The programme for the week will include: Assemblies, Word of the Week, a news quiz, Skills Builder, Reading and Literacy, discussions on current affairs plus specific programmes for Year groups designed to build personal attributes and enhance students’ cultural capital and leadership skills.
This is a programme of activities based on a specific word each week where students explore the derivation of the word and look at how that word can impact upon their lives. Activities encourage the Key Skills of the Skills Builder Programme whilst also increasing students’ knowledge of the world, current affairs and personal qualities.
The News Quiz is based on the events of the previous week’s news enables students to understand the world around them and to ask questions to deepen their appreciation current affairs.
Year 7 & 8 follow a project entitled “Becoming Me” where they explore the lives and influence of key people past and present. Students examine the personal qualities in famous people which have enabled them to achieve, overcome difficulties and persevere when barriers have been put in their way.
We want students to see people like them who may have had similar experiences or who they admire and value as people.
The message we give students is that we know we can’t all be a famous sports person, celebrity, scientist, writer, actor … but we CAN all try to be successful in the way we look at life or in the way we approach what life throws at us.
Over the year, we want students to enjoy finding out about the lives of these people and taking on some of their personal qualities to help them become the person they want to be.
In Year 9, students have the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Diploma.
The Leadership Diploma is about giving students ‘the edge’ over others in the future. It will also prepare them for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award should they decide to pursue this.
To achieve the Leadership Diploma, students would have shown their Advisor they have great skills in five important areas.
Exam results are important but they are only part of making our students the great people we want them to become.
When they apply for Sixth Form, apprenticeships, University, College or employment, the Leadership Diploma will show others what skills they have gained and how they achieved them.
The Leadership Diploma consists of FIVE areas:
To achieve the full GOLD Leadership Diploma, students must achieve all five skills.
Following the completion of the Diploma, students will be invited to apply for the position of Student Leader.
Students can apply to become a Student Leader at the end of Year 9. They must complete an application and be interviewed to ascertain their views on leadership and what they can offer the school.
Once successful, students play an active part in the running of the school and are our ambassadors at public events and when visitors are attending school meetings and conferences.
Student Leaders are the instruments of Student Voice, gaining the views of all students and communicating with Senior Leadership regarding aspects of school life that could be improved or changed.
Student leaders take part in assemblies thereby enhancing their own communication and presentation skills and playing a crucial role in modelling for younger students how to be successful.
Research shows that building essential skills supports:
The Skills Builder Universal Framework provides the national standard for teaching essential skills. It breaks each skill into steps, supporting progress for students of all ages and abilities.
The eight essential skills that will be built into Advisory as well as the wider curriculum through Leigh Academy Hugh Christie are:
All students will be encouraged and supported to improve these essential skills through many of their lessons across the curriculum and will then be re-enforced and supported during Advisory sessions.
Students in Years 7 & 8 will mostly be guided during Advisory sessions to develop these essential skills as a whole group and to look where they are demonstrating the skills across the curriculum and to start identifying any individual weaknesses.
Students in Year 9-11 will be given more ownership to be able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and look to develop through a range of tasks or activities that are provided or online via the Skills Builder Hub. This will be more student led and focussed rather than teacher led, however guidance will be necessary to support. These students will be able to use the ‘Skills Builder Benchmarking’ tool to assess their own skills and identify any areas for development.
