Stone Soup Half Term 6 

Dear Parent/Carer,

At Stone Soup Academy, Life skills are tied into our ethos of “Creating Unimagined Futures.” Our goal is to provide our students with the tools and education to become healthy, independent and well adjusted members of the community. Through our LifeSkills curriculum, we offer relevant education that will inform students about CV skills, Interview skills, understanding behaviours for work and most importantly money skills.

Life skills is implemented in all areas of the Academy and is cross-curricular in it’s aim and impact. We provide a solid base of learning as they transition into KS4, reinforcing learning in a spiral approach. Those in KS4 will be taught using the Barclays lifeskills programme, the programme contains teaching materials, presentations and guidance on how to lead the discussions for teaching staff. Students can then express their personal opinions on the given subjects and topics, whilst challenging their peers and likewise being challenged by staff. In this way, students will learn respectful debate as well as problem solving, how to defend and strengthen arguments and beliefs, as well as the opportunity to consider differing opinions and the space for growth and change in their own self confidence.

Our goal in teaching Life skills is to provide our learners with the necessary tools to become happy and healthy adults, with fully realised senses of self and understanding on how the world works and how they can be a part of that. In some instances, our learners may not be at the same level as one another but we strive to make learning equitable and accessible ensuring that each student is afforded the chance to learn, especially in regards to self confidence. Lifeskills is in a fortunate position that it exists at every level of learning at Stone Soup, from being greeted at the door with a morning handshake to putting students on a career path tailored to their interests and strengths. It is through Life Skills that we most accurately reflect our ethos: Creating Unimagined Futures. So as of next term we are also running 1:1 Transition sessions with each of our Year 11 students. Personal coaches will be in touch to book them in for 1:1 meetings with me and then students will also be taking part in group Life Skills sessions. This is all to help get them ready for their next steps going through CVs sharing information on housing and interview techniques.

Please contact me if you have further questions.

Kind regards

Jordan Senior

Head of Careers/Personal Coach