The Gatsby Benchmarks and Enrichment, in a Nutshell
21 August 2026
The Gatsby Benchmarks and Enrichment, in a Nutshell
Embedding Academic Skills in SEMH Interventions: How Kloodle Bridges the Gap for Non-School Alternative Provision
14 August 2026
The landscape of alternative provision is gradually changing. With the publication of the Non-School Alternative Provision Voluntary National Standards in August 2025, the government has signalled a significant shift in expectations for AP providers. While these standards remain voluntary for now, the intention is clear that they will become mandatory when parliamentary time allows; and commissioners are already being encouraged to adopt them.
Legacy AP: Where The Gym Becomes the Classroom
20 July 2026
Legacy AP is trying to change that. It is a new alternative provision in Burnley, built almost entirely by volunteers, local tradespeople and college students who gave their time to turn an empty space in an old mill into somewhere young people would actually want to do things. It opened its doors this year to a small first cohort. The model is simple to say and hard to do: Character above all else.
Guiding Young People Towards a Brighter Future
14 July 2026
What Is Navigators? Navigators is a progressive alternative education provider together with an independent specialist college, based in Greater Manchester.
Personalised Learning Plans: From Niche to Normal
24 June 2026
A friend of mine, who teaches at a secondary school in Lancashire, told me something recently which stopped me in my tracks: “We spend weeks creating personalised plans for our EHCP students, and they’re brilliant. But for the other 90%? They just get the same generic targets as everyone else.” It’s a fair point. It’s one that goes to the heart of a question we should all be asking: why should personalised learning be a luxury reserved for the few?
Embedding Academic Skills in SEMH Interventions: How Kloodle Hub Bridges the Gap for Non-School Alternative Provision
15 February 2026
The Landscape Of Alternative Provision Is Changing With the publication of the Non-School Alternative Provision Voluntary National Standards in August 2025, the government has signalled a significant shift in expectations for AP providers. While…
How Mill School Bury Is Using Kloodle Hub To Transform SEND Learning
4 December 2025
Background Mill School Bury , part of the Kedleston Group , is a specialist independent day school in Greater Manchester supporting children and young people aged 7–17 with SEND , including autism spectrum conditions…
Navigators: Guiding Young People Towards a Brighter Future
3 December 2025
What Is Navigators? Navigators is a progressive alternative education provider together with an independent specialist college, based in Greater Manchester. Through a strong commitment to young people aged 9 to 24 who find engaging…
How Horse And Animal Care With Kloodle Hub Can Harness The Potential Of Students At Changing Lives SEN
15 October 2025
Background To Changing Lives Changing Lives SEN is a specialist independent school and alternative provision located in Carrington, Manchester, currently serving around 50 secondary-aged students, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans…
Building Brighter Futures: How Manchester YMCA and Kloodle Hub Are Transforming Lives Through Alternative Provision Of Mentoring and Skills’ Development
6 May 2025
The World-Renowned YMCA For over 180 years, through profound societal shifts, the YMCA has stood a beacon of hope, resilience, and transformation for young people across the globe. Founded in 1844 in London, the…
Ding Ding, The Fight For Skills And Second Chances: 0161’s Answering The Call For Youth Potential
4 May 2025
🥊 What is The 0161 Project? The 0161 Project is a community-driven alternative education provider based in Manchester, dedicated to supporting young people who are at risk of exclusion, facing social, emotional, and mental…
Education Without Limits: How Manchester Hospital School Supports Skills’ Growth
12 February 2025
What is the Manchester Hospital School? Manchester Hospital School (MHS) provides vital education for children and young people who are unable to attend their usual school due to medical or mental health needs. The…
Manchester City Council Launches Ground-breaking Apprenticeship Programme for Local Youth
21 January 2025
The Manchester City Council Apprenticeship Programme In a forward-thinking initiative, Manchester City Council (MCC) is launching an apprenticeship programme designed specifically for young people aged 16 to 18 from the local Manchester area. This…
St Joseph's Primary School, Keighley – Early Skills Development Through Kloodle Hub
22 November 2024
St Joseph's Primary in Keighley is introducing Kloodle from age 4, with teachers documenting trips and activities so pupils build a reflective record of their skills and character right through to Year 6.
How Kloodle Hub Can Nurture and Develop Creativity in Schoolchildren
15 November 2024
How schools use Kloodle to grow creative thinking alongside character education, from the TORCH virtues programme at SST Corpus Christi in Texas to digital portfolios for the Arts Award.
School of Science and Technology (SST) Corpus Christi Integrates Kloodle Hub into Character Education Program
3 October 2024
SST Corpus Christi in Texas is weaving Kloodle into its TORCH character education programme for grades 4 to 12, starting with student leaders and a creative-type quiz that helps pupils understand their strengths.
A New Era: How Dynamic EHCPs Can Support SEND Students' Outcomes and Career Goals
2 October 2024
EHCPs are only reviewed once a year, so they can drift out of date as a young person's needs change. This post looks at how action plans, verified evidence and skills wheels can turn the EHCP into a live document.
The Portrait of a Graduate Program: A Picture Paints a Thousand Words on Kloodle Hub
9 July 2024
A look at the US Portrait of a Graduate initiative — the skills and competencies states want every student to leave school with — and how Kloodle helps schools record and evidence them in each student's own profile.
How Kloodle Hub Enhances Utah's Portrait of a Graduate Program
25 June 2024
Utah's Portrait of a Graduate sets out the skills and characteristics — mastery, autonomy and purpose — that students should develop by graduation. This post looks at how Kloodle helps schools document, evidence and showcase that growth.
Character Education on Kloodle Hub: Facilitating Character.org Principles in a Student-Centric Way
11 June 2024
How Kloodle puts the 11 Principles of Character.org into everyday practice, letting students record, reflect on and evidence their own character development — with a look at each principle in turn.
Building Futures: The Impact of Kloodle Hub on Flourished Minds' Coaching Outcomes
1 May 2024
How Flourished Minds, a social enterprise coaching vulnerable students in Bradford and Leeds, used Kloodle at The Co-op Academy Grange to capture reflections, track weekly targets and show the distance travelled over a 12-week intervention.
Leadership for Students, by Students: Rockhampton Grammar School's Student-centric Kloodle Hub Program
26 March 2024
How Rockhampton Grammar School in Queensland uses Kloodle to run its 'Leadership For All' programme, from setting up student profiles and choosing activities to growing skills wheels and sharing a record of achievement.
City Careers Programme Leveraging Kloodle Hub for Youth Empowerment in Greater Manchester
26 March 2024
City in the Community, Manchester City's charity, uses Kloodle on its eight-week City Careers Programme to help young people across Greater Manchester build skills, gain qualifications and evidence their progress.
Superconnectivity: Manchester City Council Empowers Youth With Skills for Life on Kloodle Hub
20 March 2024
Manchester City Council's Skills for Life programme, voted for by over 20,000 young residents, uses Kloodle to connect schools, colleges and youth organisations in a city-wide skills network built around communication, problem-solving, self-belief, self-management and teamwork.
The Hornchurch Way: Tracking And Monitoring Personal Development And School Essential Wider Curriculum
14 February 2024
How Hornchurch High School tracks personal development and wider-curriculum enrichment: weekly logging in Civics lessons, regular student reflections, group skills wheels, and participation data that helps staff spot where to step in early.
'Skills For Life' In Action: Redefining Outcomes For Education On Skill And Character Development
14 February 2024
A case study from Hornchurch High School on logging enrichment and extra-curricular activities to track skills and character development — from set-up weeks and weekly Civics logging to participation data, early interventions and group skills wheels.
The Easy Five Step Approach To Making An Impact Using Kloodle Hub
14 February 2024
A simple five step route to getting up and running: onboard your learners, add the term's activities, log participation, capture and tag skills, then watch the impact build.
Cheam School's Story Of Developing Character Through The Cheam Diploma
8 February 2024
How Cheam School, an independent prep school on the Hampshire/Berkshire border, built the Cheam Diploma — a points-based character programme where children watch six traits grow on their own Kloodle wheel.
SEN Inclusion: The Skills for Life Path To Empowerment And Positive Outcomes
8 February 2024
How Melland High School, a special school in Gorton, Manchester, embedded the Skills for Life framework into every lesson and used Kloodle to help pupils recognise, practise and reflect on the five key skills — from careers lessons to workplace visits.
Leading the Way: Cheam School's Character Education in Action Revolution
18 January 2024
Cheam School, the oldest private school in England, is embedding character education through its five R's framework and a Diploma Points system, with pupils evidencing and reflecting on their growth through Kloodle.
Quantifying Character for Leadership Success: Cheam's Setting The Gold Standard
18 January 2024
Cheam School, England's oldest private school, is embedding character education through its five R's framework and a Diploma Points system on Kloodle, rewarding everything from everyday tasks to resilience shown in setbacks.
DISC College: Nurturing Talent Through an Inclusive Innovative Educational Landscape
16 January 2024
How Manchester's Digital Independent Specialist College uses Kloodle with its supported interns — from weekly reflections and personalised skills wheels to a ground-breaking way of assessing coursework, where the same evidence earns the qualification and builds a living CV.
Multiplier Magic: Digital Advantage Reshapes Assessment for Amplified Skills and Opportunities
16 January 2024
How Manchester's DISC College, run by Digital Advantage and SENDCode, uses Kloodle to assess qualifications for interns with EHCPs — so the same evidence that earns a grade becomes a living CV.
Positive Reinforcement: Cheam's Diploma Points System Ignites A New Tradition
13 January 2024
How Cheam School, England's oldest private school, uses a Diploma Points system built around its five 'R' character strands — rewarding everything from everyday tasks to lessons learnt in adversity, all evidenced on Kloodle.
Manchester's Innovative Road to Climate Resilience: Driving Young Leaders Through Skills for Life, Safety for All
30 November 2023
How Manchester City Council's Climate Change Champions events bring schools together to learn about road safety and air pollution, with learners earning Climate Champion awards and evidencing their Skills for Life on Kloodle.
Enrichment And Early Intervention Strategies: Transforming Student Growth And Nurturing Personal Development On Kloodle Hub
24 November 2023
How Riverside School in Barking uses Kloodle to run its essential wider curriculum — logging every enrichment activity in one place, spotting groups who need extra support early, and evidencing personal development and Gatsby Benchmarks for Ofsted.
Enriching Futures: Riverside School's Innovative Approach to Personal Development, Gatsby and Ofsted Success with Kloodle Hub
23 November 2023
How Riverside School in Barking uses QR codes, an activities library and a group skills wheel to track its essential wider curriculum — giving leaders clear evidence of enrichment, Gatsby Benchmarks and personal development for Ofsted.
UNICEF Discovery Day At The HideOut Zone: Manchester's Journey Towards Becoming A UNICEF Child-Friendly City
13 November 2023
A day of poetry slams, elevator pitches and workshops at The HideOut Zone, as Manchester's schools, the Lord Mayor and 11,000 young voices back the city's bid to become a UNICEF Child-Friendly City.
Hornchurch High School: Enrichment And Skills' Development in Abundance on Kloodle Hub
13 November 2023
How Hornchurch High School in Essex records its wide enrichment programme on Kloodle, from Duke of Edinburgh to drop down days, building each student's skills wheel and giving leaders and Ofsted the evidence in one place.
Manchester's Mission Towards Becoming a UNICEF Child-Friendly City
13 November 2023
Manchester is working towards recognition as a UNICEF Child-Friendly City, starting with a Discovery Phase that listens to children across the city. Kloodle supports the council's Skills for Life programme, helping young people record and reflect on the skills they build.
Aeneas The Star Of The Epic Poem The Aeneid: An Exemplary Role Model
6 November 2023
Why young people still need role models, and what Virgil's hero Aeneas — with his resilience, judgement and sense of duty — can teach us about character today.
Empathy, Integrity, Leadership: Kloodle Hub's Character Education Revolution At SST Corpus Christi College Prep High School Texas
25 September 2023
How the School of Science and Technology in Texas piloted Kloodle at its Corpus Christi College Prep High School, building a framework of Activities, Challenges and Class Targets around four character traits. A close look at the levels, certificates, surveys and character wheels behind the scheme.
Texas-Sized Character Education: The Kloodle Hub-powered Revolution At SST Corpus Christi College Prep High School
22 September 2023
How the School of Science and Technology in Texas piloted Kloodle at SST Corpus Christi College Prep High School, building activities, challenges, class targets, surveys and character wheels around Character.org's 11 Principles — with plans to roll it out across all 19 campuses.
Home Education Case Study: The Allen Family in Rochdale
10 July 2023
How one Rochdale family structure home education for their three children — a timetabled week, plenty of extra-curricular clubs, and Kloodle to record work, reflect on skills and share evidence with the local council.
The Why And How To Do Home Education On Kloodle Hub
21 June 2023
Why home education is growing so quickly in the UK, and how one Rochdale family runs a full home-ed week in practice — recording work, reflections and extra-curricular activities on Kloodle and sharing the evidence with their local authority.
Logging Placements, Internships, Job Experience and Apprenticeships: All 'Work' Well on Kloodle Hub
2 May 2023
How Framwellgate School in Durham used Kloodle to record work experience for the Personal Development Awards — from a self-serve sign-up to STAR-method reflections, tutor sign-off and skills wheels for whole cohorts.
Framwellgate School: Personal Development Award Evidences Students' Strengths and Skills on Kloodle Hub
26 April 2023
How Framwellgate School in Durham set up Kloodle on their own to run the Personal Development Award, with students logging reflections on new activities and tutors signing off progress towards Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Superconnectivity: How Manchester Council Helps Young People Build Skills for Life on Kloodle Hub
18 April 2023
After 20,000 young people voted for a curriculum that prepares them for life, Manchester City Council built its Skills for Life programme — connecting schools, colleges, youth groups and employers across the city, with Kloodle as the place where learners record and reflect on their growing skills.
Manchester City Council Celebrates Climate Change Champions on Kloodle Hub
5 April 2023
Manchester City Council brought schools together at the Powerhouse in Moss Side to launch its Climate Change Champions, with pupils earning digital Climate Champion awards and building their Skills for Life on Kloodle.
Manchester Young Carers Festival 2023: Let's Celebrate the Skills
29 March 2023
Over 250 young carers came together at HideOut Youth Zone for a day of activities, awards and community support, with schools across Manchester signing up to develop Skills for Life.
Freddie in the Football Factory: Can Football Academies Build Character Better Than Schools?
22 March 2023
Watching BBC2's The Football Academy, Neil sees Southampton's coaches teaching young players self-analysis, presenting and resilience — character education in a different setting. With only around 1% of academy players turning professional, capturing those transferable skills matters for everyone else.
Manchester Communication Academy with Kloodle Hub: Young Carers are Developing Phenomenal Skills for Life
17 March 2023
How Manchester Communication Academy uses the Young Ambassadors' Awards and Manchester's Skills for Life programme to help young carers see the skills they build every day — and record and celebrate them on Kloodle.
Northampton Academy and Kloodle Hub: Best in Class Character Education in Action
7 March 2023
How Northampton Academy built one of the country's most admired character education programmes around five pillars of virtue, and how its students use Kloodle as a 'Character Passport' to record and reflect on their development.
The Perfect Match: Melland High School and Kloodle Hub
28 February 2023
How Melland High School, a SEND school in Gorton, Manchester, rebuilt its careers education around the Skills for Life framework — and how Kloodle helps its students record, reflect on and grow their skills.
Practice Makes Phronesis: Can Forecasting Skills Develop Good Judgement?
9 February 2023
Neil Wolstenholme explores Philip Tetlock's superforecasters — foxes, hedgehogs and Brier scores — and asks whether practising forecasting could help young people build the practical wisdom Aristotle called phronesis.
"Our Year" and UNICEF Child-Friendly City Event
2 February 2023
Over 30 Manchester schools and youth organisations gathered at Manchester Central to celebrate 2022 Our Year and launch the city's bid to become a UNICEF Child Friendly City. Kloodle joined the council's Skills For Life team to help more young people build and capture their skills.
Improving “social mobility” is missing this.
9 November 2021
Social mobility initiatives are usually designed by people who made it, telling the story of how they got there. Neil argues the missing voices are the people who never got a lucky break — and that luck matters far more than we like to admit.
Scrap A Levels and do THIS instead.
5 November 2021
A thought experiment: what if sixth formers skipped A Levels and took the first year of a real university course online instead? Neil explores how lockdown-style learning could cut drop-out rates and help students find out early whether university is right for them.
What have learners been posting about this half term?
21 October 2021
A half-term round-up of what young people have been sharing on their profiles — acts of kindness, empathy for teachers in chaotic lessons, confidence as the most tagged skill, and honest reflections on self-criticism.