My Independence: Realising Aspirations
About this course
What is Realising Aspirations?
The Realising Aspirations course aims to better prepare young people working at Entry level for good life outcomes.
Realising Aspirations has been developed around the four preparing for adulthood pathways, each pathway comprises three modules:
- friends, relationships and community
- employment
- good health
- independent living
The module outcomes are based on what needs to be in place for a young person to plan for the future and make a successful transition to new opportunities at college, in the community, on training programmes, employment or in supported living.
Realising Aspirations aims to promote inclusion, extend and develop learning opportunities beyond school or college, and provide good plans for the support required to make this a reality.
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.
| Learner age | 14+, 14–16, 14–25, 16+, 16–19, 19+, Adults |
| Level | Entry level (indicative) |
| Key Stage | Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5 |
| Education setting | Special school, Further education, Community Education, EOTAS, Academy / Multi-academy trust, Training provider, Adult education, Independent school, Secondary |
| Regulated | Non-regulated course |
| Certification | Externally certificated, hard-copy only |
| Location | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, International (including Channel Islands and Ireland) |
| UCAS points | No UCAS points available |
| Available on Equitas | No |
| Pathway | Independent Living |
Who is Realising Aspirations for?
Realising Aspirations has been developed to meet the needs of learners aged 14+ with SLD (severe learning difficulties), MLD (moderate learning difficulties), LDD (learning difficulties and disabilities).
Learner registration and certification
Centres will need to purchase a Realising Aspirations learner registration for each learner.
A learner registration includes a hard copy or electronic copy of three learner records (additional learner records can be purchased online as and when required).
A progress tracker is provided in each learner record and an online learner progress tracker is available for centres to enter which modules and pathways a learner has completed to demonstrate progress and reward small steps of achievement.
- 17 certificates available in total (one for completion of each of the twelve modules, 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 records
A learner record is available to support each of the twelve modules. These resources include the module content, as well as the recording templates for each module. They are designed to form part of the learner’s portfolio of evidence.
The learner records and module templates can be completed by learners, or by the teacher/tutor on behalf of the learner, using words, symbols or pictures.
Tutor guidance
A comprehensive tutor guidance and resources pack has been created to support Realising Aspirations. This pack is essential for centres delivering this course as it contains many of the required resources ie pathway profiles, module completion log and module review.
An electronic copy of the pack will be made available once a centre has purchased a hard copy.
This pack is a one-time purchase that will be continually reviewed and updated and these updates will be provided as part of your ASDAN membership.
Centres can combine modules from Realising Aspirations and Supporting Aspirations to meet individual needs
Person-centred planning toolkit
The person-centred planning toolkitcan 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.
Training is available for new and existing members to help staff introduce My Independence into your centre.
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.
Please contact independentliving@asdan.org.uk for any My Independence curriculum queries
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.
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.
Become a member
Create a cohort
Once you are approved as an ASDAN member and have approval to deliver this course, you can create a cohort of learners in the members’ area. Specify a course coordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course. Learners should be registered within 60 days of starting any ASDAN course and before any assessment takes place.
Resources
ASDAN provides a wide range of supporting resources, including course standards with guidance and assessment materials. All resources related to your course can be found on the course webpage.
Assessment
All ASDAN courses are assessed through portfolios or projects, instead of exams. Appropriate internal quality assurance (IQA) and external quality assurance (EQA) will take place according to the course and you will be guided on this by our team.
Professional development opportunities
Continued professional development (CPD) training opportunities are available for all ASDAN courses to support assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA).
Training is delivered by ASDAN experts, supporting your centre to run our courses successfully and develop and sustain expertise across your team. They provide an introduction to the course, along with guidance on processes, course delivery and moderation.
As an ASDAN member, you can also take part in ASDAN’s special interest groups. These are termly online sessions focusing on specific areas of practice, providing space for discussion, collaboration and networking between ASDAN members.
Costs
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Realising Aspirations: learner registration (price per learner, includes three learner records and certification) | £34 |
| Realising Aspirations: additional three modules per learner, including learners records and certification, (one pathway or a combination) | £26 |
| Realising Aspirations: additional modules including learner record and certification | £9 |
| Realising Aspirations: tutor guidance and resources (full) | £310 +VAT |
| Realising Aspirations: tutor guidance and resources (per pathway) | £84 +VAT |
| Realising Aspirations learner record: all modules (tutor copy) | £88 +VAT |
| Realising Aspirations learner record: per pathway (tutor copy) | £24 +VAT |
| My Independence learner evidence binder (with tabbed pathway dividers) | £8 +VAT |
| My Independence pathway stickers (pack of 120 stickers) | £6 +VAT |
Tutor copies of the learner records can be purchased in the products section below.
Learner registrations must be purchased as part of creating a cohort.
Products
Realising Aspirations learner record: all modules (tutor copy)
Buy hereRealising Aspirations learner record: Employment pathway (tutor copy)
Buy hereRealising Aspirations learner record: Friends, relationships and community pathway (tutor copy)
Buy hereRealising Aspirations learner record: Good health pathway (tutor copy)
Buy hereRealising Aspirations learner record: Independent living pathway (tutor copy)
Buy hereRealising Aspirations tutor guidance and resources: Employment
Buy hereRealising Aspirations tutor guidance and resources: Friends, relationships and community
Buy hereRealising Aspirations tutor guidance and resources: full
Buy hereRealising Aspirations tutor guidance and resources: Good health
Buy hereRealising Aspirations tutor guidance and resources: Independent living
Buy here