At Oakley College the academic outcomes of our students are very important, however the non-academic skills are equally important and we have a specific subject taught in every year group called Life Skills (PSHE).
Life skills are the skill set that enable people to live happy and meaningful lives and reach their potential. People who have sufficient life skills flourish. In this context, a meaningful life is achieved through mental wellbeing, self-awareness, skills for appreciating humanity in others as well as working towards wellbeing in one’s community.
Learning life skills helps young people understand who they are and what they want out of life.
Moreover, young people grow more aware of their own struggles and those of the people around them.
By becoming aware of this, young people are better equipped to handle what they’re going through and recognize when they need help.
The World Health Organisation describes Life skills as: abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Described in this way, skills that can be said to be life skills are innumerable, and the nature and definition of life skills are likely to differ across cultures and settings.
Life Skills are taught under 3 general headings:
- HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- RELATIONSHIPS
- LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD
Each section in the school has a specifically tailored programme that is age appropriate and focused at the developing individual.
In Oakley College Life Skills is taught as part of the school curriculum on a weekly basis. We break the subject down into the topics below so that we can teach the whole programme of study making sure that the students get the best possible range of topics which are relevant to them and their life.
