Functional English gives students practical skills for the modern world and helps them get the most from life, learning and work.

This subject aims to ensure students have good communication skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will gain a qualification that focuses on whether they can use their skills in practical situations and is a positive stepping stone for future independence.

Maths is for everyone. It prepares learners to be independent adults by focusing on the key skills that they will need in the future. This will include money management and understanding how to use different forms of transport.

Functional Skills qualifications allow learners to explore real life contexts together. Everyday mathematics forms the basis of learning, which will be shaped around the needs of the individuals. These priorities will be discussed at annual reviews and broken into small, practical steps that support learning.

This course is very hands-on and works on developing a range of skills that the students use over the course of the year. Health and Safety is very important and students will be provided with the safety equipment that they need throughout the course. 

Students will be taught how to use equipment safely to complete a range of projects including painting and decorating, wood work and enterprise projects. 

Whilst completing their work students will focus on estimating, measuring and working out the costs for materials needed. Students will also have the opportunity to visit DIY shops and specialist merchants to purchase the materials that they need. The aim of the projects will be for students to break even or make a small profit when selling their goods. 

This course focuses on knowledge and understanding alongside the development of practical skills. Students will have the opportunity to explore where the food that we eat comes from and they will spend time looking at a balanced diet and learning about different foods.

Students will learn basic food preparation skills and about food safety and hygiene and have the opportunity to achieve a food hygiene qualification where appropriate. Students will use their skills to plan and follow recipes, learning new cooking techniques.

As part of their work in running the Vocational 6th Form students will take responsibility for catering for school lunches and events. They will learn about serving customers, health and safety and budgeting for food to be purchased from shops. 

Activities to promote health, fitness and leisure are key to supporting students to take responsibility for their personal wellbeing. Students will have the opportunity to try different activities that they may want to use in their adult life. They will access sessions at different locations within the community building an understanding of the options that they will have as adults and making choices based upon their experiences.

All students will take part in this subject and explore how leisure is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Students will learn about how to behave when taking part in sports, learning about sportsmanship and fair play. 

Arts and creativity sessions are an essential part of building confidence, curiosity and resilience. In these creative sessions students will explore a variety of creative arts:

• Art
• Dance
• Media
• ICT
• Sound technology
• Drama
• Music

We will give students the opportunity to work towards achieving The Arts Award Discover, Explore or Bronze Award.

“Duke of Edinburgh is a life-changing experience. A fun time with friends. An opportunity to discover new interests and talents. A tool to develop essential skills for life and work. A recognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.”

Students at Dorothy Goodman School build their confidence and explore new opportunities when they complete the D of E. There are four sections: 

• Helping the community/environment 
• Becoming fitter 
• Developing new skills 
• Training for and completing an expedition

Students can work towards a bronze or silver award and it is all linked to setting personal challenges and pushing boundaries. 

It is a programme that provides opportunities for young people to develop relationships, build their confidence and gain essential skills for work and life including resilience, problem solving and team working. 

Learning about the expectations of adulthood will help students to understand a range of challenges in their personal, family, community and work roles. Students will explore:

• How the media influences us and puts pressure on us to do things
• The importance of household routines (learning about what to do and when to do it)
• Responsibilities linked to bills and how to budget for everyday essentials including food
• Different technology that can support us with the home
• Balanced lifestyles linked to the different responsibilities that they have
• Staying healthy and how to make positive choices linked to their wellbeing.

Work Skills is a course of units designed to equip learners with the essential skills for job success and career development. The main purpose is to develop learners’ employability skills. There is a large choice of units that fully reflect the realities of the modern workplace. This range of qualifications is offered from Entry Level 3 to Level 2.

Through this topic students will explore self development, sector specific opportunities and the world of work. As well as giving them the tools to improve their understanding of realistic careers opportunities available within their local communities. 

• Raising aspirations of children, young people and everyone around them
• Looking at a range of provision including colleges and life choice organisations 
• Ensuring high quality, impartial career information, advice and guidance for young people 
• Developing work experience in real work settings in line with aspirations 

Having a range of opportunities to explore the world of work supports young people to make successful transitions to adulthood. 

Work experience is important because young people with SEND are significantly more likely to be employed after school when they have taken part in work experience.

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Communication comes in a variety of forms and can change within different situations. The students adapt and progress in a way that suits each individual and their strengths. In these sessions we will focus on;

• EHCP targets and taking the next steps for each individual
• Encouraging choice
• Developing language
• Structuring conversations

Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your life, from your professional life to social gatherings and everything in between. The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill.

Personal care involves more than just taking care of themselves. It’s about ensuring that their own needs are met through self-advocacy, balancing needs versus wants and developing healthy habits.

• Practicing good personal hygiene, such as taking showers and brushing teeth regularly
• Taking part in activities to stay physically fit, such as joining a community sports team or just taking a daily walk.
• Understanding the dangers of smoking, drugs, alcohol, unprotected sex and abusive behaviours.
• Knowing when to seek medical care and how and when to take medication.
• Recognising their own well being and when they need support.

Students need time to focus on their priority areas of learning supported by staff to build small step independence on their journey to adulthood.

For some students this will be developing key skills such as reading and writing using braille whilst others will be supported to try new things (preparing to take a driving theory test) and make choices through self advocacy. Preparing for adulthood is about supporting students to achieve the next steps to independence/supported independence.