Preparation for Adulthood
This pathway is designed for students working between Entry Levels 1 – 3 (pre GCSE) and aimed at providing a set of core skills preparing students for the future and adult life.
The curriculum has been developed around the Preparation for Adulthood agenda which is to support young people into adulthood with paid employment, good health, independent living options, friends, relationships and community inclusion. The pathway, therefore, consists of a variety of subjects, including understanding how to access and use community facilities and improving shopping and budgeting skills. Students will work towards developing their domestic independence skills, confidence communicating with others, as well as the use of ICT to aid independence and communication. Students will participate in a range of enrichment opportunities which will help inform them of the kind of leisure options they may enjoy in the future, for example, sport, music, art or drama.
As appropriate, students will be able to access bespoke programmes of work-related learning, accessing a wide range of internal and external work placements alongside developing their employability skills.
Students will usually work towards one of the following qualifications between Entry level 1 and 3:
OCR Life and Living
The Life and Living Skills suite is a comprehensive range of versatile and adaptable qualifications with no minimum entry requirements. Students can choose from over 150 bite-sized units across a wide range of skill areas. There are no mandatory units or barred combinations at any level, allowing for varied personalised learning programmes with a completely flexible structure. The qualification consists of a range of pathways including:
- Developing Personal Skills
- Independent Living
- Citizenship
- Managing Relationships
- Skills Needed for Work
- Exploring Life
- Independent Living Skills
This course aims to develop the student’s knowledge and skills to look after themselves and live successfully in the community. There is also an emphasis on building the student’s confidence and ability to overcome barriers. Areas of study include:
- Accessing community facilities such as health services and getting about safely
- Household skills such as food safety and storage and basic meal preparation
- Leisure activities such as participation in team activities and exploring music and art
- Personal development such as healthy living, personal awareness and understanding relationships
- Rights and responsibilities such as living in a diverse society and self-advocacy
- Employability skills such as enterprise projects
- Laser Learning, Employability and Progression (LEAP)
This course is a suite of qualifications that offer a wide variety of personal development and vocational taster units. It is designed to be flexible, allowing for individuality when selecting units to suit the needs of the student. It may include the following areas of study:
- Personal and social development skills such as confidence-building, teamwork, healthy living, citizenship, rights and responsibilities.
- Success in learning including preparing to learn, progressing in learning and learning activities.
Employability including work preparation and planning, interview preparation, enterprise activities, undertaking work experience, and job seeking skills. - Vocational areas such as business and administration, hospitality, sport and leisure and customer services.
In addition to the main courses the students will be timetabled for the following sessions:
Cookery
Cookery sessions provide a basic introduction to Domestic Independence as part of the Independent Living curriculum. It aims to promote an independent and “can do” approach to a range of different kitchen based challenges. Cookery also aims to develop awareness of health, safety and hygiene in the kitchen and incorporates healthy eating, costs and budgeting, food handling and storage, equipment safety and skills. Students are supported to complete practical and relevant cookery tasks with identified support learning and understanding how much time specific tasks will take, preparing for future living.
Community Skills
All students will take part in a community skills programme were they can develop communication and independence skills in the community. Students will visit a variety of community based environments. Within this a wide range of skills can be developed (depending on the needs of the individual) which include; directing, decision making, communication, organisational, shopping, driving and money skills. Students will be supported by class staff and the wider multi-disciplinary team including Occupational Therapy and Speech & Language Therapy.
Social Studies
These sessions support and promote a student’s emotional, social and physical well-being, aiming to enable them to respect different groups in society and challenge discrimination, along with developing a positive, healthy and safe lifestyle. British Values will be actively promoted and embedded into activities, including encouragement of democratic decisions, sharing of opinions, respect for self and others and exploration of rights, responsibilities and laws.
Employability/Enterprise
These sessions aim to develop the students’ knowledge of the world of work. This may include developing an understanding of the skills needed for a range of jobs/volunteering positions, the application process and interview skills. Enterprise plays a valuable part of this and will enable the students to develop an understanding of the world of work and engage in entrepreneurial activities. Students are also helped to develop those personal qualities and leadership skills essential for the world of work. Teaching within an enterprise setting can also develop positive attitudes to teamwork, to continuing education and training, to equal opportunities, and to the views, skills, capabilities and capacities of others. All the sessions described focus on transferable skills, such as reasoning, communication, problem solving, evaluation, innovation, creativity along with functional skills opportunities throughout the year.
For students whose intended, and likely, destination is paid or unpaid work, we have developed a wide range of internal and external work placement opportunities. Students are assessed and enabled to access these with the appropriate level of support.
Enrichments
Learners will also have the opportunity to try a range of activities to support them to identify leisure activities they may want to pursue in their free time and after Treloar’s. These currently include cooking, horticulture, art, sport, multi-gym, swimming, leisure activities and music. These sessions will also support learners to develop valuable communication and teamwork skills along with embedded functional skills.