In Life Skills, a Roundwood leaver will know that…
… a range of skills are needed throughout life in order to negotiate and navigate the many situations and experiences they will come across. Through the development of a wide range of ‘life skills’and attributes, pupils are helped to understand how to stay healthy, safe and prepare for life and work in an ever-changing, modernising Britain. Our PSHE curriculum helps pupils to achieve their academic potential, enabling them to leave school equipped with skills they will need throughout later life.
Life skills is at the heart of pupils’education at Roundwood Primary School. From the moment they join the warm and welcoming Roundwood community, the children are consistently provided the opportunity to develop their skills, not merely in focussed lessons but throughout the wider curriculum and beyond. Happiness is key and to ensure we support the progression of pupils’ well-being, a wide variety of skills for life are taught.
Pupils develop collaborative skills beginning with getting to know their class – initial steps that will hopefully blossom into friendships with their peers. They learn how to resolve difficulties understanding how to communicate effectively when they arise. Pupils develop an appreciation of diversities within our community and beyond, understanding citizenship including the rights and responsibilities they hold. They are encouraged to reflect on their lives noting areas of enjoyment, strength and development – setting goals to ensure they reach their potential. Children are taught about keeping themselves safe across a variety of contexts and who can be helpful when in need. When pupils start at Roundwood, they learn about various careers , initially through role play to later on, meeting individuals with these job titles. Progressively children widen their horizons, identifying skills which are needed to be able to achieve their career goals. In Upper Key Stage 2, children also learn about salaries, saving and budgeting – financial awareness is a key component of pupils’ life skill development.
As well as developing and maintaining friendships and other healthy relationships, children are encouraged to think about why it is ‘Good to be me’ exploring their personal qualities and things they appreciate about themselves and gaining an understanding of how to look after our both their mental and physical well-being. From as simple as protection from the sun, right through to personal hygiene, nutrition, yoga, mindfulness and other exercise, pupils are taught practical skills and learn specific strategies to assist their holistic development as confident, happy, healthy learners in the spirit of the school’s motto, To Learn – To Live – Together.
Finally, children will be taught about changes that can happen to them now or in the future. Teaching pupils resilience and an ability to overcome obstacles is a vital tool to enable pupils to be mindful of their needs. Pupils are also supported to understand transitions between classes and schools, developing an awareness of how, through open dialogue and preparation, they can manage their emotions and address their concerns. Pupils also explore themes such as loss and bereavement. Body changes such as puberty are also discussed as part of the school’s Relationship and Sex education programme.
In Foundation Stage, life skills are introduced to pupils through story, rhyme, play and song. Teaching children about who is in their community, staying safe, rules, what ‘kind’ looks like and friendships as well as the routines of the school day are key to our practice.
Key Stage 1 children build on these early skills with more discussion, stories and hands on experiences such as road safety. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils are engaged in discussion, presentation and purposeful activities where skills learnt are applied to a range of situations.
To emphasise the ‘Together’ element of the school’s motto, through immersive experiences, children are given opportunities to become involved in the wider life of the school community. They are able to: raise money for charities; be members of the School council, helping to bring about change across the school; develop an appreation of job opportunities through visits and assemblies; attend school clubs and competitions to build collaborative practice and goal setting and engage in enriching trips to provide further opportunity for these skills to flourish. In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils take on wider responsibilities by: supporting Key Stage 1 lunches; carrying out admin duties, taking responsibility for fruit and milk deliveries; acting as play leaders; completing their Cycle Wise training and, in Year 6, by becoming Reception ‘Buddies’ where they are given the opportunity to nurture our youngest pupils in their first year of school, enabling them ‘give back’ to their school community through growing future generations of Roundwood learners.