Why does the world need skills-based learning?

As parents and as educators, we want our children to be happy and well-equipped for life. The 21st century is fast-paced and full of change. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey (2018) highlighted this, predicting: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution reflects a generational shift in the way we work, mainly down to huge advances in technology. As we move further into the 2020s, and beyond, the pace of this technological change is expected to quicken across all job sectors.” So how do we prepare pupils for a world that is changing so rapidly and for jobs that may not yet exist? The answer lies in skills-based learning.

Education is still seen by many as it was in Dickens’ Hard Times, with children being “Little vessels…ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim”. Cramming knowledge for tests and exams cannot prepare our children for an unknown future. Although knowledge is important,  what will allow children to flourish is equipping them with skills so that they are adaptable and employable in the workplaces of the future.

What kind of skills do we mean? At Dean Close St John’s, our curriculum has three strands: subject skills, subject knowledge and core skills. Our core skills really develop the whole child and are promoted every day, both inside and outside the classroom. Rather than just hoping children pick up these ideas as they go along, we make them part of the learning and our children are thriving because of it.

Communication is one of our core skills. We know that our young people will need to be successful communicators, whatever their chosen career. We teach them the skills to be understood in writing and speaking. While technology will be able to do much of the work in the future, great communicators will be highly sought after: our children will be able to interview well; make effective presentations; present information succinctly and motivate a team. To help our children succeed, our children take part in the St John’s Communication Award every year. Although speaking in front of others can be daunting, practising regularly and knowing how to do it well gives our children a real inner confidence. They are also excited to see their own speaking skills developing year on year.

Collaboration is another essential skill for success and we love to give our pupils the opportunity to learn how to work well with others in all areas of school life, from sports pitch to science lab. Rather than just hoping children will work well together, we teach them how to involve others, how to listen to each other’s ideas and work towards a shared goal. I love to see this in action, whether it is seeing an idea for a stall for the school fair through to completion or creating an improvisation in drama.

We also place a great deal of importance on Independence which can be seen and celebrated throughout St John’s. In Kindergarten, those first vital steps in independence might be coming into class on their own or changing for swimming lessons. As children make their way through to Year 8, they learn to organise their time and take increasing responsibility for their learning. One of the academic highlights of Year 8 at St John’s is our independent project. Children choose their own passion to investigate and learn to research effectively, plan and complete a 3000 word project. Without exception, every pupil is surprised and proud of what they can achieve once teachers give them the skills, confidence and guidance to succeed independently.

We want our children to be reflective, life-long learners who embrace new challenges and opportunities. That is why skills-based learning is at the heart of what we do at St John’s.

Rachael Shakeshaft, Director of Studies