Preparation for Adulthood underpins the qualifications within our Post‑16 provision. It is designed to help our young people build the confidence and practical skills they need for life beyond school. The qualifications and accreditations focus on areas such as independent living, community participation, health and wellbeing and exploring future pathways like work or further learning.
For learners at post 16, the curriculum provides a structured, supportive way to develop essential life skills at their own pace, empowering them to make informed choices and take meaningful steps toward a more independent and fulfilling adult life. A selection of the work we do to support this area can be found below.
As part of the employment module, our students visit Height Nook on a weekly basis, which is a residential building where students can practice their cooking and cleaning skills. Whilst there they cook meals from scratch and clean parts of the house.
As part of the health module, students go to Team Games on a weekly basis, where they participate in fun exercise and develop new friendships outside of post 16.
Lots of work is undertaken in our students’ local communities so that going forward, they feel comfortable with their surroundings and more confident to participate in community activities. For instance, we visit local cafes, travelling by bus so that students get experience of requesting a ticket and getting off at their stop. When at the cafes students order and pay for their own breakfasts to help them feel more confident in doing things independently.
Our Discover class also goes food shopping once a week for post 16. Prior to going they write their shopping lists and plan the meals they are going to have during the week. We go to different supermarkets each week so that students gain experience of visiting different places.
Students are given the opportunity to undertake work experience in the local community. We work with local businesses such as Mad Hatters Café and Rummage Rescuers, so that students can gain vital employability skills.
We also run an enterprise business, where students make crafts and giftware, which they then sell on a stall at Blackburn Market twice a year. This gives students a chance to put their mathematical skills to the test, their interpersonal skills when dealing with the public and their creative skills making all the produce.
