Practical Skills

The Practical Skills Department has a special role in helping to develop a general vocational awareness whilst encouraging individual, practical and social skills. There is a wide range of different activities that promote interest and motivation.

Practical Woodwork activities are mostly of a light nature, including making nest boxes, CD racks, mirror frames and many ready to assemble projects. Students are involved in real work situations, including building a goat house and a small bridge. Craft and Design allows students to be creative and experiment with colour, pattern and shape within the media of enamelling, learning the basic techniques and making items of jewellery. Animal Care offers the chance to gain knowledge of basic animal care by looking after a selection of small animals.  Practical Gardening provides the opportunity to acquire domestic gardening skills, including design, development and maintenance. Castings and Design involves practising creative skills in light stone cast modelling and candle making through to the more ambitious concrete and stoneware garden ornaments.

Recycling is a hands-on activity promoting environmental awareness. Students are directly involved in the collection and recycling of paper, cans, plastic and cardboard within the campus. ICT Workshop covers a range of multi-media activities. Students use their IT skills to produce our department newsletter. Car Valeting offers students the opportunity to gain practical work based skills towards employment in this area.

The Practical Skills Department offers Foundation Learning programmes at Entry Level and accreditation in:

NPTC Entry Level Award in Skills for Working Life – Entry Level 2/3
NPTC Entry Level Certificate in Skills for Working Life – Land Based (animals) Entry Level 2/3
NPTC Entry Level Certificate in Skills for Working Life – Craft, design and technology – Entry Level 2/3 
C.I.E.H. Foundation Certificate in Environmental Awareness