What are Cross-Curricular Skills?
We will still be teaching our pupils to be literate and numerate – to be able to read, spell, write, have good oracy, know the times tables, and be fluent in arithmetic and mathematical concepts. Morning lessons will continue to focus on developing these skills. We will also focus on developing the wide range of skills pupils need to be digitally competent.
However, we want pupils to be able to use these cross-curricular skills as tools for developing the Four Purposes. In literacy, we don’t just want pupils to have good test scores in reading and spelling! More than this, we want pupils to be able to use their literacy skills in meaningful ways. For example: we will be teaching our pupils to be able to research and make notes from the internet; to understand how to recognise reliable sources (and know how to spot opinions and false information); to form opinions on what they have found out; to discuss their opinions and write persuasively to share their opinions; and to link their learning to other meaningful issues.
The cross-curricular skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competence are essential for learners to be able to access knowledge. They enable learners to access the breadth of a school’s curriculum and the wealth of opportunities it offers, equipping them with the lifelong skills to realise the four purposes. These are skills that can be transferred to the world of work, enabling learners to adapt and thrive in the modern world.
Schools and settings must develop a curriculum which enables learners to develop competence and capability in these skills and, where there are opportunities, to extend and apply them across all Areas. Developing these skills is therefore a consideration for all practitioners.
Learners must be given opportunities across the curriculum to:
- develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills
- be able to use numbers and solve problems in real-life situations
- be confident users of a range of technologies to help them function and communicate effectively and make sense of the world
Rather than planning for these skills separately, the school will work to embed these skills across the curriculum. Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence are the tools children need to take off in their learning!
