Y Cartref: Beyond the doors of Tredegar Park Primary School – Developing Pupils’ Life Skills

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Our School

Tredegar Park Primary School is situated on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales. Formed from the amalgamation of Duffryn Infant School and Duffryn Junior School in 2017, the school has continued to support the community and the needs of its learners. The school currently has 43% of pupils eligible for free school meals, 12% on the additional learning needs register and 10.8% of with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

World of Opportunities

The school’s vision ‘To open up a world of opportunities…’ was the fundamental objective when developing the use of ‘Y Cartref’ at Tredegar Park Primary School. Following the publication of the ‘Successful Futures’ report and the emphasis on skills for life, it decided to develop a scheme of work that would encourage and support independence, as well as skills and knowledge that could be used by pupils in the future. The initiative supports a holistic approach to well-being and supports the idea that good well-being enables successful learning.

Who needs support?

As a school in one of the most deprived areas of Wales (39th in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation) with high levels of unemployment and mental health issues in the community, the school identified a need to offer a range of approaches to support well-being. As well as classroom activities staff decided that to make an impact on skills and progression there should be a focus on authentic contexts for learning. Anecdotal evidence suggested that many families were trying to encourage independence at home amongst their children. The school wanted to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils while at the same time developing real life skills. By teaching pupils  how to manage risk staff aimed to develop increased resilience in pupils.

Listening to Learners

Initially, a ‘Listening to Learners’ investigation took place to establish what children understood about staying safe at home, the importance of hygiene and how to complete some simple maintenance tasks. From the questionnaires, staff found that many of the pupils  were interested in learning basic life skills that could support them at home and be applied in their future lives.

Y Cartref

Based on what staff were told by learners and through reports from the Family and Community Engagement Officers, the school invested in creating a ‘Home’. The Pupil Leadership Team were involved in choosing furniture, appliances and accessories and the room was sectioned off into areas, including a kitchen, dining area, lounge and bedroom. 

Set for Life

Staff recognised the importance of a balanced approach when creating a scheme of work and not focusing solely on a particular group of pupils, for example, pupils eligible for free school meals, which could create an unfair stereotype. The school created a ‘Set for Life’ curriculum that is carried out over the whole school year and is progressive for each year group. A half-termly plan was developed, covering the following themes:

• First Aid Champions
• Keeping it Clean
• Travel Guide
• Table Manners
• Money Management
• Home Sense

These lessons are planned for by class teachers and carried out in ‘Y Cartref’. The children have the opportunity to learn and practise skills for life, ranging from doing up buttons to planning a household budget.
 

Future Ready Intervention

Based on feedback from teaching staff and the School’s Family and Community Engagement Officers (FACE), staff decided that a specific intervention was needed for a number of pupils who had reported particular issues at home. They wanted to ensure that these pupils knew how to stay safe at home and to give them an understanding how to help themselves and encourage independence. A second scheme of work was created, covering the most basic skills to support pupils to stay clean, fed and safe. The intervention is carried out for targeted pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 and covers the following themes:

• Safety First
  Electricity Expert – Appliance Ace – Cutting It
• Feed Me
  Ready Steady Cook – Popty Ping – Oven Ready
• Keeping it Clean
  Dirty Dishes – Dust Busters – Laundry Legends
• Can You Fix It?
  Odd Jobs – Bike Buddies – Perfect Plumbing
• All About Me
  Me Time – Happy Hobbies – Young Carers

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

• All pupils have the opportunity to develop skills for life
• Pupils have a clearer understanding how to support themselves at home
• Improved wellbeing and social interaction with adults and peers
• The capacity of learners developed to ‘Navigate life’s opportunities and challenge’ as stated in the Curriculum for Wales
   

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