Personal Development for Active Citizenship

Students prepare to have greater control of their lives on our Personal Development for Active Citizenship (PDAC) pathway. 

They improve their self-confidence and communication skills with a wide variety of people and learn how to build and maintain safe and sociable relationships. 

Learning environment 

Our curriculum is stimulating and multi-sensory with learning delivered inside and outside college. Learning is paced to suit each student, with overlearning used to develop and reinforce new skills. 

Personal Development for Active Citizenship students 

PDAC students may be autistic and/or have severe/complex learning difficulties (SLD) (CLD) and significant physical, medical and sensory processing needs.

The PDAC pathway lasts two or three years. It is available to residential or day students at National Star Ullenwood, National Star in Hereford (day) and National Star in Wales (day). 

Students are supported on a one-to-one or two-to-one basis in the classroom and outside college. 

We can offer high levels of specialist input (Intensive Interaction, Multi-sensory impairment and Autism), therapy (Speech and Language Therapy, Emotional Wellbeing, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy) to students. 

Learning ambitions

Meeting the ambitions of young people is central to this pathway. Many want to improve their self-esteem, be more sociable and build safe relationships with others. 

They are keen to learn how to become independent young adults at home and in the outside world.  

What does this look like in practice? Students make choices for themselves and ask for help, get involved in daily activities and explore their future based around their existing and new interests. 

Learner voice, the way students express their opinions and ideas, is integral in developing students’ range of interests and skills. ‘Nothing about me without me’ is our philosophy. 

Preparing for adulthood

Learning activities are personal to each student and may include: 

• Art 
• Ceramics 
• Cooking 
• Dance, drama and expressive arts 
• Outdoor learning 
• Music 
• Relationships and sex education 
• Sport and fitness 

Learning activities

Community Inclusion: Students learn about their place and role within their communities. They will explore personal interests and leisure activities that will bring them into contact with a wide variety of people inside and outside college. 

Employment/ Meaningful Occupation: Students get involved in group social enterprise projects. This may be organising an event or activity to support a local charity, raising awareness of a cause or supporting the running of college. The goal here is to equip students with the skills needed to become active members of their community. 

Good Health: A personalised and holistic therapeutic provision will support physical, medical, cognitive and self-regulating needs. 

Students’ programmes include both discrete, (such as Music Therapy) and embedded (such as Occupational Therapy) therapy. Maintaining physical and mental health is vital for students’ learning and future life. 

Independent / Interdependent Living Skills: Although PDAC students receive high levels of support every learning opportunity promotes independence to ensure they have their voices heard. Students show and share with others what they can do. 

How will learning be assessed? 

We decide students’ starting points with the help of supporting documentation, previous qualifications and initial feedback following assessment. 

During their first half term, the skills of students will be observed and assessed. 

Student progress is reported termly and student feedback sessions about college are also conducted on a termly basis. All students have regular reviews of their progress and provision in line with annual Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) reviews. 

Differences to other learning pathways

Personal Development for Active Citizenship

• To start to build self-confidence
• Improving communication skills
• Relationship building

Personal Development for Positive Contribution  

• Literacy, maths and digital literacy skills
• Developing meaningful occupation after college
• Developing independence / gaining control of their lives with budgeting, shopping, eating and more.