Netherlea School, Dumfries
Case study
Joy Taylor (Acting Head Teacher) and Roosa Salonen (Teacher) contacted the SDS Education team after exploring some of the resources from the SDS Meta-Skills toolkit. They were eager to share the work they had undertaken in developing the ‘Meta-Skills Passport’ programme of interactive and engaging lessons for their learners.
The school's view
Joy Taylor, Acting Head Teacher at Netherlea School explains why the school chose to launch the meta-skills passport and what the journey has been so far.
At Simpson Primary school we decided to launch the Skills 4.0 meta-skills framework for several reasons:
‘Our school supports learners aged 8 to 18, many nearing the end of their school journey. We aim to equip them with the essential skills for life beyond school—whether for work, interviews, or independent living. Meta-skills like collaboration and emotional awareness can be especially challenging due to additional needs, and the framework provided a meaningful way to support their development. We designed the programme as a partnership between staff and learners, believing these human skills are vital for everyone – not just young people.
The journey has been inspiring. It’s sparked creativity and ownership across the school, with learners feeling supported and proud of their progress. The stamp system has motivated them, and reflective questions have led to rich conversations. Over time, learners have begun recognising meta-skills in everyday situations, and staff have found new ways to celebrate progress.
My advice for practitioners starting out on their meta-skills journey would be:
- Start with your own setting and learners in mind. The meta-skills framework is incredibly flexible, so adapt it to suit your context.
- Involve learners in shaping the programme , their ideas and insights will make it more meaningful. Keep it fun, keep it consistent, and give it time to embed.
For us, Meta-skills Passport hasn’t been a one-off lesson but instead a cultural shift, that has proven worth it at every step of the journey.
The Meta-skills Passport
Meta-skills passport
Inside the passport
The SDS meta-skills toolkit played a key role in shaping the initial thinking and resource development for the Meta-skills Passport. .
The Meta-skills Passport is a 24-week programme split into three 8-week blocks covering; Self-management, Social intelligence and Innovation.
Each week features a 50-minute interactive lesson focused on one meta-skill, with three short challenges involving both staff and learners. Learners earn stamps for each challenge and for answering a reflective question, tracked via personal passports and classroom displays.
Skills are linked to real-life contexts—like planning a journey or resolving a conflict—to ensure learning is practical and transferable.
In this video Roosa Salonen (teacher) explains how meta-skills were embedded in practice at Netherlea.
Updating their passport
Developing their meta-skills
Working together
Wall display
Impact
Introducing the Meta-skills Passport has had a clear impact across our school. Learners now confidently use the framework’s language, take pride in earning stamps, and reflect on their development—often for the first time. We’ve seen improvements in communication, teamwork, and self-awareness, with meta-skills sessions even helping resolve conflicts.
The programme has also fostered a more positive school culture. Staff and pupils working side by side has strengthened relationships and created shared successes. The framework now informs wider planning and behaviour support, offering a shared language to recognise progress in areas like focus, resilience, and empathy.
Supporting staff and wider partners
It was important to us as a staff team that all members had a good understanding of the meta-skills framework and were actively involved in planning activities. This helped create a sense of ownership and enjoyment across the whole team. For some staff, implementing the Meta-skills Passport felt well within their comfort zone; for others, it offered a new challenge. By adopting a team-teaching approach, we ensured that everyone felt confident and well supported. It also allowed colleagues to learn from one another’s strengths, creating a collaborative environment for both staff and learners.
One of the unexpected highlights of the programme has been its ripple effect beyond the classroom. As part of our working partnership with our local YMCA they have seen the success of meta-skills passport and have invited us to deliver training to their staff, to explore how it could be implemented within their own youth provision. This has opened up exciting opportunities for further collaboration and wider community impact.
After working with Netherlea School and seeing how they have embedded meta-skills into various activities across the school, we have been inspired to do the same within our youthwork practice. Meta-Skills can be developed in fun ways and are valuable skills for young people for now and in the future.
Anthony, Senior Youth Work Coordinator, Dumfries YMCA
What Joy had to say
Joy shares her reflections on supporting staff and wider partners
If you would like to find out more about the Skills 4.0 Meta-skills framework check out the resources available on the Meta-skills toolkit or contact the Education team at education@sds.co.uk
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