Key Skills
A Key Skill is any life skill which has been identified by a school as essential for enabling a pupil to function in everyday life. Key Skills may initially be taught discretely in one subject area; opportunities will then be given for pupils to practice, refine and adapt them in other areas of the curriculum. The rationale for focusing on skill development within a school is as follows:
• One requirement for a broad and balanced curriculum is to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. • Delivery of the National Curriculum subject orders and Schemes of Work alone
cannot adequately fulfill this requirement since their emphasis is on subject knowledge rather than skills development. • The skills framework underpins all subjects of the curriculum, although there is no expectation that all skills will be covered in all subjects at all times. • It focuses on individual needs and pathways as the skills permeate individual education plan target setting, curricular target setting and individual behaviour planning.
EQUALS have adopted the QCA Key Skills listed below: • communication/literacy
• application of number
• I.C.T.
• working with others
• improving own performance
• problem solving. | 
