Independent Living
Students are taught a range of independent living skills including cooking and meal prep, shopping & money skills, domestic and home skills and outdoor skills. Their progress is recorded and evidenced through IEP targets and the college awards on Evidence for Learning. Students are encouraged to be independent at breaks and lunch times and make snacks and drinks independently.
Students initially learn to make a simple sandwich or snack that they could make themselves and progress to heating food in the microwave and learning to follow the instructions on packets. Students shop for their food weekly, either online or in person. They learn to find an item in a shop and many progress to planning and writing their individual shopping lists.
Students learn skills including where to store fresh, packet and frozen food, the safe use of appliances and equipment, hygiene associated with food preparation and safety in the kitchen, the home and in the community.
Students helped design and furnished our new flat within college. This has a bed and wardrobes in and has been used to extend the range of independent living skills that students learn. Students use the college and school laundry room to learn to use a washing machine and a drier.
Functional maths opportunities are present within independent living include the use and handling of money, using of timing and temperatures when cooking and counting opportunities. Functional English opportunities include the writing of lists, using a picture/symbol/written shopping list, writing instructions, reading packets and recipes