The 7 C's
‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change’ – Charles Darwin.
At Belmont, we want to get the balance right between the acquisition of knowledge but also ensuring that pupils acquire important skills for the everchanging future.
These skills and attributes include the four Cs of 21st Century Learning: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking as well as three of our own Cs that we consider instrumental in our pupils’ education: Calmness, Compassion and Character.
What is Future Skills?
The aim of The Future Skills program is to equip pupils with the essential skills required for success in 21st Century work and life. To achieve this goal, we have integrated a variety of engaging activities into the curriculum, ensuring that students in both Lower School and Upper School receive exposure to the 7C’s. These activities are incorporated into the regular curriculum during a 50 minute period per week. Activities are rotated throughout the year to provide a well-rounded educational experience and allow pupils the opportunity to develop the 7C’s (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, calmness, compassion and character).
The 7 Cs include the following strands:
COMMUNICATION
Expressing thoughts clearly, articulating opinions, motivating others through speech and giving coherent instructions are valued in daily life and in the workplace. We have included Drama, Oracy, Videography and Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) in our curriculum so that pupils can learn oral, written and non- verbal forms of communication for different contexts and purposes. We are excited to have partnered with YEA to teach our Year 8 pupils real-life basics of business and entrepreneurship. Pupils develop the skills and confidence to set up a real-world business and gain a certificate of achievement endorsed by University College London (UCL), a world renowned university.
COLLABORATION
Effective collaboration allows large groups of diverse people to collectively make intelligent and holistic decisions. The ability to work respectfully and flexibly is something we offer in Future Skills through activities such as Outdoor Learning, Drama, YEA, Community, Champions of the Rainforest, STEM, Photography and Business Enterprise.
CREATIVITY
Creativity is now rightly recognised as a key driver in the global economy. The ability to innovate and demonstrate originality in work is a skill fostered through Videography, STEM, YEA, Food Tech, Sewing, Photography, Drama and Forest School.
CRITICAL THINKING
Being able to think reflectively and independently allows pupils to become active learners. Through Robotics, AI & Ethics in Technology, STEM, YEA, Careers, One World, Forest School and Oracy we encourage pupils to analyse, evaluate, interpret and synthesise information. In Year 5, pupils take part in Robotics where they build and programme their own VEX Robots.
CALMNESS
Wellbeing and mental health are at the forefront of our ethos at Belmont. Remaining calm facilitates concentration, emotional regulation and increases chances of success. We teach Yoga, Mindfulness, Food Tech, Sewing, Values and Forest School. This aspect of the curriculum utilises the natural beauty of our grounds and is highly beneficial to the pupils’ emotional wellbeing.
COMPASSION
We want our pupils to be helpful and kind members of society. We actively promote compassion across various activities such as Values, Forest School, Community, YEA and through our Champion of the Rainforest module. Through Champion of the Rainforest, children write letters to children at a school in Guyana, whilst learning about each other’s environments and lives.
CHARACTER
Bringing out the best in each pupils is an area we feel passionately about at Belmont. Through our Future Skills curriculum pupils are able to find their niche in an enjoyable learning environment. The challenges that they face in problem solving in Forest School or presenting an elevator pitch in the YEA all contribute to developing character and resilience.
