Independence and Life Skills

Independent living and life skills is about giving our children the skills they need to have greater choice, control and autonomy over their life in the future – where they live, who they live with, and how they live, and being able to direct and/or manage their care if necessary. It is about developing young people to feel empowered and have high self-esteem to expect a better quality of life. Achieving these goals is as much about developing a state of mind as a set of skills, having the confidence to try new things, to be assertive and to communicate needs, views and wishes effectively. The learning process is active and often challenging. Developing these skills is about creating a culture of learning in a safe and supported environment with good resourcing.

There is growing evidence that these life skills are associated with a range of positive outcomes at school and later in life. Non-academic skills in childhood, including self-control, self-perceptions and social skills, are strong predictors of adult outcomes, including employment, well-being, and physical and mental health.

At Libra we take a whole-school approach to engendering independence and life skills in our children. These skills are embedded in the day to day curriculum and for older children through specific programmes such as: