Learning For Life and Work

Including Citizenship, Employability and Personal Development

Head of Department: Mrs Fidelma Gethin
Staff members: Mrs Barbara Anne Dempster, Mrs Aine Gosling, Miss Laura McGreevey, Mr David Majury, Mrs Veronica O'Loane

The revised curriculum is central to helping young people develop the skills, knowledge and qualities needed for everyday life and work.  These skills are essential for all students regardless of differing abilities and aspirations for the future.  Learning for Life and Work is central to the revised curriculum and includes 3 different strands: Local and Global Citizenship, Education for Employability and Personal Development.  (The content of each of these strands is outlined below).

All students have the opportunity to choose Learning for Life and Work GCSE which also incorporates the three strands.  This is an excellent opportunity for GCSE students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world around them and learn new skills, eg, writing and delivering power point presentations, researching projects, working independently and teamwork.  Students who do not opt for GCSE Learning for Life and Work receive one Citizenship class per week in Year 11 and Year 12.

 

Strand 1: Local and Global Citizenship

• Local and Global citizenship is an exciting, participative and mind broadening experience.
• Citizenship encourages young people to explore and share ideas with others and to develop awareness of the immediate and greater world around them.

 

This is an important time and opportunity in young people’s lives to create and deepen their interest in current affairs and issues of social concern and to help them examine and clarify the conflicting values they see around them.

The content is based on four key concepts in local and global contexts:

Diversity and Inclusion

• What factors influence personal identity?
• Diversity in the classroom, local community, country and globe; understanding and respecting different cultures and religions.
• Challenges and opportunities of diversity; promoting inclusion; how influences of different cultures enrich our lives; tackling stereotypes, sectarianism and racism.

Human Rights and Social Responsibilities:

• Protecting and promoting rights.
• How we can take responsibility individually, as a society and through our government.

Equality and Social Justice

• Homelessness, absolute and relative poverty.
• Causes and consequences of inequality and discrimination.

Democracy and Active Participation

• Who makes decisions that affect me?
• Playing a part; lobbying demonstrating, volunteering, voting systems.
• Develop ways in which to care for and protect the environment.
• Rule of law and justice systems.

 

• Throughout each module students:
  Examine current affairs and the power of the media; challenge prejudice and stereotypes, write reflective diaries and investigate the work of NGOs eg, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Save the Children.

 

Strand 2: Employability

This strand includes 3 key concepts:

• Career Management

Exploring Career Management provides opportunities for lifelong personal development, self-marketing, work/life balance and Personal Career Planning.

• Work in the Local and Global Economy

Exploring Work in the Local and Global Economy provides opportunities to investigate the nature of work, how it is regulated and the impact of European and global interdependence.

• Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Exploring Enterprise and Entrepreneurship provides opportunities to investigate the need for creativity, enterprise and innovation in the new ‘knowledge’ environment.

 

Strand 3: Personal Development

This strand includes PSHE and Home Economics

The personal development strand of LLW is divided into four key concepts:

• Personal Understanding (PSHE): including achieving self esteem, developing study skills, keeping physically and emotionally well, drug education, strategies for dealing with problems, eg, bullying;
• Relationships (PSHE): including developing strategies for avoiding and resolving conflict, sexual education, aspects of parenting.
• Family life (HE): includes different family structures, strategies for maintaining family relationships etc.
• Independent Living (HE): includes healthy eating, food safety, managing money and bills, cooking and being an ethical and responsible consumer.