Independence Pathways is a complete five-lesson life skills unit for secondary pupils (S1-S4 / Years 7-11). It builds the everyday skills young people need to plan, spend, travel and look after themselves, and works in mainstream PSHE and Health and Wellbeing classes, life skills rooms, nurture groups and ASN/SEND bases.

The five lessons

• Lesson 1: Plan My Day. Routines, telling the time, must, should, could, visual plans and a Plan B.
• Lesson 2: Money Matters. Needs and wants, a simple weekly budget, getting good value, paying safely and spotting scams.
• Lesson 3: Getting Around. A five-step journey plan, reading timetables, staying safe out and about and what to do if something goes wrong.
• Lesson 4: Home Skills. Kitchen safety, the four Cs of food hygiene, reading labels, a simple meal plan and a laundry routine.
• Lesson 5: My Independence Plan. A skills check, a goal with what, how, who and when, people who can help and a one-page plan.

What is included (17 files)

• 5 PowerPoint lessons, each with learning intention, success criteria, case studies, activities, exit ticket and full speaker notes.
• Unit plan and teacher guide with timings, differentiation, assessment evidence and framework links (Word and PDF).
• Staff quick guide: teaching a life skill in five steps (Word and PDF).
• Pupil workbook with tasks for every lesson (Word and PDF).
• 12 printable posters and checklists: day plan, money check, scam stop sign, journey plan, safety habits, kitchen safety and more (PowerPoint and PDF).
• End-of-unit check (20 marks: 10 multiple choice and 5 short answer) with full marking scheme and grading bands (Word and PDF).

Designed with care
Pupils choose what to write and what to share, and can pass on any task. Scenarios and amounts are fictional. Practical cooking, travel and community tasks need your own risk assessment. Wren the bird mascot gives a friendly, consistent look across the Steady Steps range.

Frameworks
Scotland: supports Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing, Skills for Learning, Life and Work, and GIRFEC. England: supports PSHE education and the Preparing for Adulthood outcomes in the SEND Code of Practice. Please check your own school policy and curriculum plan. This is general information.

Easy to adapt
Word files are editable. Use symbols, photos and real objects, and let pupils answer by speaking, drawing or scribing.

Try the free taster first: search for “Independence Pathways” in my shop.