Work on broadening Wigan primary school pupils' horizons has earned them a prize
Teaching beyond the standard academic subjects to give youngsters other skills for life has earned a Wigan school a coveted honour
A Wigan school is celebrating achieving the Skills Builder Bronze Award, recognising its commitment to developing essential skills in pupils.
The award celebrates schools that actively support children and young people in developing the skills they need to succeed in education, work and everyday life.
At St John’s CE Primary in Abram, the achievement reflects the school’s efforts to embed the Skills Builder approach across its curriculum and wider school life.
Through this work, pupils are developing essential skills including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, creativity and self-management.
These skills are helping children to approach challenges with greater confidence, work collaboratively and take increasing responsibility for their learning.
The award also reflects the school’s commitment to creating a positive culture where children are encouraged to be hopeful about their futures, kind and supportive towards others, respectful in their interactions and responsible for their actions.
A key part of the school’s journey has been developing staff understanding and confidence in using the Skills Builder approach.
Staff have been supported to identify opportunities within their existing teaching to explicitly develop essential skills, helping pupils understand not only what they are learning, but also the skills they are building and how these can be applied in different situations.
Pupils have responded positively to having a shared language around skills. They are increasingly able to recognise their strengths, identify areas for development and reflect on how they can improve.
A school spokesperson said: “Achieving the Bronze Award marks an important milestone for the school, but its work to develop essential skills will continue.
“St John’s Abram is now looking to deepen the approach across its curriculum and school life, helping pupils make stronger connections between the skills they develop in the classroom, their everyday lives and the careers they may choose in the future.
The achievement also supports QUEST Multi Academy Trust’s vision of “Supporting Young People from Early Years to Employment”, ensuring that pupils begin developing the essential skills, confidence and aspirations they need from the earliest stages of their education.
The school will continue building on its Bronze Award by developing staff practice, creating meaningful opportunities for pupils to apply their skills and helping children understand how their learning today can contribute to the future they hope to achieve.