Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones is a 20-30 hour PSHE/Citizenship-based programme with an accredited outcome, aimed at 7- 12 year olds. Children develop their skills through a series of challenges. The Stepping Stones certificate has a credit-rating into the next ASDAN programme Key Steps.

It can be run in schools – KS2/Transition/KS3; with youth groups and interest groups; on residential courses; in training settings – anywhere!

Stepping Stones is linked to:

• SEAL
• Every Child Matters
• QCDA Schemes of Work
• PSHE and Citizenship curriculum
• Enrichment
• PLTS
• Personal skill development

How to achieve Stepping Stones

The main focus of Stepping Stones is the development of skills through activities (challenges).

A very wide scope of activities can be used towards the award, which makes it very versatile. Any work or activities carried out in Citizenship, PSHE, Personal Wellbeing, Enterprise, Personal Finance, Environment (both natural and built), International Links, Trips and Visits and all other projects can be accredited with a Stepping Stones Award certificate.

Evidence gathered during challenges is collected into a portfolio (file/folder/electronic file/wallet etc.) and skills achievements are recorded by the child with ‘Stepping Stones' stickers in a personal skills book.

To complete the programme, young people have to:

• Complete a Skills Book and use a file or folder as their Portfolio of Evidence.
• Carry out challenges over 20-30 hours
• Put evidence of the activities they do for their challenges in their Portfolio
• Keep a list in the Skills Book of all the challenges they do
• Record the skills they have developed and used during the challenges with stickers in their Skills Books
• Hand in their books and Portfolios to the teacher
• Receive their certificates!

The Stepping Stones skills:

• Communicating
• Investigating
• Presenting
• Using Multimedia
• Researching
• Independence
• Working With Others
• Solving Problems
• Perseverance
• Confidence
• Respecting Others
• Collecting Evidence
• Planning and Reviewing
• Looking After Yourself
• Budgeting
• Leadership

The topic areas for the challenges:

• Active Citizen
• Community Spirit
• Identity
• Personal Wellbeing
• Money Matters
• Around the Globe
• Environment
• Valuing Each Other
• Different Cultures
• Health
• Enterprise
• Trips and Visits

Download the information pack for further details and examples of challenges.

Getting Started

• Register with ASDAN (free for centres doing ONLY Stepping Stones) via the Centre Registration form
  
• Existing ASDAN centres need to complete an Additional Networks Registration form to add Stepping Stones to their ASDAN registration
  
• Once registered, you can then buy materials via the order form

Delivering Stepping Stones:

• Choose challenges from the ‘Challenges and Guide for Teachers' book...or others
• Supervise the activities
• Help the children identify the skills they are using
• Allocate skills stickers
• Check the progress of the Portfolios and Skills Books
• Take in the completed books and Portfolios and sign them off
• Request certificates online
• Award the certificates!

Progression routes:

• When completed, Stepping Stones has a value of 1 ASDAN curriculum credit, which can be carried forward into ASDAN’s Key Steps Award
• Progression onto further ASDAN Awards and Qualifications is possible through KS3 and KS4 right up to Post-16

Previous Stepping Stones Materials

If you are currently using the 'old' Stepping Stones materials and require additional books for your students, please email your request to: orders@asdan.org.uk