Skills for the Future

Enabling pupils to Flourish

While our young people will still need paper qualifications to access their choices of further training and education, this will not be enough to ensure that they can successfully navigate the future world of work. We are embarking on a major project to embed into the curriculum five key skills which will enable our pupils to have the flexibility, resilience and confidence to enter the world of work, knowing that the jobs they will do in 10, 15 or 20 years from now are, in many cases, ones we cannot currently describe or imagine.

We have chosen these skills because we believe they will help our pupils to flourish in the widest sense of the word; careers and future employability are vital, but we also want to enable them to be those who continue to show courage and love, and to contribute to their communities long after they have moved on from Dean Close.  

COMPASSION

Teaching empathy, encouraging our pupils to show respect, care and understanding towards others and an ethical approach to work and civic responsibility.

CRITICAL THINKING

Developing problem-solving and analytical abilities, learning what makes a good argument and developing the capacity to make good decisions.

COLLABORATION

Learning to understand their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of other team members and to cooperate with one another, working together towards shared goals and employing the skills of each to enhance the success of the group.

COMMUNICATION

Encouraging all pupils to practise articulating their ideas and sharing information in a variety of contexts.

CREATIVITY

Developing a mindset that looks for new and innovative approaches in a variety of contexts, including, but not limited to, the creative, expressive and performing arts.