Community Skills

Community at Lighthouse School

Why is it important to our students’ futures? Community Skills is fundamental to Lighthouse students fulfilling their full potential. The vast majority of Lighthouse students have a community-based EHCP objective, and require additional support to be safe in the community. Community provides our students with all the skills they need to be safe and as independent as possible. Community Skills supports Lighthouse students to access the skills and experiences available to them through school and beyond. Whether it’s how to behave around strangers, knowing how to access emergency services, safe travelling, completing a food shop – Community develops the skills our students need to have a successful future.

In community at Key Stage 3 we focus on safety and begin to access local facilities such as libraries and begin to explore the green spaces which Leeds offers. In Key Stage 4 we engage more widely in different community facilities such as community hubs and develop more independence. At Key Stage 5 students develop more autonomy in planning community activities according to their own interests and future plans.

What does Community look like in Lighthouse School?

• Every student has Community on their timetable. These are often double lessons to give students time to experience beyond the school’s locality.
• In community at Key Stage 3 we focus on safety and begin to access local facilities such as libraries and begin to explore the green spaces which Leeds offers. In Key Stage 4 we engage more widely in different community facilities such as community hubs and develop more independence. At Key Stage 5 students develop more autonomy in planning community activities according to their own interests and future plans.

What have students gone on to achieve in the subject?

Parents have reported that their child can now safely access the community independently. For example, after Community lessons, Student J was able to go to the shops independently (and used it to buy a birthday present for their mum). By Key Stage 4. the vast majority of students can safely cross the road with no support. This is usually a minority of the student population in Key Stage 3.