Following on from the Future Fwd report, undertaken by MTM Consulting for Warwick Schools Foundation, James Barnes from the Learning Skills Trust tackles some of the bigger questions around educating the workforce of tomorrow.
Twelve years ago four prep school Heads decided that the route to pupil success in life, was not going to be achieved by continuing to prepare children for a set of knowledge based exams to be sat over four days in June. The Pre-Senior Baccalaureate was born. In 2021 a number of senior schools approached PSB, and asked if a skills framework could be developed for Years 9 – 11 to complement the PSB framework for junior and prep schools. The Skills Development Framework was born.
Of course, the question is why?
For many schools the existing arrangements seemed perfectly acceptable. You could teach to Common Entrance and GCSE perfectly easily. Children would progress to A Levels, IB and possibly university. What wasn’t working? The answers whilst not entirely straightforward lie in preparing children to be successful and balanced adults. They are able to recognise their strengths and weaknesses. Who have strongly developed and adaptable life skills. Those who can thrive not freeze on the myriad of opportunities and challenges of life in the 21st century, alongside the opportunity to experience the joy of learning.
Slowly the world has woken up to a range of truisms that have been circulating without solutions. How do we prepare children for jobs that don’t exist? How do we prepare children for a world, we adults don’t understand? How do we not merely manage, but provide solutions for the wellbeing crisis?
The Learning Skills Trust
The Learning Skills Trust has been established to develop life skills in young people – communication, collaboration and independence amongst others. The development of these is managed by high quality tutoring and mentoring. Collaborative meetings focus not solely on educational provision but real world issues. An IT platform allows educators to share their best practice.
Pre-Senior Baccalaureate
From those initial schools the Trust has grown to 44 – and counting. The PSB is well established. Research is already clearly indicating that PSB pupils are far more ready to face the challenges of study than those who have followed a less holistic education. This does not deny the need for rigorous study. PSB pupils are adaptable, resilient and able to improve because they are not fearful of failure. Indeed it is anticipated that along the way there will be failures. However it is how pupils learn from and respond to these that is important.
At the end of the PSB course children receive a certificate that reflects on all aspects of their work, an extended project and the development of their core skills. It is a comprehensive picture and it is far more relevant than a snapshot of examinations, although those remain a feature of assessment.
Skills Development Framework
The SDF has subtle differences with the same aims. Students follow GCSE courses and the SDF element revolves around a series of individual and group modules. This runs across three years with careful monitoring by mentors.These modules offer the opportunity for students to understand how they learn. They develop confidence in their learning habits and develop the skill sets required for a world that demands adaptability and portability.
A significant by-product of the LST has been developing strong teaching communities. Teachers who were often operating in isolation can access support and enrichment. This can only be good for the profession, and the children in their care. The more we understand about how we can successfully negotiate the 21st Century, the more likely it will be that we can empower our students to enjoy happy, balanced lives.
The Future Fwd report can be downloaded here.