Students at Kenton School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne have transformed their confidence, improved their academic performance and developed vital new skills having undertaken ASDAN’s Certificate of Personal Effectiveness Level 1 and 2. Stewart Fraser, the school’s ASDAN Co-ordinator, tells us more.
We have 78 students undertaking CoPE in Years 9, 10 and 11 and the course is timetabled for two hours a week.
In our CoPE class, we work closely with teachers of other subjects, complementing learning happening elsewhere. For example, the learners were covering the theme of capital punishment in English and I worked with their teacher to build on this in our CoPE lessons. We undertook extra research on the subject and organised group discussions and oral presentations to deepen their understanding. The English teacher said he had seen a huge improvement in the learners’ engagement with this topic and general performance in class thanks to the extra support and skills developed through CoPE.
The ‘improving own learning and performance’ skill that the students develop as part of CoPE has been particularly beneficial for the learners, enabling them to perform better academically. Through CoPE, they ‘learn how to learn’, taking responsibility for their education and meeting deadlines.
Employability skills
CoPE helps the learners develop excellent employability skills. People often get asked at interviews about problem solving skills and teamwork. Our students can answer difficult questions like these because they have developed these skills through CoPE.
We have also used CoPE to prepare learners for the workplace by developing IT skills. This year, our CoPE Year 11s prepared for the ECDL, an IT qualification, with nine out of our 15 learners achieving a grade B or above. This was an incredible accomplishment that was achieved largely thanks to the groundwork that took place in the CoPE lessons.
Improved engagement and motivation
With CoPE and other ASDAN courses, it’s guaranteed that the behaviour of learners will improve. This is because the courses are so flexible and can be personalised according to the learning needs and interests of each student.
Through CoPE, the learners can experience success in the classroom and this in turn improves attendance, engagement and motivation. I have seen pupils’ confidence transform as a result of CoPE. They really enjoy the qualification and some go on to complete CoPE Level 3 in sixth form.
I really enjoy teaching CoPE and I would absolutely recommend other schools to deliver this qualification.