The aim of Life Skills at Queensbury School is to equip students with the transferable skills needed to be able to have fulfilling lives, whilst at school and in the future. For our students achieving independence is an important part of the journey into adulthood. We offer preparation and guidance, so our students can develop and apply in the real world the essential skills required in independent living such as knowing ourselves, looking after myself and others, making meals, communicating and many more. Life Skills curriculum gives the opportunity to develop skills through the experience of daily activities both on and offsite. We encourage a strong liaison with families to ensure the teaching of life skills span across the students` day including before and after school. Our students can build on the foundation of Skills for Life and Work qualifications, to help them perform at work and progress with confidence in the future.
| KS3 | Intent (Why are we doing it) | Implement (How we are going to do it) | Impact (What we want to see and develop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Students start learning how to stay safe and look after themselves with the aim of understanding potential dangers to their safety—inside, outside, on the road, and in the community. Alongside this, we aim to develop their independence and life skills, enabling them to take responsibility for their actions and wellbeing. Through structured learning experiences, students build a strong sense of self, fostering confidence and resilience when faced with challenges. Opportunities for communication and interaction with others are embedded across the curriculum to support social development and collaborative learning. Additionally, we support students in understanding the world around them, helping them make informed, responsible decisions. We want to prepare our students to be able to make the right choices related to their lives, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to live safely. | Students ‘learning is based on making simple choices. Basic role plays, stimulating the real life situations and repetition of the skills to increase the awareness of themselves and the world around them. Students are given the opportunities of being involved through sensory experience e.g. tasting food in cookery lessons, recognising positive and negative emotions; | Develop skills linked to discovery of our life, being aware of who we are. To be able to make a basic choice which is right e.g. to dress appropriately for the weather, recognise healthy from unhealthy foods, to stay safe. To discover different form of assertiveness in life, being able to say `no` to avoid risky situations. |
| Explorer | Students learn how to manage time and develop self-organization skills, alongside understanding personal safety, personal hygiene, self-awareness, and employability skills. This foundation helps them to recognize and respond appropriately to a variety of situations in daily life, knowing how to act safely and seek help when needed. Life skills curriculum supports the development of self-belief and confidence, encouraging students to trust in their abilities and take initiative. Building resilience is a key focus, helping students to cope with setbacks and adapt positively to change. We promote an aspiration to achieve, motivating students to set goals and strive for personal and academic success. Preparation for the world of work is woven throughout learning, with a focus on practical skills, workplace behaviours, and career awareness. Opportunities for communication and interaction with others are embedded to enhance teamwork, social understanding, and interpersonal effectiveness—essential for both daily life and future employment. | Students participate, engage in activities related to the topics. Learning take place through discussions, games, role plays, questioning. They learn how to transfer the skills gained at school to real life situations. | We would like to see students are more likely to be safe, less likely to put themselves into risky situations. We would like them to know about local help and advice, feel comfortable about asking questions to difficult topics. |
| Navigator | We want students to be able to apply the skills they gain to real-life situations, to feel positive about who they are, and to make the right choices that lead to healthy, safe, responsible, and fulfilled lives. Through the development of ambition, self-belief, teamwork, confidence, resilience, and courage, we aim to empower students to overcome challenges, collaborate effectively, and strive towards their goals with determination and a strong sense of purpose, for their journey to independence and preparation for adulthood. | Students learn through discussions, exploring similarities and differences between people, situations, complexity of opinions and clarifying their own values and attitudes, being able to implement gained skills in real life situations. | Applying their understanding to everyday living problems, gaining more confidence in making the right choices and developing the knowledge about their lives, to enable them to feel safe and valued. To be able to transfer the gained skills to the world of work. |
| Venture | Students develop key skills that encourage them to think critically and prepare them for the wider world. We aim to foster the development of empathy, helping students to understand themselves and their emotions, building trust and relationships, and how to effectively interact with the world around them. Through building resilience, students will be equipped to handle challenges and learn independently, engaging with learning in whatever method is appropriate to the individual, and becoming confident, self-motivated learners in the process. | Students learn through personalised learning outcomes to engage and participate fully in activities related to real life. Encouragement to focus on personal well-being helps our students embrace change, feel positive about who they are. | Applying their knowledge and understanding to everyday living problems, gaining more confidence in making the right choices. To be able to transfer the gained skills to the world of work and enjoy healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. |
| Quest | Students develop key skills such as Interacting with others, Understanding the world, Independence, and Communication, all linked to their life, awareness of who we are, and the world around us. Through role play, students explore how to keep themselves safe and engage in discussions that build social understanding and resilience. They learn to identify their own needs and respond to different forms of assertiveness in life, including the ability to confidently say "no" to avoid risky or unsafe situations. | Students explore and develop their understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe both in school and in the wider community. | Students discuss their thoughts and ideas in small groups. Through basic role plays they reflect on the world around them and the dangerous that could present in different situations. |
| KS4 | Intent (Why are we doing it) | Implement (How we are going to do it) | Impact (What we want to see and develop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Students develop supported participation and engagement in activities. They are encouraged to discover themselves better and start exploring the world around them. T Through this process, students begin to build independence and life skills, a stronger sense of self, and the ability to communicate and interact with others. They also develop confidence and resilience as they engage with and begin to understand the world. Students participate in making simple decisions related to their health, safety, likes, dislikes, and choices for their future, fostering essential personal and social development. | Students participate in activities, some of their responses may be supported by staff or other learners. They are encouraged to use single words, gestures or symbols to communicate and express their feelings. | We would like to see our students to become more aware of themselves and the world around them. We want them to be able to participate in making a decision about their future and express their feelings, likes and dislikes. |
| Explorer | Students gain, strengthen or make general use of skills, knowledge, concepts or understandings that relate to their experience of the world around them. They extend their understanding of the community, increase financial awareness and explore the choices about their life. They also develop self-belief and confidence, build resilience, nurture aspiration to achieve, and prepare for the world of work. In addition, they enhance their communication skills and ability to interact effectively with others. | Students participate in activities to improve skills required for living independently, learning and work, such as resilience, being a good team member, patience, working hard. We help our students to make informed choices e.g. to choose the right college or 6th form after finishing year 11. | We would like to see our students start making the right, mature decisions about their future, stay safe and be aware of the choices they have in life. |
| Navigator | Some of our students from the Navigator group take part in Life Skills lessons and are supported to gain skills, knowledge, concepts, and understandings that relate to their experience of the world around them. These lessons help students extend their understanding of the community, increase financial awareness, and explore the choices about their life. Through these experiences, students develop key personal attributes such as ambition and self-belief, confidence and resilience, courage, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team. These skills are essential in preparing them for a more independent and fulfilling future and adulthood. | Students are supported to improve skills required for living independently, learning and work, such as resilience, being a good team member, leadership. We help our students to make informed choices e.g. to choose the right college or 6th form after finishing year 11. | We would like to see our students to make the right, mature decisions about their future, stay safe and guide themselves to take chances and make the right choices in life. |
| Venture | Students develop key skills which encourage them to think critically and prepare them for the wider world—to become independent learners or to engage in learning independently, in whatever method is appropriate to the individual. They are supported to gain skills, knowledge, concepts, and understandings that relate to their experience of the world around them. Through this, students deepen their understanding of themselves and their emotions, develop empathy, and build resilience. They also strengthen their ability to build trust and relationships, interact with the world around them, extend their understanding of the community, increase financial awareness, and explore the choices about their life. | Students learn through personalised learning outcomes to engage and participate fully in activities related to real life. Encouragement to focus on personal well-being helps our students embrace change, feel positive about who they are. | Applying their knowledge and understanding to everyday living problems, gaining more confidence in making the right choices. To be able to transfer the gained skills to the world of work and enjoy healthy, safe, responsible and fulfilled lives. |
Delivery of Life Skills at Queensbury School:
How we make Life Skills subjects interesting?
- Teaching across Life Skills follows a curriculum map designed to develop key skills in our pupils which encourage them to think critically and prepare them for the wider world
- The curriculum is designed in such a way as to support pupils through challenges facing adults in everyday living, how to cope with these and how to make decisions in regards to their future.
- Dedicated staff making learning interesting and practical as much as possible;
- Topics carefully chosen and tailored to students needs and interests, related to everyday living;
- Offsite education- Community Access lessons, visiting places such as Birmingham Library, city centre, Job Centres, museums, cafes;
- Travel training – close liaison to Life skills targets to increase students` independence;
- Cooking – real life experience to prepare and taste different foods;
- Close liaison with parents to extend learning in the classroom by practicing gained skills at home;
- Taking part in events such as Road Safety week, healthy tuck shop;
- Learning through experience – vocational education studies- Hair & Beauty, Catering, Painting &decorating, Office skills, Household skills, Horticulture;
- Visiting school`s allotment, looking after 6th form veggies garden;
- Close link to Career`s advisor, link to Career`s programmes and resources;
- Visitors invited to employability lessons;
- Preparing students for works experience
- Taking part in raising money for different charities, Food bank,
- Taking part in organising events such as Coffee mornings;