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.
Life Skills in Primary
During primary, Life Skills education offers both explicit and implicit learning opportunities and experiences which reflect pupils’ increasing
independence and physical and social awareness, as they move through the primary phase. It builds on the skills that pupils started to acquire during the
Early Years Foundation stage (Infantil) to develop effective relationships, assume greater personal responsibility and manage personal safety, including online.
Life Skills education helps pupils to manage the physical and emotional changes at puberty, introduces them to a wider world and enables them to make an active contribution to their communities.
1. HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- Healthy Lifestyles (physical wellbeing)
- Mental health
- Ourselves, growing and changing
- Keeping safe
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
2. RELATIONSHIPS
- Families and close positive relationships
- Friendships
- Managing hurtful behaviour and bullying
- Safe relationships
- Respecting self and others
3. LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD
- Shared responsibilities
- Communities
- Media literacy & digital resilienc
- Economic well being: Money
- Economic well being: Aspirations, work and career
Life Skills in Secondary
At secondary (ESO), students build on the knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and values they have acquired and developed during the primary phase. Life Skills education acknowledges and addresses the changes that young people experience, beginning with transition to secondary school, the challenges of adolescence and their increasing independence. It teaches the knowledge and skills which will equip them for the opportunities and challenges of life. Students learn to manage diverse relationships, their online lives, and the increasing influence of peers and the media.
At this stage, students deepen knowledge and understanding, extend and rehearse skills, and further explore attitudes, values and attributes acquired during their earlier Life Skills education.
1. HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- Self-concept
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Healthy lifestyles
- Health related decisions
- Drugs, alcohol and tobacco
- Managing risk and personal safety
- Puberty and sexual health
2. RELATIONSHIPS
- Positive relationships
- Relationship values
- Forming and maintaining respectful relationships
- Consent
- Parenthood
- Bullying, abuse and discrimination
- Social influences
3. LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD
- Learning skills
- Choices and pathways
- Work and careers
- Employment rights and responsibilities
- Financial choices
- Media literacy and digital resilience
Life Skills in Sixth Form
By the end of 6th form (BACHILLERATO), many young people will leave home for the first time and live independently, possibly in distant locations. There is a balance throughout this Programme of Study between preparing students to manage their current lives and laying the foundations for managing future experiences. As students progress through the key stages, this balance shifts towards teaching related to young people’s current experiences. It is essential to ensures students continue to learn about issues with real-life relevance to them, at a crucial transition point in their lives. The learning opportunities at this stage assume that students have already covered those in secondary.
This stage represents the last opportunity to ensure that students have the knowledge and understanding, skills, strategies and attributes they need for independent living and the next stage in their education or career.
1. HEALTH AND WELLBEING
- Self-concept
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Healthy lifestyles
- Managing risk and personal safety
- Sexual health
- Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco
2. RELATIONSHIPS
- Relationship values
- Forming and maintaining respectful relationships
- Consent
- Contraception and parenthood
- Bullying, abuse and discrimination
3. LIVING IN THE WIDER WORLD
- Choices and pathway
- Work and career
- Employment rights and responsibilities
- Financial choices
- Media literacy and digital resilience
