Learning for Life & Work (LLW)
The Vision for Learning for Life and Work at our college
Our school aims to plan and deliver an LLW ‘learning experience’ which applies to real-life contexts. We feel that our pupils become more motivated and effective learners when the topics we deliver are relevant to their current stage of life.
The Importance of LLW
LLW is made up of four key stands: Personal Development, Local and Global Citizenship, Employability and Home Economics. Each of these strands play a massive role in developing our young people to become healthy, happy and safe citizens of the future. For example:
Personal Development
Personal Development is needed in school to help in the development of pupils personal, social and emotional wellbeing.
Pupils need informed and guided learning to focus on the issues of concern to them at this turbulent time in their physical and emotional development.
Local and Global Citizenship
It is important that we educate our young people for citizenship, democracy and constructive social, civic and political participation. This is particularly important in Northern Ireland, which has experienced a lengthy period of democratic deficit between 1971 and 2007. The most dramatic and significant change within society in Northern Ireland recently has been the move away from violence towards a culture that supports democratic politics. Education has a responsibility to support this.
There is also a need to educate young people about sustainable development that will preserve the quality of life of future generations.
Employability
Employers stress the need to recognise that learning for life is a continuous process, and that developing employability is not a marginal or separate activity. It is central to the role of the curriculum, just as work is central to most people’s lives.
While there is an obvious desire for competence in literacy and numeracy, modern conceptions of ‘preparedness for work’ stress qualities such as interpersonal competence and confidence, thinking skills, responsibility, creativity and the ability to work in a team.
Home Economics
The scope and pace of social change and the pervasiveness of media influence means that young people are challenged, sometimes at a very young age, by choices, pressures and distractions which pose personal, social and moral dilemmas.
In Home Economics, pupils acquire knowledge, understanding and practical skills in relation to, for example, diet and food choice; family relationships and parenting; financial and consumer awareness, all of which are important educational, social and economic imperatives.
The Delivery of LLW in our college
We have a dedicated department which delivers the Local and Global Citizenship and Employability Strand to pupils in Years 8, 9 and 11. Pupils in Years 10 and 12 then receive dedicated CEIAG lessons.
The Personal Development Strand is delivered to Years 8 – 12 during PSE by Form Teachers and Home Economics is delivered to pupils in Years 8 – 10.
However, LLW is more than just a ‘subject’ in our college; it is also ‘cross-cutting theme’. All learning areas in our school are actively delivering aspects of LLW to our pupils.
What does LLW look like in our college?
Below is an overview of LLW in SPBC. As you can see, KS3 PSE delivers ‘thematic months’ and in dedicated LLW lessons pupils engage in Citizenship and Employability Topics. We have also incorporated ‘CPR Awareness Training’ into the LLW schemes of work for all KS3 Pupils across a three-year period.
KS4 Pupils are engaging in Citizenship and Employability Topics in Year 11 and you can also see the range of topics delivered to pupils in PSE in Years 11 and 12.
The LLW staff members are:
- Mr P McCourt (LLW HOD)
- Miss A Kelly (HE HOD)
- Miss R Duffy (LLW)
- Mrs B Loughery (LLW)
- Miss E O’Kane (LLW)
- Mrs L Rafferty (LLW)
- Ms Sweetman (HE and LLW)
