For many teachers, dedicating time exclusively to communication skills isn’t something that demanding syllabuses allow in the current educational climate. But there are other ways to develop these essential skills. Jules Oxborrow, Teacher in Charge of Speech and Drama, Godolphin and Latymer says:
‘Communication skills don’t – and can’t – just sit in their own dedicated channel – they have to be developed holistically across a student’s whole school life and the more engaging ways we can find to do that the better.’
So what are some of the vehicles schools can run to develop communication skills that will benefit students across all areas of their study and life?
Jo Edwards, Careers Adviser at Greenbank High School, explains that having clarity of thought and expression can help students set themselves apart when it matters most:
‘Lots of students are looking at very competitive career areas – medicine, psychology, law – so they need to be strong at presenting themselves. In a few years’ time, they’ll likely have the same qualifications as many others – but will they have the skills to communicate and sell themselves?’
Participating in debate clubs, volunteering to be subject advocates or getting involved as a representative in the school council means that students will have to interact with people from different backgrounds, age groups and demographics. This is excellent preparation for their later career and educational aspirations – and confidence when communicating with different types of people could be what singles them out in later interviews.
These clubs offer students opportunities to really absorb what others are saying, and then form opinions or take action based on their synthesis of this information. Students may find themselves learning more about social issues, world events and charitable endeavours through these groups, forging a passion for particular areas that resonate with them.
Jules Oxborrow, Teacher in Charge of Speech and Drama, Godolphin and Latymer says that taking active roles in support of causes can really fire up students’ interest and benefit their communication skills:
‘We have so many societies in our school: Amnesty International, a Diversity Committee, a Sustainability Committee, the model United Nations... students from these groups are encouraged to speak a lot in assemblies and at other school events.’
Young people can use these clubs to form an independent opinion in a safe space where rules and boundaries are clearly outlined, giving them the confidence to share their views. Giving clearly demarcated ‘listening’ and ‘speaking’ times to each member can really help structure these clubs, as well as reinforce fairness.
Extra-curricular opportunities – such as becoming a subject advocate, running debate clubs or student councils - are great options that endeavour to develop essential communication skills beyond the classroom.
Debate clubs, running mock court trials or participating in student councils also give young people experience of listening to others’ arguments, concerns and feedback, and learning to construct a balanced response. A recent insight from Twinkl says:
‘Being an active listener can have many benefits… Active listening involves understanding the point behind what someone is saying, not just the words… Although active listening requires a little determination and concentration, it helps children to be better learners, communicators and friends, so it's well worth spending a bit of time on.’
Through communication-focused extra-curricular clubs, young people can be taught to:
Getting students to observe and comment on the very process of communication, directing their peers to make good and bad choices, really helps them think more reflectively about their own communication style.
Jo Edwards says her students are encouraged to listen to and represent their peers through their leadership programme:
‘We have a pupil leadership team where students will have to run hustings and organise votes from their peers, speaking persuasively and listening to key issues other students in the school want to raise, representing them to their fellow leadership team and staff.’
Students will take their communication skills out into the world - when they go on to further study, wherever they work, and in their own personal pursuits. So it benefits them if they can interact with the wider world as soon as possible.
One of the ways to do this is to encourage inter-school competitions such as Young Enterprise, or even competitions open to the public such as drama competitions like those run by the International Schools Theatre Association. This presents an opportunity for students to not only practise and showcase their own skills, but be inspired by others outside of their immediate sphere. Suddenly their horizons are broadened beyond the school gates and the experience becomes much closer to the reality they’ll experience at university and beyond.
Taking part in a school performance, election or assembly gives students the chance to grow their skills as part of a team and develop vital collaborative skills. There are also often opportunities to take part in dramatic performances via local and national arts festivals such as Shakespeare Schools Festival. They need to practise together, perform together and strive toward the same purpose. While it’s an enjoyable exercise, students have to learn to:
Performance can form part of other school events, too. As Dr Kevin Mann of Wisbech Grammar School describes:
‘It’s about giving the students as many opportunities to speak as possible. For example, in our remembrance service, our youngsters will read the names of the young people who lost their lives, or they’ll read out poems or messages.’
Dr Kevin Mann achieves presentation skills practice during weekly timetabled periods:
‘We have a period in the middle of the day where youngsters have an opportunity to do some kind of enrichment - there isn’t a rigid structure as to what this should be.
While this is a co-curricular focus, it’s also a way to make sure their interests aren’t narrowed too early. We want youngsters to have opportunities to broaden their passions and this includes skills like speaking to an audience and delivering messages in effective ways.’
Running activities such as this means that, while dramatically inclined students can gain excellent presentational skills through drama groups and taking part in school showcases, those who aren’t interested in performing arts can still garner experience of presenting, and the complex teamwork this takes.
Further education and career prospects often look for evidence of leadership skills - opportunities where students have shown the mentorship or guidance of others.
Jules Oxborrow says peer-to-peer mentoring can be used to confront uncomfortable feelings of insecurity for young people:
‘I try to create a ‘safe space’ for students. Any strategies that combat a fear in speaking up, speaking out or giving voice to your feelings in case others judge you... are the most impactful.’
The English-Speaking Union highlights that setting up communication-related clubs are not only an exciting way to bring students from different year groups together, but for older ones to show responsibility and mentor younger ones:
‘Most debate clubs rely on older students to help organise the club, or to advise the younger students. If you’re starting a new club, you can quickly involve students by asking them to suggest topics for discussion, do research and give presentations on areas they are interested in.’
Jo Edwards explains how they encourage listening skills at her school:
‘We run a subject leadership team with students – an English student leader will listen to Year 7s read aloud and go into primary schools to help with transition work – they’ll listen to younger students’ concerns and questions about the move to secondary school which is great for building two-way communication skills.’
Taking a leading role in topics, the format, or even running an entire session of clubs really helps older, more-experienced students to hone their leadership skills. Being able to say they took a leading role in the mentoring of younger students will set them in excellent stead for future pathways.
The role of secondary school is to prepare students for success in public exams, yes, but more than this, it is to prepare students for their future, whatever path they may take. Whether they are destined for university, an apprenticeship, straight into the job market, or something else, a rounded skill set is crucial and school is a wonderful place to learn those skills.
To help students understand this connection, it is powerful for subject teachers to explore with students the various job roles associated with their subject. For example, a maths teacher may discuss jobs in:
Then for each of the roles, drill into the communication skills required. Would they need to do an interview? Attend meetings and give presentations? Interface with customers and clients? This gives the students context as to why it is important to develop a range of communication skills. Jo Edwards, Career Adviser, Greenbank High School says:
‘We try to encourage teachers to not just teach the subject, but to try and relate it to the career area that it might be relevant to. We’ll do whatever we need to, to make sure that every young person we work with goes onto the next best step.’
Of course, the route to that career must be addressed and prepared for, especially those aspects that require specific, practical communication skills. Jules Oxborrow describes how they do this at Godolphin and Latymer:
‘Students preparing for university are encouraged to practise effective presentations about their extended projects (EPQ) and to respond in different role play interview situations’.
There are a few ways to work on these defined transferable skills in your school. The first is to run a variety of workshops that will prepare students for certain “next steps”:
Jo Edwards uses peer-to-peer strategies when preparing students for interviews and work experience:
‘We run mock interviews with a whole year group which we always find really useful – and it ties in nicely to their work experience. Students take turns in being the interviewer and interviewee which gives them both perspectives.
‘Students are also encouraged to find their own work experience placements which is a great way for them to start communicating with employers and putting into practice what they learn during the mock interview exercise.’
University, college, apprenticeship and job interviews are stressful situations for experienced adults, let alone when young people are navigating them for the first time.
The workshops we’ve suggested can be supported by other activities, like groups or clubs that focus on relaxation strategies, such as breathing and posture. How can students best prepare and then tackle challenging situations?
If offered as an extra-curricular activity, these workshops may only be attended by the most dedicated students so running these activities during class time would be an effective way of reaching all students. By offering these as formal, in-class workshops alongside a healthy extra-curricular programme, you will be helping those students who may already attend a lot of extra-curricular clubs to use the skills they’ve developed to succeed in interviews and other high-pressure situations. Being able to transfer those skills and articulate the benefits of their extra-curricular participation is a skill in itself that requires development.
Practises such as meditation and mindfulness may contribute to students’ abilities to remain calm under pressure and help prepare them for interviews, as well as more immediate experiences such as exams.
By giving students important roles within the running of the school and where they represent the school at external events, gives them invaluable experience and really pushes them outside of their comfort zones.
These scenarios provides students with the opportunity to:
It also gives students the opportunity to witness others’ communication skills in different contexts.
Occasions like charity events, open days and other front-of-house events, such as running the box office at a school show, act as a networking platform. While the students work with each other in different ways at your school or club, it’s important for them to work with other people outside of that. Part of taking these communication skills into the real world is being seen and heard, so they can identify how to present themselves in a professional way.
Allowing students to speak to the public and represent the school gives students an opportunity to overcome communication barriers that they may have identified for themselves - or have been identified by a teacher or mentor. Being in a position of “authority” in these situations - as the host, presenter or representative - will help them develop confidence.
Sienna James, now a student at the University of Cambridge, developed her communication skills during sixth form by following her school’s subject advocate programme:
‘As a ‘student captain’ of sixth form subjects Media Studies and Politics, I attended the various parents’ evenings throughout the year to encourage prospective students to choose these subjects at A-Level…
A troupe of diverse students [acting as advocates]… provides two-way benefits, both to the students for their university applications, and to the school in order to reap the rewards of creative young minds.’
Giving students an opportunity to lead in an area that they’re passionate about uses their natural affinity and interests to hone their communication skills. Developing subject advocates at your school or college is also a way to encourage students to speak to members of the public who don’t know about your setting, and puts young people in the position of ‘expert’.
Jules Oxborrow adds:
‘A student needs to develop strategies that help them convey the passion they have for the work they’re doing. Eventually, this adds to their employability and their wider social development.
For students who can be reluctant to participate, it can be eye-opening to see their confidence, clarity and comprehension blossom when they’re put in a scenario that places them as an advocate for a subject they love, taking on more of a leading role with the adults and peers they’re interacting with.’
Mighty Fine School
One way to formalise the learning of communication skills is to offer a relevant qualification. Not only does it help students see the value in developing this skill set, but working towards an assessment provides a motivation boost and there is a great sense of achievement and purpose when they complete it.
There are many arts assessments available to students that have a huge impact on their communication skills development. Arts Award for instance focuses on communication, creativity and leadership skills, and really rounds out the skill sets of students passionate about the arts. There is a broad scope of choice available and students can opt for a discipline or a range of disciplines that they enjoy or want to learn more about, as well as work in groups or on their own. Support for communication skills is built into Arts Award as all students need to share what they have learnt with others as part of their award.
Specific drama, dance and music qualifications offered by a range of exam boards are also excellent options for students wanting to develop their skills in those areas. Preparing for graded exams or any type of arts assessment will support students to grow their expressive, communication and other transferable skills.
Committing to submit students for relevant communication skills exams provides teaching staff with a framework for curriculum planning and a guide for student progression through each level. These specific goals and learning outcomes give teachers rails on which to run their own version of the programme, whether done during class time or via a dedicated communication skills club.
A dedicated club is a fantastic way to help students work towards a communication skills assessment. A club should be a safe space where like-minded students can connect, and build trust and confidence which are key parts of communication. The dynamics in these clubs will influence how the students engage with the content, each other and later apply what they’ve learned.
Students will face different dynamics in the real world and will have the chance to explore these if you establish a dedicated Communication Club. Jess Cruttwell-Brown, a GCSE Drama student says:
‘I definitely learned leadership skills. I was working with a new group who were unfamiliar with each other and I needed to make sure we explored the subject sensitively, so I learned how to read emotions and deal with emotional reactions.’
Running a communication skills programme in lesson time doesn’t have to disrupt how things are already done, or put more demand on current resources. Because these skills span across a large range of subjects, the programme can be integrated into spaces that already exist creating opportunities from cross-curricular pathways.
The reality is that sometimes the students who’d benefit most from developing these skills lack the confidence to join extra-curricular groups, appearing reluctant to volunteer in these nurturing activities. When this is the case and optional extra-curricular groups are not enough to reach all students, incorporating specific activities for communication skills development into class time is extremely important.
Dr Kevin Mann describes how Leeds Grammar School uses time in tutor groups to develop student communication skills:
‘We have quite small tutor groups here and it’s about making them feel confident and comfortable talking together. They are encouraged to join in the conversation.’
Whether it’s in subject classes, enrichment activities or in PSHE lessons, these are easy opportunities to encourage students to engage with the programme. In-timetable opportunities give all students the chance to build these skills from early on in their education journey. This way, by the time they reach GCSE/A-Level the skills are already ingrained and they can move onto more advanced communication practices.
Jo Edwards expresses how important this team element is to building communication skills in her programme at Greenbank High School:
‘We run whole-day enrichment activities where students have to take a lead, decide on the topic together, then work towards a presentation to teachers and peers at the end of the day…
These might be focused around enterprise, business or apprenticeships… We also run industry days where students have to work with industry professionals then work as a team to present the work they’ve created.’
By peppering the timetable with activity sessions like these, students get an enjoyable change in routine and reap the benefits of communication skills development.
Schools that are really focused on delivering the best outcomes for their students via communication skills development may be interested in the Trinity College London graded exams.
Trinity’s graded Communication Skills exams are designed to support candidates to develop a range of transferable skills that can have a positive impact in both education and the workplace.
The exams assess the following skills through a range of contexts:
Exams like these not only really focus students and consolidate their learning, but also reward them with a well recognised qualification to add to their CVs and university applications. As Patricia Groves continues:
‘These exams prepare young students to approach university, and later their working life, with maturity and understanding and it enables them to communicate effectively with people of all ages and peer groups. I would highly recommend students adding these achievements to their C.V. and personal statements.’
As we’ve covered, all students benefit from development in their communication skills. As Jules Oxborrow, Teacher in Charge of Speech and Drama, Godolphin and Latymer puts it:
‘Developing verbal communication skills has a knock-on effect and brings everything together for a student’s self expression. I think it helps students develop their own voice and develop strategies for conveying their passion for whatever subject they’re doing. It adds to their employability and their social skills.’
The question is, how do teachers and schools ensure the best, most practical method is deployed to engage students in the most effective way? There are a multitude of options so schools need to review their strategies to see what route is going to work best for their staff and students.
The Trinity Communication Skills qualification is what sets schools and students apart. Not only is it a selling point for students to attend the school or college where it’s taught, it also gives them a step up when entering the job market. The purpose of a solid education is to ensure that students are fully equipped and prepared for the real world. This programme will give them that experience.
Feedback we get from teachers who have run the programme highlight a clear knock-on effect across different areas of study and in the pathways that students decide to follow after completing this programme. The skills they gather throughout will be carried forward wherever they go. Self expression and confidence in the practice of communication skills is central to our offer.
These transferable life skills are increasingly valued by employers and higher education institutions, as well as being skills that will benefit any learner at any point in their lives.
Mighty Fine School
