Case Studies

Paige, a 16-year-old pupil at Morriston Comprehensive School in Swansea is doing a mix of GCSEs, Welsh Baccalaureate, Hairdressing and qualifications in Hospitality and Health and Social Care.

“Originally I thought I would go into something sporty but I dropped GCSE P.E. after an operation to remove my appendix left me unable to cope with so much physical activity.”

Paige’s Dad serves in the army and is away from home so she’s now interested in being a paramedic, possibly in the RAF.

“I’ve worked hard on my fitness levels and know that I’ve got to do well academically this year to get into college and do the course I want to do until I can sign up to the RAF.”

Paige is hoping that the Level 2 Certificate in Skills for Independence (Moving Forward) will help boost the points she needs. She has already completed the Level 2 Award by finishing the Personal Management unit and loves the way the course is organised.

“The first unit introduces us to a lot of the topic areas we need to cover for the full certificate and the remaining four units build on this knowledge and cover things in more detail, so I feel confident that I’m going to complete everything on time.”

Paige believes that the Moving Forward qualification has helped in her preparations for life in the Armed Services.

“The knowledge and skills I am building up as a result of this course have been really useful for real life. I can see the value in learning how to budget effectively and researching some of the efficiencies I could make by buying value goods or by being aware of techniques that retailers use in order to persuade me to part with my hard-earned money.”

“I’ve also enjoyed the food preparation and cooking we did: our three course meal was delicious and I enjoyed the leek and potato soup we made with herby cheesy bread when I really thought I wouldn’t like it! Eating with the group socially was interesting as it gave us an opportunity to see what the others had cooked.”

Paige’s tutor and the co-ordinator of the Qualification in Morriston Comprehensive, Sandra Morgan agrees that the cooking session was useful. “It was obvious that some of the pupils had never cooked a meal from scratch following a recipe and using fresh ingredients. The whole experience was an opportunity for them to learn life skills and prepare themselves for living independently. Some of the topics covered have already been addressed as part of our extensive Personal and Social Education (PSE) and Careers sessions in school but it’s good to spend more time on some of these areas and accredit the learning that the pupils are doing.”

Sandra has set up a series of learner files which means that pupils can work at their own pace once the basics have been delivered or once the resources have been explained.

“I love this way of working” she explained “It really appeals to our pupils. There are some who come to collect their files to work on things when they have spare time after school or during the lunch break and some pupils support each other by sharing websites and bringing in leaflets they have found which give them relevant information.”

Paige adds that for her, the appeal of this qualification lies in the fact that it builds on knowledge that she already has and is developing the skills she knows she will need when she leaves home.