Blue Coat CofE School & Music College

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Foundational Skills Programme


What are foundational skills?

Foundational skills are essential skills needed for everyday life, work and further education. Rather than teaching content that is specific to subjects, foundational skills sessions focus on applying knowledge to real-world contexts. For example, students could improve their critical analysis, budgeting and presenting skills.

What are the benefits of foundational skills in sixth form?

  • Improves employability- Learners are equipped with practical skills that employers value such as communication and problem-solving.
  • Supports progression- It helps students to enhance their independence and prepare them for the demands of further education or training.
  • Accessible- It is ideal for learners who struggle with traditional exams as it offers an applied learning approach.
  • Boosts confidence- Students gain more confidence in communicating and using literacy and numeracy skills in everyday situations.
  • Tailored learning- Can be adapted to suit individual learning styles and needs, meaning that it is more inclusive.
  • Encourages independent thinking- Promotes critical thinking and decision making through real-world scenarios.

Programme

Week Focus Area Skill Activity
1 Literacy Critical analysis Analyse a short article  
2 Numeracy Problem solving Calculate the shortfall for an average university student income  
3 Oracy Presentation skills 1-minute speech on a chosen topic  
4 Literacy Vocabulary & terminology Subject-specific vocabulary quiz
5 Numeracy Budgeting Create a simple budget from a scenario  
6 Oracy Group discussions Discuss a topical issue in pairs/groups  
7 Literacy Essay structure Build an essay plan from a prompt  
8 Numeracy Maths in subjects Explore maths in science/business  
9 Oracy Debating Mini debate with roles  
10 Literacy Chains of reasoning Build a logical argument from a case  
11 Numeracy Percentages & bills Calculate discounts and bills  
12 Oracy Structured speech Deliver a short, structured talk  
13 Literacy Case study analysis Break down a case study  
14 Numeracy Conversions Practice metric and currency conversions  
15 Oracy Listening skills Active listening and feedback activity  
16 Literacy Evaluation writing Write a short evaluation paragraph  
17 Numeracy Graph interpretation Read and interpret data from graphs  
18   Oracy Role-play Simulate a workplace or interview scenario
19 Literacy Argument development Build a persuasive argument  
20 Numeracy Interest rates Explore simple interest in real life
21 Oracy Impromptu speaking Speak on a surprise topic for 1 min  
22 Literacy Terminology in context Use subject terms in writing  
23 Numeracy Targeted intervention Support for students below grade 4  
24 Oracy Debate prep Prepare arguments for a formal debate  
25 Literacy Comparative analysis Compare two texts or viewpoints  
26 Numeracy Logical reasoning Solve logic puzzles or riddles  
27 Oracy Public speaking tips Learn and apply speaking techniques  
28 Literacy Summary writing Summarise a longer text effectively  
29 Numeracy Real-life maths Apply maths to everyday scenarios  
30 Oracy Showcase session Present a skill learned during the term  
31 Literacy Creative writing Write a short story using a given theme or prompt  
32 Numeracy Estimation Estimate quantities and check accuracy with calculations  
33 Oracy Persuasive speaking Deliver a persuasive pitch on a product or idea  
34 Literacy Editing & proofreading Edit a flawed paragraph for grammar and clarity  
35 Numeracy Data handling Create and analyse a simple survey  
36 Oracy Interview techniques Practice answering and asking interview questions  
37 Literacy Tone and audience Rewrite a message for different audiences  
38 Numeracy Fractions & ratios Solve problems involving fractions and ratios  
39 Oracy Structure of essays Develop and apply to case study  

Inspire Education Trust

Inspire Education Trust is a Multi Academy Trust that grew from a shared belief that children deserve a first-class education so that each individual child understands what they are capable of.

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