A petition urging the government to fund primary schools’ life skills education and fix broken Britain has been launched by Lessons4Life.
The multi-partner campaign, which began its work in July with a call to “re-prioritise personal development in primary schools to safeguard children’s futures”, is dedicated to advocating for better integration of essential life skills into the primary school curriculum to address gaps in children’s personal development knowledge.
Led by Hayley Sherwood, CEO of 1decision, now with the support of over 20 partners, Lessons4Life’s mission is to encourage the Department for Education and government to provide more funding, training, support, and dedicated time in the curriculum to help tackle pressing societal issues such as knife crime, radicalisation, and poor mental health early.
In its latest development, Lessons4Life is calling for teachers and parents to sign the petition, with a view to prompting a parliamentary debate on the “urgent need for change” around how children are supported with personal development.
Hayley said: “The consequences of neglecting children’s personal development are becoming increasingly evident. While personal development should ideally be nurtured at home, it is clear that more support is needed. For children who lack this guidance in their home environment, the education system is the next best place to step in. If we fail to act, these societal issues will only worsen, perpetuating a cycle of underdeveloped life skills.”
“However, by empowering our education system to instil these essential skills in the next generation, we can create future parents who are better equipped to support their children’s full development at home. In time, this could relieve schools of this responsibility, allowing them to focus solely on academic achievement while society reaps the rewards of healthier, more resilient individuals. We need to support our children and educators, so they can help young people make the right choices in life.”
“The urgency for change has never been clearer. You only need to review the news headlines to see why action is needed now. Acting now allows our education system to address these issues early, shaping resilient, responsible adults. Immediate action will create a brighter future for our young people and a stronger, healthier society. This benefits the individual, the class, the teachers, the families, the communities, and the country as a whole. Delay will only worsen the crisis – change is needed now.”
Whilst there is a Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis CBE, currently underway which the Lessons4Life campaign is seeking to influence, Hayley is clear on the urgent need to support the next generation, including by finding a way to rebalance primary curriculum priorities to make space for teaching personal development effectively which would be informed by data-driven insight.
“A major ask in our campaign is the introduction of an assessment to gather children’s personal development knowledge towards the end of primary school,” Hayley said. “We are working with around 100 secondary schools on a pilot personal development quiz to identify knowledge gaps in current Year 7 pupils. We will produce a whitepaper compiling the outcomes of this work, which is dedicated to bridging gaps in personal development and preparing primary school children for secondary success, to inform potential changes. We then wish to share the findings in Westminster with a view to influencing education policy. As well as assessment, and the essential data this will bring, we continue to advocate for enhanced training and funding for primary schools.”
“We also have a longer term ambition to reinvest attributable cost savings on related societal issues back into personal development education.”
Meanwhile, a new Lessons4Life podcast presented by two primary school children has aired its first episodes, featuring campaign partners SchoolTV and Seventh Wave Education Group. “I would like to thank Marnie and Gabriella, the podcast presenters, for warmly welcoming the first Lessons4Life supporters into the studio,” Hayley said. “They have been tasked with interviewing Lessons4Life partners and supporters from near and far, and used their passion and confidence to understand more about schools and the wider community. We expect this podcast to really take off, and also draw attention to the campaign at the highest level.”
A fast growing number of partners and supporters in the campaign include Blue Cow Education, Children’s Alliance, Early Years Academy, Encompass Education, HeadteacherChat, Health & Wellbeing in Schools, National Association for Primary Education, Persona Education, PD Network UK and TeacherToolkit. Lessons4Life is also being backed by Jennifer MacDonald, PSHE Consultant at Lancashire County Council.
