Unlocking the Power of Inclusive Education: How to Make the Most of Our Resources
At Learning for Life, our mission is to provide resources that cater to the unique learning profiles of young people with Down's syndrome. However, our commitment to inclusivity extends beyond this group, as we have witnessed students with various Special Educational Needs (SEN) benefit from our materials.
The key to reaping the rewards of our resources lies in understanding how to use them effectively. Our resources are designed to be adaptable, serving teachers, students, and educational settings, whether that's at home, in school, or within a support group.
" I was very impressed with the programme, there is nothing out there like it to support mainstream schools deliver SRE and PSHE to those pupils needing a highly differentiated curriculum.” - Kirsty Buckland, Professional working with a young person with Down’s syndrome.
Our series: Growing Up and Keeping Safe, Emotions, and Caring Friendships
The Learning for Life project currently consists of four series: Growing Up and Keeping Safe, Emotions, Caring Friendships, and Being Healthy. Released over the past year, each series focuses on different elements of the current Primary Relationship and Sex Education and Health Education curriculum. The structure of each series is consistent, offering around 10 videos, each accompanied by a differentiated worksheet. These worksheets assess the learner’s knowledge and understanding of the topic, using questions asked at the end of each video.
Making the most of the videos
Within the introductory and main videos, you'll find guidance on whether certain questions and topics are best discussed in group settings. While we strive to address complex issues in a clear and understandable way, it's important to acknowledge that our videos may not cover every aspect. We encourage learners to be curious and delve deeper into the topics and to tailor the learning to each individual learner.
Each video follows a similar format. The presenter in the video introduces the topic, relates it to previous learning, delves deeper into the concepts, and engages the viewer in activities, including prompts to pause the video for discussion. The conclusion of each video offers a brief recap of the key learning objectives.
Example: Caring Friendships
Our differentiated resources complement the video content. They cover the questions addressed in the videos in various ways to thoroughly assess the depth of learning. Activities are differentiated to be accessible for a variety of learners and include tasks like writing answers, cut-and-paste exercises, and circling the correct answers, among others.
Our Ongoing Journey
Each video in the series is carefully crafted to address different aspects of the key issue, aligning with the RSE and Health Education curriculum. For optimal results, we recommend watching the series in order, starting with the oldest (Growing Up and Keeping Safe, followed by Emotions, and then Caring Friendships). This sequence builds on pre-existing knowledge. Afterward, you're encouraged to revisit the videos to reinforce learning in specific areas—we even recommend it!
As Learning for Life continues to evolve, our commitment to inclusive education remains unwavering. We aim to develop additional resources that address challenging subjects, requiring extra care and attention, particularly for those with special educational needs. Along this journey, your feedback is invaluable. It guides us on how to enhance our materials and helps us determine the topics that require our focus.
If you're not already a part of our community, we invite you to sign up today. By joining us and sharing your feedback, you play a pivotal role in our mission to empower individuals with special educational needs.
Unlock the potential of inclusive education with Learning for Life.