Life Skills Options
Clickable list of activities on this page:
- Business and enterprise
- Culture cooking
- Debating
- Everyday cookery
- First aid
- Outdoor explorers
- Reclaimed timber
- The Spud Club
Culture Cooking
Learning to cook recipes from diverse cultures and countries from around the world and why they may be linked to religion, economy and beliefs.
This activity will improve:
Mental Wellbeing, Confidence, Social Skills, Motor Skills, Literacy, Numeracy, Oracy
Available to Y8 and Y9
Reclaimed Timber
During this activity, you will be using new and existing woodworking skills to make a small item of your choice. The challenge during this activity is about how to use reclaimed timber, such as wooden pallets, to make your creation. Alongside learning and developing your practical skills, we will explore the reasons behind using reclaimed timber and how it can be salvaged before repurposing it to make high-quality and sustainable products/gifts.
This activity will improve:
Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Confidence, Motor Skills, Numeracy
Available to all year groups
Debating
Polls show that many people list public speaking as their number one fear, ahead even of our fear of death! However, with a little know-how and, crucially, some practice, speaking in public can become something that anyone can actively enjoy and look forward to. The Swanmore Debating Society offers pupils an opportunity to learn how to structure compelling arguments, think on their feet and get to grips with a wide range of issues. Debating is a valuable skill for both education and beyond. Previous experience in either debating or public speaking is not a requirement.
This activity will improve:
Confidence, Social Skills, Literacy, Oracy
Available to all year groups
Business and Enterprise
Are you a budding entrepreneur? Do you have dreams of becoming a successful business owner? You will explore the basics of business and accounting, research and development. You will also be learning how to start a business and the basic laws around taxes. You will then get the chance to start up your very own business, having a chance to buy stock and sell it with the aim to make some profit.
This activity will improve:
Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Confidence, Social Skills, Motor Skills
Available to Y9, Y10 and Y11
Everyday Cookery
Anyone can appreciate fresh, fine food and in this enrichment activity you will have the opportunity to develop your home cooking skills. You will build your confidence in using ingredients to make good quality meals which you can reproduce at home.
This enrichment will be a mixture of demonstrations and practical tasks. Pupils are expected to bring ingredients to each of the sessions and will be issued with an ingredient list with plenty of notice/time to purchase these. Dishes will include bread and pastry-based products as well as curry and poultry dishes.
By the end of the term, you will have a wider repertoire of ‘go-to’ dishes and confidence to cook outside of Swanmore College.
This activity will improve:
Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Confidence, Social Skills, Motor Skills
Available to Y9 and Y10
The Spud Club
This enrichment activity will be for a small group of enthusiastic students to get involved with cultivating vegetables, flowers, and fruits and will last for the whole year. They will experience all 4 seasons in the garden and learn about the different work that is involved during each season.
We will aim to get winter crops in, as well as spring and summer harvests, most of which the students will be permitted to take home as a reward for their efforts, subject to the usual Health and Safety checks.
We will be out in all weathers, so wellington boots and warm coats will be required in the winter months, and maybe a hat and sunscreen in the summer. This will be a physical enrichment activity with potentially fabulous rewards as we work our way through the seasons, so full participation will be required at all times.
It will take place in the fenced-off garden area between the big canopy and the tennis courts and all tools will be provided. On really rainy days we will be classroom-based and planning our next crops with a bit of research and design involved.
This activity will improve:
Mental and physical wellbeing, social skills, confidence, and motor skills.
Available to all Y9, Y10 and Y11
This is a 3-term activity. If you have already been assigned this activity, you will continue for the Summer term.
First Aid
This is a paediatric (accredited) Level 1 qualification for students aged 14+ and is run across a term.
This qualification is the MUST-HAVE for anyone looking to enter the sports coaching and education sectors. In this qualification, you will learn how to respond to emergencies, both non and life-threatening. Through theoretical and practical course content you will gain the knowledge and skills to deal with such things as managing emergency situations, CPR, Burns, allergic reactions and more.
As you continue on your journey as an educator/ coach this qualification will become part of your continued personal development plan throughout the years and in all sports, is a coaching license requirement. This is also an accredited course.
The registration fee per pupil is £25. This covers registration to the awarding body, use of resources and certification.
This activity will improve:
Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Confidence, Social Skills, Motor Skills
Available to Y10 and Y11
Outdoor Explorers
This enrichment activity is based around the Duke of Edinburgh Award and is offered to Y7 & 8’s only for the Summer term.
Ideally suited to those in Y8 who are thinking of applying to complete the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award in Y9, this programme of activities prepares pupils for a life outdoors.
This enrichment covers subjects such as cooking and hygiene in the field, erecting and caring for tents, map and compass/navigation skills, interesting lessons such as paracord braiding, kit choices for day walks/longer trips, countryside code, exploration of famous explorers, a walk out into the local community and an introduction to the Duke of Edinburgh award offered here at Swanmore in Y9.
We have a strong mantra for teamwork, self-reliance, initiative, resilience and the building of confidence and social skills. This session is free, and pupils are expected to attend in Swanmore PE kit only.
Those pupils in Year 8, from across the year group, will be invited to sign up for the Bronze Award after the May half-term holiday, should they wish to do so.
You do not have to complete this enrichment to be considered for Bronze DofE, but it may help you decide if this is something you wish to pursue in year 9.
This activity will improve
Mental Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Confidence, Social Skills
Available to Y7 and Y8