Students leave a sustainable mark on school grounds in the first year of a new Multi Skills course
Year 10 students at Dallam School have installed a series of sustainable wooden planters across the school grounds as part of the first year of a new Multi Skills course, accredited through AQA’s nationally recognised Unit Award Scheme (UAS). The course, taken by 20 Year 10 students this year, was introduced to broaden Dallam’s practical and technical curriculum at Key Stage 4.
Multi Skills focuses on sustainability and practical problem-solving, with students learning to plan, measure, and manufacture safely and accurately in a workshop environment. So far this year, students have completed three accredited units, earning individual AQA certificates for each project whilst building a portfolio showcasing their skills for future career interviews.
Their first major project challenged them to design and build planters using reclaimed pallet wood, lined with recycled materials to reduce waste. Working from drawings, they selected suitable materials and constructed the products using a range of construction methods. Finished with the school’s house logos (Owl, Deer and Wolf), the completed planters now have permanent homes across the school site, linking environmental awareness with school identity.
One Year 10 student said:
“It is good knowing that what we’ve made will stay in school. Seeing them outside makes us proud of what we’ve done.”
Headteacher Steve Henneberry said the introduction of Multi Skills marks an important development for the school:
“This is the first year we have offered Multi Skills, and it has given students the opportunity to develop practical, transferable skills within an accredited framework. Projects like this bring learning to life. Students can see the impact of their work in the school environment, and that sense of purpose is powerful.
“Another added benefit has been in attendance. We’ve seen an attendance uplift of up to 9.84% among the students in this class, with over half the students having improved attendance compared to last academic year. That’s a sure sign their overall education is benefiting from the extended range of courses we now offer.”
Future projects will see students: creating their own toolboxes; using traditional woodworking skills alongside CAD and CAM technologies, including CAD design software, 3D printing and laser cutting; and developing more advanced design and manufacturing skills alongside traditional methods.
