger essential skills can increase productivity and contribute to a stronger national economy.