The Skola Life Skills Programme

All goals in the Skola Life Skills programme will be targeted in four different environments: Academic, Residential, Work Experience, and Travel.

Academic

• Students in years 7, 8, and 9 will acquire the ASDAN Certificate in Lifeskills Entry 1 and 2.
• The post 16 students will acquire the ASDAN Certificate in Lifeskills Entry 3.
• Students will learn to develop their skills in the following areas: Numeracy, Literacy, Science, PDHPE (Personal Development Health and Physical Education), Cooking, ICT, Work and Community, and Social Communication.
• Year 7, 8, and 9 students will access Music, Sport, Technology, Art, and Foreign Languages in the mainstream school.

Residential

The Bawdsey site occupies a magnificent position on the Suffolk coast where the River Deben meets the sea near Felixstowe. The 120 acre site is not only in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but is itself a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site has extensive facilities for recreation as well as learning. Students may participate in: sailing, crabbing, walks along the beach, table tennis and enhance their general physical development while using our gym, badminton, squash and tennis courts!

• Students will typically spend 3 or 4 days each month on the Bawdsey site which will complement their London-based studies.
• Students will have the opportunity to learn to be responsible, plan and organize a trip, and care for themselves.

• Students will learn to develop skills in these areas: planning and organization, budgeting, time management, cooking, home care/domestic tasks (cleaning, laundry, etc.), gardening, sports, personal care, shopping, personal hobbies, teamwork, social communication.

• Each individual student will have appropriate goals to develop their skills in each of the above areas.

Work Experience

During the first week of the summer holidays, students will have the opportunity to work in our Summer English Language School . They will work in the following areas:

• Administration
• Classroom assistant
• Day trips assistant
• Buddy for the new students

This is a fantastic opportunity for the students to gain independence and learn and practice a number of different social skills.

The school is associated with the Progressive Tours Travel Agency that is housed in the Porchester Place building close to the Secondary school. The older students will be able to do some work experience with the agency to develop their telephone skills, social skills, and learn different administration tasks. Students also use the kitchen facilities at the site to practice their cooking skills.

Travel

London

• As part of the Skola Life Skills course, students will take part in weekly trips around London .
• Students will discover the exciting sights, Museums and exhibitions that London has to offer.
• Students have the opportunity to practice different Life Skills, such as planning and organization, budgeting, transportation, and time management.
• These Friday trips encourage students to be independent and develop their life skills in a different, real world setting.

Abroad

• The International Community School has a Travel and Learn Programme where students have the opportunity to explore various regions of our planet.
• These trips focus on Environmental Literacy and outdoor activities, giving students a chance to develop a variety of skills in these areas and learn to be independent.
• Travel and Learn has travelled to a number of different places, such as Costa Rica , Zambia , the Amazon, British Columbia , etc.
• All Skola Life Skills students are highly encouraged to choose a trip of their choice.
• Students travel on these trips with assistants, if needed, and have travel goals that focus on the areas of communication, life skills, academics, and physical activities.

Therapies

As part of each student’s course a range of therapies are offered including:

• Speech and language therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Art Therapy

Individual therapies are extremely important at ICS and the therapists work is continued, whenever possible, throughout the week by all of our staff. This allows for each student to gain the maximum benefit from their therapeutic support.