This Training and Support dashboard features a variety of content to help you to build your learners’ essential skills, including online training modules. Explore these modules below.
Helpful resources
Module 1
Skills Builder Award Guide
0:00:01
A guide for schools and colleges outlining the Skills Builder approach, principles and different levels of Award.
Module 2
Skills Builder Education Toolkit
0:00:01
A toolkit for building essential skills at all levels of education - including the Skills Builder Universal Framework and the Skills Builder Principles.
Module 3
Skills Builder Inclusion Toolkit
0:00:01
A comprehensive guide for Teachers and Facilitators, to building essential skills in learners with additional needs. Includes the Expanded Universal Framework, which breaks down each skill into teachable nuggets, and six Principles for robustly building skills.
Module 4
Inclusive Learning Resource Pack
0:00:01
This Resource Pack provides an overview of resources and activities to support learners, including those with additional needs. Alongside this overview, Best Practice Snapshots give examples of where these have been successfully applied in an inclusive learning setting.
Module 5
Parent and Carer Resource Pack for Schools
0:00:01
This resource pack has been designed for schools to use to support their communications with parent and carers and the wider school community to introduce Skills Builder and how to build the eight essential skills at home.
Module 6
Case Studies Showcase
0:00:01
Click here to view the educational settings who have achieved a Bronze, Silver or Gold award on the Accelerator programme.
Introduction
These modules are a great introduction for those who are new to the Skills Builder Partnership. You’ll learn about the work of the Partnership. You'll also explore our digital products: Skills Builder Hub, Benchmark and Launchpad. Finally, you'll learn how to teach essential skills through remote and hybrid teaching and learning.
Module 1
An Introduction To The Skills Builder Partnership
0:05:00
In this lesson, you will be introduced to the Skills Builder Partnership. You will:
- Explore who we are and why we exist
- Understand our mission
- Explore how we work
Module 2
An Introduction To Skills Builder Hub
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Explore the Skills Builder Hub and its key features
- Understand how to find the best resources for your learners
Module 3
An Introduction to Skills Builder Benchmark and Launchpad
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Explore Skills Builder Benchmark and its key features
- Explore Skills Builder Launchpad and its key features
- Understand how to get the most impact from these tools
Module 4
Developing Essential Skills through Remote or Hybrid Learning
0:20:00
In this lesson you will:
- Reflect on the relevance of essential skills post-pandemic
- Explore the additional challenges in building essential skills when social distancing
- Consider how to keep students thinking about their essential skills at home and in school
- Explore other resources you could share with students
Principles
To have a real impact, essential skills must be developed with consistency and focus. The six Skills Builder principles outline areas of best practice for delivering your essential skills curriculum.
Principle 1: Keep it simple
A consistent focus on the same skills helps ensure everyone’s shared understanding and makes building these skills as tangible as possible. Using the same language all the time makes a big difference.
In these module, you will learn what essential skills are, and how to talk about them using the Universal Framework. Then you’ll consider how to support your learners and the wider community to use the Framework too.
Module 1
What Are Essential Skills?
0:12:00
In this lesson, we think about skills and the importance of having a clear and tangible outcome. You will:
- Understand the difference between character, knowledge and skills
- Explore the eight essential skills
- Identify the four strands they sit in
Module 2
The Skills Builder Universal Framework
0:10:00
In this lesson, you will learn about the Skills Builder Universal Framework. You will:
- Understand how the Universal Framework defines and measures essential skills
- Reflect on how you can measure skills progress
- Learn how to use the Universal Framework to define, measure, and teach the essential skills
Module 3
Learners: Fostering a Common Language
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Understand the impact of adopting a common language from a learner's perspective
- Understand how the language of the Universal Framework works for learners
- Consider ways in which your own practice can support learners to adopt the language
Module 4
Educators: Fostering a Common Language
0:05:00
In this lesson you will:
- Learn how the language of the Universal Framework aids metacognitive strategies
- Practise using the language in a real-world scenario
- Discover different approaches other schools and colleges are using to embed the language across their settings
Module 5
Recognising and Rewarding Effort
0:10:00
In this lesson you will focus in particular on praise and feedback. You will:
- Recognise praise and feedback as a highly effective, easy to deploy teaching tool.
- Learn how to use praise and feedback in relation to essential skills.
- Consider the place of extrinsic rewards in your setting.
Module 6
Using Visual Cues
0:05:00
In this lesson you will:
- Consider ways to create a visual learning environment that supports essential skills.
- Learn how other education settings in the Skills Builder Partnership are using displays to teach or celebrate essential skills.
Principle 2: Start early, keep going
Mastering these essential skills isn’t simple and takes time and sustained effort. The skills are not just about employability, but about thriving in all aspects of life.
These modules each focus on a specific phase of education. Choose the phase that best applies to your learners.
Module 1
Essential Skills For Learners Under 5
0:10:00
In this lesson on teaching essential skills to children under the age of 5, you will:
- Learn how standard early years practice is highly compatible with essential skills teaching
- Explore the Expanded Universal Framework
- Think about when learners use the essential skills and what this could mean for your teaching
Module 2
Essential Skills With Learners Aged 5-11
0:10:00
In this lesson, Essential Skills with Learners aged 5-11, you will:
- Consider the importance of building essential skills over time
- Learn what other schools are doing with children this age
Module 3
Essential Skills With Learners Aged 11-16
0:10:00
In this lesson, Essential Skills for Learners aged 11-16. You will:
- Consider the importance of building essential across the age range
- Learn what other schools are doing with learners this age
Module 4
Essential Skills Post-16
0:05:00
In this lesson you will:
- Consider the opportunities post-16 education presents for essential skills teaching
- Discover what other post-16 settings are already doing
Principle 3: Measure it
Take time to reflect on the skills of individuals – by observing or by self-assessment. This gives a balanced understanding of strengths and weaknesses, highlights progress and shows next steps.
In these modules you will learn more about using the Skills Builder Universal Framework as a tool to assess and inform formative practice.
Module 1
Measure It Using the Universal Framework
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Consider how the Universal Framework is designed to easily assess progress
- Take a closer look at how the Universal Framework is constructed
- Learn how to use the Universal Framework to aid formative assessment
Module 2
Measure It Using Skills Builder Hub
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Recap what the Skills Builder Hub is and who it is for
- Learn how to use the Skills Builder Hub to aid formative assessment
Module 3
Measure It Using Skills Builder Benchmark
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Recap what Skills Builder Benchmark is and who it is for
- Learn how to use Skills Builder Benchmark to aid formative assessment
Principle 4: Focus tightly
Building essential skills should be timely and focused appropriately. It should allow dedicated time just to explicitly build the skill.
These modules go into more detail about the specific knowledge that needs to be taught for each step, and some of the ways Skills Builder has made it easier to practise the specific elements of each skill once they have been taught.
Module 1
Teaching Specific Skill Steps
0:05:00
In this lesson you will:
- Learn how to use Skills Builder's Universal Framework to teach essential skills in a more focussed way
- Consider how knowledge is a key component of effective skills teaching
- Consider overlaps between teaching skill steps and other curriculum areas
Module 2
Deliberate Practice of Essential Skills
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Consider the principles of deliberate practice
- Practise applying these principles
Module 3
Focus Tightly Using Skills Builder Hub
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Explore different resources on the Skills Builder Hub
- Learn how to find the right resources for your learners
Module 4
Focus Tightly Using Skills Builder Launchpad
0:15:00
In this lesson you will:
- Explore the online modules on Skills Builder Launchpad
- Learn how to direct your learners to the right resources for them
Principle 5: Keep practising
To accelerate progress in the essential skills, they should be used and reinforced as often as possible – including opportunities for reflection.
Through these modules, you will consider regular opportunities for learners to use and reflect on their essential skills, and how to highlight these opportunities to them.
Module 1
Keep Practising Across the Curriculum
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Learn how essential skills can be woven into an already packed curriculum
- Practise spotting opportunities to teach and reinforce essential skills
Module 2
Keep Practising Outside the Classroom
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Learn how essential skills can be woven into an already packed curriculum
- Practise spotting opportunities to teach and reinforce essential skills
Principle 6: Bring it to life
Ensure individuals see how their essential skills can transfer between different settings and be applied to different problems.
In these modules, you’ll learn how to support learners to make connections between what they learn in school or college, and what they will be doing in the outside world.
Module 1
Bring it to Life
0:10:00
In this lesson you will:
- Consider the benefits of connecting learning in the classroom with the wider world
- Learn the principles of effective project-based learning
- Learn some approaches to creating meaningful employer encounters
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The development of this Training Area was made possible thanks to the kind support of our fantastic partners:
