Bringing Skills To Life 

 

As 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.