INTENT

At Larwood, we are dedicated to deliver an exciting and personalised curriculum. All of our pupils have had negative experiences within previous school settings and are likely to have missed out on opportunities. We want our pupils to have developed skills that they can take with them in the next stages of their lives. It is also our belief that primary school is the perfect opportunity to be introduced to different potential careers and passions.

IMPLEMENTATION

Every Thursday afternoon all of our pupils breakaway from their class groups and go to their skills group. One of the elements that makes skills curriculum successful is the element of choice that children have over what they are learning. Children have the opportunity to apply themselves and learn through practical everyday experiences, activities include:

• Life Skills
• Skiing
• Coaching
• Mad Science
• Community Outreach
• Boating
• Cookery (Baking, foods from around the world)
• Outdoor education (camping skills, orienteering)
• First aid
• Arts and craft activities including stage building for our annual Christmas production and building a tree house
• Sports
• Drama
• Music
• Nature study
• Media studies
• Woodwork
• Gardening
• Bicycle maintenance
• Photography

IMPACT

Our pupils frequently tell visitors that skills is one of their favourite points in the week. Pupils are able to find passion and purpose and grow in confidence from rapid progression within their chosen area. Pupils develop friendship skills and have an opportunity to meet children from across the school. Skills lessons allow children to develop social skills and push them to achieve outside of a classroom environment. What you will see on a Thursday afternoon is a school with happy and engaged children (although many will be offsite – an opportunity denied to many of our pupils in their previous schools).