STUDENTS at a Rugby secondary school have been developing their life skills during lockdown.
Year 8 students at Avon Valley School are currently involved in a scheme called The Edge – a life skills initiative which students can engage with even when self-isolating.
To gain the qualification at Apprentice, Graduate or Masters level, students need to complete a range of activities in normal lessons, extra-curricular clubs or outside school.
Sstudents have been encouraged to practice and their develop skills during the summer lockdown, and while in self-isolation.
The school’s PE department challenged students to plan, practice and lead a warm up with members of their family. The Year 8 students were also asked to create a poster or fact sheet describing a chosen career option, and were encouraged to design, prepare and cook a family meal.
Progress through the scheme is managed by students themselves using a specially designed website, with school staff and the school’s ‘Edge Coordinator’ providing an oversight and awarding credits towards achieving the qualifications.
Apollo House student William Smith has made progress with the award, having signed off a number of challenges including writing a film review, cooking his family a meal, leading an exercise style warm up and designing a careers poster.
Fortune House student Logan Cooper is also progressing, having filmed a Joe Wicks style warm up video, during which he led his dad and sister through the cardio and muscular exercises.
PE teacher and Edge Coordinator Leigh Hallam said: “Lockdown and self-isolation has not hampered the progress made by some students on the Edge programme. Many of the students have been innovative and have found creative ways to engage with, and demonstrate the skills needed for the award.
“I am really pleased with the progress made, and hope that many of the students will successfully complete the award.”
Head teacher Alison Davies added: “The personal skills developed by our students through ‘The Edge’ are very important, and help our students to develop resilience – a skills that has become very important during 2020.”
