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Bringing Skills To LifeJohn Lewis launches practical skills programme for Swindon childrenAs pupils
head back to school, John Lewis has launched Bringing Skills to Life, a new
practical skills programme for primary school-aged children, to support the
development of skills gaps identified in the YouGov research of parents of
children aged 16 or under in the South West, which revealed:
- Whilst three quarters of parents in the South West (76%) can sew on a button, only 1 in 5 (19%) have taught their children how to do the same - Nearly all parents (92%)
can lay a table, yet just half (57%)
have passed this skill on to their offspring
- More than three quarters
(87%) of parents are able to follow a recipe but less than half (49%) shared
this skill with their children
The majority of parents in the South West surveyed felt it important for children to learn such skills. Almost all parents (86%) cited cooking as key developmental area for children, with 1 in 5 parents (22%) regretting not being better at this themselves. Over half of parents (54%) considered
public speaking to be a key skill for children yet over one third (38%) were
disappointed by their own public speaking capability in adult life.
Whilst over the majority of parents (91%) were
comfortable with their own writing ability only one third (37%) had passed down
this important skill to their children.
Seeking to inspire and support children’s development of practical, creative and literacy skills through its Bringing Skills to Life programme, John Lewis aims to recruit more than 1000 primary schools in the UK in its first year. The
curriculum-aligned programme, written by educational experts, includes lesson
plans for teachers and workshop and activity cards that can also be used by
parents and volunteers to help bring activities such as cooking, art and design
and storytelling to life.
A dedicated website, johnlewis.com/skillsforlife, has been launched to support the scheme, which includes modules on: Design & Make, Cook & Share and Storytelling. Christine
Kasoulis, director, brand development at John Lewis, said: “We take our role as an active member of the community seriously and
our community strategy is focussed on enhancing skills to create lasting
change. Through each of our Bringing Skills to Life modules, we seek to provide
a hands-on and inspiring platform to help build enthusiasm and knowledge of
practical skills.”
The programme has received backing from the National Literacy Trust, the Design Museum and Wayne Hemingway MBE. Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “The National Literacy Trust is delighted to support John Lewis's pioneering new community programme." "Supporting literacy is a key aspect of the
Bringing Skills to Life schools programme. It enables children and young people
to practice key reading skills in a range of contexts - from encouraging
writing and storytelling skills to reading and following recipes - this is sure
to spread the joy of reading among thousands of children.”
For more information please contact John Lewis via the link below.
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John Lewis - website |
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