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Adapting in the Face of Adversity: Excellent Learning Beyond the Classroom

When adverse weather meant a sudden switch to remote learning, our students rose to the challenge with resilience, positivity and determination. Keeping students and staff safe was our priority - and what followed was a fantastic example of how learning at Homefield goes far beyond the classroom.

Across all pathways, students embraced the opportunity to transfer skills learnt at college into their home environments, applying them in practical and meaningful ways.

For some, this meant developing independence and daily living skills. Pathway 1 student Corwin worked alongside his mum to complete a washing-up checklist, practising how to scrub dishes thoroughly and build confidence with household responsibilities. Pathway 2 students Laura and Lilly-Sue focused on moving-on and independent living skills, completing tasks such as making beds, preparing lunch and emptying the dishwasher whilst also showing kindness and consideration for family members.

Student Corwin looking at his iPad screen, which shows his washing up task list: "Put the plug in the sink. Add a few drops of washing up liquid. Fill the sink with warm water. Put the pot in the water. Scrub with the sponge." — *Corwin’s iPad task list*

Other students demonstrated community spirit, problem-solving and numeracy. Pathway 3 student Jacob showed respect and kindness by clearing snow not only from his own driveway, but also for neighbours. He then put his problem-solving skills to the test by building a snowman with a stable base, even measuring the final result using numeracy skills to discover it was taller than himself.

Student Jacob posing cheerfully next to a tall snowman decorated with several household items: a hat, a scarf, gloves, and various vegetables used to create the face. — *Jacob’s mighty snowman*

Wellbeing and personal development were also key themes. Daisy, another Pathway 3 student, chose to take a frosty walk as part of her learning. By selecting a colour and photographing items she spotted along the way, she worked towards targets linked to exercise, wellbeing, road safety and choosing appropriate clothing for the weather.

An image taken from the perspective of student Daisy, showing a neighbouring street and a dog on a leash. — *Daisy’s dog walk*

Creativity and digital skills continued to shine too. Deanna created an engaging digital presentation on upcycling, explaining her idea, producing a visual mock-up of the finished product and outlining how she plans to use it in her next Sew Unique project.

A PowerPoint slide with the title "How I will do it?" and the following text below: "I will cut one half of one shirt, and then another half (opposite side) of the other shirt. I will also do this with the end sleeves and with one of the pockets on Shirt 1. I will then sew these opposite parts together so they are attached properly, then I will make sure that buttons in between will allow the shirt to work like an ordinary shirt after the mashup. It will then look like my collage I have made of the final result." Underneath the text is an arrow poiting to an image of a shirt made out of two differently patterned fabrics. — *Deanna’s upcycling PowerPoint slide*

Meanwhile, from our Nuneaton provision, Paige focused on horticulture research, planning what she would like to grow this year, when items need planting and which tools are required. She even researched where to source materials and how far suppliers are from college, helping staff plan a future trip – a brilliant example of forward-thinking and employability-related learning.

A screenshot of a table with the title "Growing our own fruit and veg", following several cells of research on planting and gardening, as well as prices for specific tools — *Paige’s gardening research*

These examples reflect just a small snapshot of the excellent learning that took place during remote working. We are incredibly proud of how our students adapted in the face of adversity, showing resilience, independence and a commitment to learning that will support them well beyond college.