My Independence: Transforming Aspirations
About this course
What is Transforming Aspirations?
The Transforming Aspirations course aims to better prepare young people for the next stage in their education and for good life outcomes.
The Transforming Aspirations activities provide opportunities to cover the compulsory national curriculum subjects at key stage 4 (computing is not included as a standalone subject but can be covered in the optional open activity within each pathway) and are mapped to the four Preparing for Adulthood pathways:
- friends, relationships and community
- employment
- good health
- independent living
This will enable educational providers to link learning opportunities to an individual’s Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outcomes. The course can both inform the development of outcomes and provide evidence of their achievement.
The film below explains how the programme has been designed to help young people with SEND develop a breadth of outcomes required to live independently and achieve good life outcomes.
Who is Transforming Aspirations for?
Transforming Aspirations has been developed to meet the needs of learners aged 14–16 with SLD (severe learning difficulties) or MLD (moderate learning difficulties) including young autistic people, who are likely to be on a semi-formal curriculum.
Learner registration and certification
Centres will need to purchase a Transforming Aspirations learner registration for each learner.
A learner registration includes a hard copy or electronic copy of a learner record.
A pathway progress tracker is provided in the learner record and an online learner progress tracker is available for centres to enter which pathways a learner has completed to demonstrate progress and reward small steps of achievement.
- Five certificates available in total (one for completion of each of the four pathways and one for completion of the full course).
- An ASDAN printed, embossed certificate can be requested to mark the completion of a full course. The four pathway certificates can be downloaded from the ASDAN website.
Learner record
The learner record contains the course content, each pathway contains 12 subject areas.
A pathway reflection at the end of each pathway allows for learners to say or show what they can do and decide for themselves and what activities they would like to try and be able to do on their own.
The learner record and recording templates can be completed by learner, or by the teacher/tutor on behalf of the learner, using words, symbols or pictures.
Tutor guidance
Tutor guidance for Transforming Aspirations is available to download under Course Resources below.
Person-centred planning toolkit
The person-centred planning toolkit can be used across all four My Independence programmes, it contains person-centred planning tools that can be used to support the development of Education, Health and Care Plans and SEND Support Plans.
Getting started
New to ASDAN?
Your first step is to become a member of ASDAN. Read more about our membership tiers and the benefits of being a member.
Already a member?
If you are on our Programmes Plus membership, you can get started by purchasing materials below. We highly recommend that someone from your centre attends one of our introductory training workshops or we also provide in-house training sessions.
You can upgrade your membership at any time under account settings.
ASDAN members' area
You can manage your courses, learners, orders and account settings in the members’ area. This also contains all the essential documents, forms and updates that you will need to deliver your course.
Training is available for new and existing members to help staff introduce My Independence into your centre and, where appropriate, support the transition across from the ASDAN Preparing for Adulthood programmes to the new My Independence suite of courses
The person-centred planning tools are a key component of all ASDAN’s My Independence courses. These will be provided to centres who attend training, as part of the My Independence tutor guidance and person-centred planning toolkit.
Additional guidance and mapping will be provided during training for centres in Wales and Scotland.
CPD meetings
My Independence will be supported by free to attend, annual professional development meetings (face to face and online).
These meetings will provide opportunities for ongoing development and training for centres, showcasing best practice, networking, collaboration and feedback on learner portfolios.
1. Staff training
• The members of staff with overall responsibility for delivery must attend an ASDAN introductory workshop, webinar or INSET. Book at: asdan.org.uk/training
• Training to deliver My Independence courses is not a mandatory requirement, however it is highly recommended to ensure that the centre and learners obtain the maximum benefit from the programme.
2. Register with ASDAN
• You will need ASDAN Programmes Plus membership to deliver My Independence courses. Membership allows centres to purchase materials and access support, including regular mailings and updates.
• Become a member at: asdan.org.uk/membership or manage your existing membership at: asdan.org.uk/membership-details
3. Create a new cohort
• Create a new cohort using the ASDAN website: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Specify a course co-ordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course. Select student books for your learners.
4. Purchase supporting resources
• Buy optional supporting resources, including tutor guidance and resource packs. Available products are listed on this page.
• Digital versions of resources are available from ASDAN, including plain text (Word) versions of learner records.
5. Delivery and progress tracker
• Deliver the course to your learners. Resources can be downloaded from the course resources section on this page.
• Use the progress tracker to keep a record of which modules and pathways learners have completed via the cohort page: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
6. Internal moderation
• Internally moderate all portfolios to ensure that learners have met the full requirements of the course. Ensure learners are given time to make any necessary amendments. Internal moderation checklists are provided to support this process.
7. Certification and quality assurance
• Download module and pathway certificates using the progress tracker via the cohort page: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Quality assurance takes place at annual CPD meetings, where ASDAN will check samples of completed work.
• Request printed course certificates using the progress tracker via the cohort page: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Certificates will be delivered to your centre within 20 working days.
• Centres cannot request printed course certificates until they have attended a CPD meeting.
Costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Transforming Aspirations: learner registration (price per learner, includes learner record and certification) | £29.95 |
| Transforming Aspirations learner record (tutor copy) | £18.95 |
| My Independence learner evidence binder (with tabbed pathway dividers) | £7.00 +VAT |
| My Independence pathway stickers (pack of 120 stickers) | £4.20 +VAT |
Products can be purchased below.
Join ASDAN
To teach this course you must have one of these membership types:
- Programmes Plus
- Qualifications
- International Qualifications
Already a member? Sign in
Products
My Independence learner evidence binder
This learner evidence binder supports the delivery of My Independence, a group of four programmes designed to meet the needs of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Centres can use this sturdy, two-hole binder to store learner evidence and pages from the learner record resources. The binder features a pocket on the inside front cover and a pocket on the spine to insert a name label. This product also includes a sheet of My Independence pathway stickers and tabbed dividers for the four preparing for adulthood pathways.
£7.00
My Independence pathway stickers
This resource includes five sheets of 24 stickers (120 total), with some stickers in full colour and some with outlines that learners can colour in themselves.
Centres can use these stickers to reward learner achievements or label learner evidence across the four preparing for adulthood pathways.
£4.20
Transforming Aspirations learner record (tutor copy)
Please note that this product is for tutor reference only and centres may purchase a maximum of five copies.
This tutor reference copy should not be completed by learners; a copy of the learner record is included as part of the learner registration fee. Centres should purchase learner registrations (one per learner) at the start of the course, which includes access to learner materials and certification.
This learner record includes:
- activities for all four pathways (friends, relationships and community; good health; independent living; employment)
- pathway reflection templates for all four pathways
This learner record resource is presented as hole-punched sheets, to be inserted into learners’ portfolios. A My Independence learner evidence binder is available for centres to purchase to store learner records and learner evidence.
£18.95
My Independence learner evidence binder
This learner evidence binder supports the delivery of My Independence, a group of four programmes designed to meet the needs of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Centres can use this sturdy, two-hole binder to store learner evidence and pages from the learner record resources. The binder features a pocket on the inside front cover and a pocket on the spine to insert a name label. This product also includes a sheet of My Independence pathway stickers and tabbed dividers for the four preparing for adulthood pathways.
£7.00
My Independence pathway stickers
This resource includes five sheets of 24 stickers (120 total), with some stickers in full colour and some with outlines that learners can colour in themselves.
Centres can use these stickers to reward learner achievements or label learner evidence across the four preparing for adulthood pathways.
£4.20
Transforming Aspirations learner record (tutor copy)
Please note that this product is for tutor reference only and centres may purchase a maximum of five copies.
This tutor reference copy should not be completed by learners; a copy of the learner record is included as part of the learner registration fee. Centres should purchase learner registrations (one per learner) at the start of the course, which includes access to learner materials and certification.
This learner record includes:
- activities for all four pathways (friends, relationships and community; good health; independent living; employment)
- pathway reflection templates for all four pathways
This learner record resource is presented as hole-punched sheets, to be inserted into learners’ portfolios. A My Independence learner evidence binder is available for centres to purchase to store learner records and learner evidence.