Logo for Learning for Life featuring a light bulb made of colourful circles and the words "Learning for Life" in blue and green text.

Welcome to Learning for Life Parent Hub!

Building skills for life.

Our project supports young people with a wide range of learning differences, including Down’s syndrome, autism, and other learning disabilities.

We use our expert knowledge of the learning-disabled community to design resources that are highly focused on their needs. Everything we create is shaped to be clear, practical, and easy to use.

Our teaching follows the English RSE Curriculum, but we also expand it in the areas we know our community needs more support. Building both knowledge and life skills - so young people gain the confidence to use what they learn in everyday life.

Across all our series, we focus on:

  • Practical life strategies – tools and approaches that can be used at home, school, and in the community

  • Safeguarding – helping young people stay safe and supported

  • Skills for independence – supporting confidence, decision-making, and connection

We hope this project supports your learner to build a safe, independent, and connected life.

JUMP TO

Guidance & FAQs
Series 1: Growing Up and Keeping Safe
Join Teach Me Too

TOP TIP: The images below are on all the series pages and are buttons! These will take you between all of the series pages. Alternatively, you can click the ‘Account’ button in the top right to see the sidebar with access to the project(s) and each series within them.

Two children playing Connect 4 at a table, with a pink border and the text 'Growing Up and Keeping Safe'
Two girls with glasses looking at a device, showing concern or confusion, representing the theme of emotions.
Group of smiling children and teenagers outdoors, with the words 'Caring Friendships' overlayed.
A young girl and an adult man smiling and exchanging a fist bump outdoors, with a church steeple visible in the background. The image is within a pink circular frame with a pink banner that says "Being Healthy."
A circular graphic with a green border containing a faded image of people in outdoor gear, overlaid with the words "HOW TO" in large green letters and "Exercise" in smaller green letters.
Two adolescent girls and an adult girl sitting at a table, engaging in an activity, with the text 'The Changing Adolescent Body' on a blue overlay.
Two people hugging outdoors with a background of bushes and a brick wall, and a pink circular border with the word 'Families' at the bottom.
A woman and a girl sitting at a table, engaging in a conversation with a window in the background. Overlaid text reads 'Understanding Health & Prevention'.
Two women with Down syndrome smiling and leaning close together, one wearing a white jacket and glasses, the other in a dark blazer with glasses, in a circle with a blue border. Text overlay says 'Respectful Relationships'.
A woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a hair clip, smiling and holding a clapperboard that says "Learn and Thrive." She is sitting on a brown couch with a plant in the background. The image has a pink circular border with the text "Online Safety" wr
A circular graphic with a green border contains the text 'HOW TO' in large green letters and 'Healthy Eating' below in smaller green letters. Behind the text, a person wearing a chef's hat and glasses is visible holding a clipboard or tablet, with bl
A circular graphic with a blue border containing a colorful lightbulb made of bubbles, and the word 'Homepage' below.

Before we start here are some key things:

  • Please share within your networks and with your schools and the professionals you meet.

  • Importantly, use the biggest screen you have available that is practical. These sessions work much better on a TV, PC, laptop, or tablet than they do on a smaller phone screen.

  • To get the most out of the project we recommend an adult watches alongside the young person/people to support and provide resources. More information about the resources needed are alongside each video.

  • The videos give you a guide on how to approach topics with the young person/people using the typical learning strengths of a child with Down’s syndrome. To find out how those with other additional needs can benefit, read more on our other SEN diagnosis webpage.

  • If you are a school/ support group please use these strategies and apply them to your learning plans. There are additional resources across each series which provide more information about links to the RSE curriculum.

If you have any questions or would like any advice please do get in touch.

On each page we have linked all the necessary information about the videos and resources. We have also included a video on how to use the website, which can be found on each page, and below.

Guide to Learning for Life - For Parent/Carers

We Are Here to Help!

Guidance & FAQs

Looking for more guidance? Find additional information in the FAQs about the Learning for Life project below.

  • Each series has approximately 7-10 videos. In each video, a new element of learning is introduced. This is then explained and explored by the specialist teacher(s), followed by activities for the learner to complete. Prompts are provided to advise which downloadable resources to use for which activity, and when to pause the video to complete the activity. At the end of each video, there is a chance to recap.

    Each series has a bank of resources to support and assess the learner(s)’ progress.

  • You don't have to watch each video in order, however, we recommend that you do. Each series is generally built in such a way that later videos rely on learning from earlier in the series.

    Once you have completed the series, you should go back with your learner and rewatch individual videos, as needed, to consolidate and embed the learning and deepen the understanding.

  • You may choose to watch the series most relevant to the topic you are currently learning. However, please bear in mind, that some series build on knowledge gained from earlier series topics.

    For example, in Growing Up and Keeping Safe, we cover the idea of a ‘Safe Adult’. This is consistently mentioned across following series, encouraging students to talk to their safe adult about any questions or worries they have.

    We would always recommend starting with the Growing Up and Keeping Safe series.

    The series are ordered as follows:

    • Growing Up and Keeping Safe

    • Emotions

    • Caring Friendships

    • Being Healthy

    • Changing Adolesent Body

    While we recommend this; you know your learner best. Personalise the learning to them, and ensure that they feel confident in their learning.

  • Resources can be accessed through various buttons on each of the series pages.

    Near the top of each page, before the videos start, there is a button that will take you to the resources page. There is also a button next to each video.

  • Yes. Each activity using Widgit symbols, will have these symbols available to download as part of the resource.

    There is also and additional Widgit symbols section on each resource page, with other useful symbols used throughout the video series.

    These are all free to use as part of our partnership with Widgit and your membership to Learning for Life.

    You can access more symbols and create yourown personalised symbol materials through their software here: Widgit

  • For each series, we have differentiated Worksheets and/or Assessment Sheets to help you to track your learner’s progress across the series. Take a look at these before completing to determine how best to personalise the assessment to your learners’ needs.

  • Learning for Life was created to support in tackling some tough topics, and help protect your young person as they grow up. Specialist teachers explore these topics, and videos are built with the real-life experiences of families with SEND in mind.

    While our resources should be helpful, there is further guidance available:

  • We use the Primary Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education Curriculum in England, as the skeleton of these series, and build on this according to the more specific needs and experiences of our young people with Down’s syndrome/SEND. Every series provides an RSE Objectives sheet (found on the resources page) which provides how the series is linked to the curriculum and the objectives of the series for the learner.

    While we don’t cover every aspect and nuance of the curriculum, we provide a focus on the key concepts and knowledge for the foundation skills our users need.

  • There are many ways to share. Take a look at these webpages and leaflets.