Subject Overview

Employability Skills at Landmarks are delivered across all our sites and training environments and is suitable for learners wanting to develop their independence skills whilst unlocking their employment prospects and potential. Aimed at providing learners with the skills, qualities and attitudes which are matched to career aspirations and workplaces, all learners who follow the Employability Pathway also have access to tailored work experience further helping to inform career choices. 

Subject Overview

Retail supports learners to develop work-readiness and enterprise skills.

They learn how to work as a team, plan budgets, understand profit and selling strategies. These skills help learners to become; confident communicators, talking to unfamiliar people in a variety of settings, team players, relying on and supporting one another to see the job through and increased independence, recognising the part they play in the team.

Retail includes the running of four specific businesses; marketing, purchasing and selling of products, the management of funds, advertising and promoting events.

Subject Overview

The Bistro is a professional kitchen where learners develop their curiosity for cooking, by learning how to cook everyday meals or developing an interest to work in the catering industry.

Learners develop practical, everyday functional skills through working in the Bistro, which involves shopping for food, taking orders from learners and staff, preparing and cooking meals, presenting food, and finally ensuring the kitchen is tidied and cleaned to industry standard.

Subject Overview

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a nationally recognised scheme that aims to develop the self-confidence and skills for the life of young people. Through individual challenges, each Award offers a balanced, non-competitive programme of activities which encourage personal discovery and growth, self-reliance, perseverance, a responsibility to themselves and service to the community.

Hospitality & Catering at Landmarks is delivered at ‘The Archer’ our fully operational public house in Rainworth, Mansfield.

The Archer is a unique training environment enabling many of our learners to gain the experience and qualifications needed to enter the hospitality and catering trade.

Learners fulfil many of the operational roles, acquiring first-hand experience of serving customers, preparing drinks, making meals and maintaining the environment to a high standard.

Learners will have the opportunity to develop and enhance their personal, social and independence skills in a challenging, fun and safe environment.

As part of this session, learners will access the community and engage with projects that benefit their local area. Personal Development involves learning about healthy lifestyles, relationships, keeping safe, and community inclusion. This session may involve, or lead to, work experience.

Individuals will gain confidence in their abilities and develop a positive growth mindset which is transferable to home, work and the community.

The Art curriculum is designed to allow learners to explore an exciting and diverse range of topics, by utilising an even greater range of working methods and art materials. 

The studio workspace creates an ever-changing learning environment, with the chance to experience new assignments, on a weekly basis and the opportunity to engage in personal, paired and group assignments throughout the year.

Enterprise offers the opportunity for learners to be involved in generating and presenting high-quality products and services, for all of our Landmarks events. Each event allows learners to participate in real-life scenarios, creating products for sale, through to the presentation and selling of goods to the customer.

Land-Based Studies are delivered at Apperknowle Farm which is our working farm located in the beautiful village of Apperknowle, Dronfield.

Apperknowle Farm produces meat, fruit, vegetables and flowers for The Archer public house and our bistro at Eckington.

Work at the farm is very practical and always working to industry standard using the latest techniques. Land-Based Studies include areas of Horticulture,  Agriculture, Conservation and Floristry.

All tasks are real, engaging but also contributing to the running of our working farm site. Tasks build learners communication, confidence, independence and physical ability.

Animal Care is delivered at our working farm site in the beautiful village of Apperknowle on the edge of Dronfield.

Animal Care includes the care of our livestock including sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, poultry as part of our farm to fork curriculum.

Learners will see the process of animals breeding, birthing and be involved in the seasons of our farm site.

Sessions build communication, confidence, physical ability and independence.

Travel Training provides learners with the skills and confidence to safely access the community. Sessions are individually tailored to learners’ skills and aspirations, with the consideration that each learners’ level of independence is unique. For some learners, outcomes will be independent travel, however, for other learners, the focus may be on gaining strategies to keep them safe, or building confidence.

Travel Training adopts a multi-disciplinary approach delivered by education and occupational therapy staff. Sessions are delivered practically, where possible in learner’s local communities, with theory reinforced in the classroom.

Learners are fully supervised during sessions until (if appropriate) assessed it is safe for them to travel with reduced support.

Functional Skills (Mathematics, English and ICT) are delivered in every session via RARPA targets. This approach allows learners opportunities to practice their functional understanding of Maths, English and ICT in a different context. The aim, being these practised skills can be transferred into the daily lives of our learners and enable them to more confident adults.

RARPA stands for Recognising And Recording Progress & Achievement and its purpose is to measure the progress and achievement of learners on non-accredited learning programmes.

The benefits of quality assured RARPA process are:

• It demonstrates outcomes in personalised, non-accredited learning as part of study programmes;
• It is consistent with the clear focus on preparing for adulthood and positive outcomes within the Children and Families Act (2014) and SEND Code of Practice;
• Ofsted has said that RARPA is a powerful tool to demonstrate outcomes, and can address many of the issues raised in the ‘Moving Forward?’ report;
• It provides local authorities, who commission provision for learners with high needs, with clear evidence of learning outcomes.

We recognise that not all our learners will achieve accredited qualifications and that the effective use of RARPA is instrumental in enabling us to recognise and celebrate what learners have achieved. For some of our learners, accreditation is not appropriate or necessary.

It is important that RARPA Targets are appropriate and are clearly linked to the outcomes of assessment and the achievement of long-term goals.

• Employment – Learners working towards employment-related RARPA targets will develop work readiness skills that link to them being able to successfully engage with a work placement.
• Friends, Relationships and Community – Learners will have RARPA targets based on their social interaction and communication skills to support the development of meaningful and safe friendships, relationships, and community involvement.
• Good Health – RARPA targets in good health could relate to either mental or physical health, supporting learners to identify good health and develop strategies to promote wellbeing.
• Independent Living – RARPA targets in independent living would involve supporting learners to develop the skills to be as independent as possible in the future within their home setting, and could include budgeting, personal care, and cooking.