Uplands School is a specialist school for students aged 11 to 19 with complex needs, such as autistic spectrum condition (ASC), severe learning difficulties (SLD), and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Claire Owens, Deputy Headteacher, shared with us how incorporating ASDAN’s Lifeskills Challenge into the school’s curriculum has transformed the educational experience for both students and staff, offering flexibility, inclusivity and the chance to develop essential life skills.
Lifeskills Challenge is an online bank of challenges for learners working from pre-Entry to Level 3. The programme enables centres to meet individual needs by providing a personalised curriculum for young people with SEND or those facing barriers to learning.
Giving learners a voice
“We had been delivering qualifications through another provider for some time. However, there was a gap in the learners’ requirements around student choice. The curriculum was largely dictated, but we wanted to offer something different that gave them that element of choice.
“This led to the decision to integrate Lifeskills Challenge, which has had such a positive impact. Each term, students now get to choose from a variety of options. It’s a bit like in mainstream schools, where they pick their options subjects. This has allowed us to tailor their learning experience to the unique interests and abilities of each student.”
Overcoming barriers
One of the most immediate and impressive outcomes of the programme has been its role in improving student transitions. Claire describes how students who previously struggled with change have now shown remarkable progress.
"As a special school, we follow a primary school model where our students are with their teacher and class team most of the day, as they can find transitions particularly challenging. But when we introduced Lifeskills Challenge, we were amazed. We had 65 students in the sixth form, and they all transitioned to different classrooms, different staff and new activities – only two students faced difficulties in the first week. That was a real milestone for so many of the students!"
“This achievement speaks a lot about the engagement and enthusiasm the students have for their chosen activities; because it was something they wanted to do, it’s been really successful in preparing them for adulthood. If they can go to new places, tolerate different people and experience new things, that’s a triumph in itself."
Inclusive learning for all
A key feature of Lifeskills Challenge is its inclusivity, allowing learners with varying abilities to work together on projects tailored to their skill levels. Claire explains how proud the school is at being able to integrate students with a wide range of needs into the same classes:
"The programme is fully inclusive, which is so important for our students. We have students working at pre-formal levels up to more formal learners, and they can all engage with Lifeskills Challenge in ways that suit them. It’s been lovely to see a student with PMLD working alongside a more able student. It’s been so rewarding to see those mixed abilities coming together. They can be in the same group, working on similar challenges, but with different levels of support and complexity."
Empowering teachers and staff
While the primary goal was to improve student engagement, Claire told us how Lifeskills Challenge has helped their teachers as well:
"Our teachers have been able to use their specialisms and interests to deliver lessons. We’ve had our PE teacher running different sports activities, another teacher using their technology skills to teach nature photography and stop-motion animation – it’s been really creative."
“The programme doesn’t add an excessive burden to staff workloads. The paperwork isn’t onerous, which is a huge bonus. Our teachers are able to focus on what matters – teaching and engaging with students, rather than being consumed with administrative tasks."
A curriculum of possibilities
“One of the standout aspects of Lifeskills Challenge is its versatility. Our students have been exposed to a wide range of activities, from Business Enterprise to Horticulture. We had one group completing the BBC Young Reporter project and creating their own video.” 
"You can do anything with Lifeskills Challenge. It’s allowed us to offer things we would never have thought of including in the curriculum, and it’s led to some surprising discoveries. We’ve been blown away by some of the things our students can do. For example, one of our students turned out to have amazing horticultural skills; without the Lifeskills Challenge, we might never have seen that."
Preparing for the future
Claire told us how Lifeskills Challenge isn’t just about enriching the current learning experience, it’s about setting students up for future success:
"The goal is for students to make informed choices about what they want to do when they leave us. In the past, the curriculum was narrower, and they didn’t get to try a wide range of things. Now, they can dip their toes into different activities, discover what they’re passionate about, and use that to make decisions about their future."
"We have a young man who is really good at cooking and has aspirations to work in a restaurant. Through the Lifeskills Challenge, he’s been able to develop his knife skills and work toward that goal. It’s been amazing to see him specialise in something he loves and take real pride in his progress."
Flexibility, inclusivity and a focus on learners
We asked Claire what she would say to other schools considering delivering Lifeskills Challenge:
"If you’re looking for an inclusive programme with tons of flexibility to meet the needs and interests of your learners, I’d definitely recommend ASDAN and Lifeskills Challenge. The flexibility has enabled us to make the programme work for our students. It puts learners at the centre and that’s what we believe in. It’s been great to implement something totally new and the feedback has been really positive. Everyone has embraced it, and we couldn’t be happier with the results."
Read more about Lifeskills Challenge and get in touch to find out more about becoming an ASDAN member.