Bradford: School transforms classroom into flat to teach life skills

Ann McKerchar's son George is a pupil at High Park School

A special education needs school has turned one of its classrooms into a furnished flat to teach pupils essential life skills.

High Park School in Heaton, Bradford, appealed for donations of furniture and appliances to kit out its flat to help prepare pupils for independent living.

Parents, staff and pupils attended the opening of the flat last week.

Assistant principal Sarah Tollemache said it was about preparing older students for adulthood.

"Our pupils have been really engaging in life skills within the classroom environment, and we just thought that due to their progress it was time to put those skills into a real-life setting," she said.

Ms Tollemache said she was "proud" of the students who had got involved with helping select a colour for the walls, shopping for paint and decorating the flat.

One of the pupils, Raza Ayub, 18, who helped to paint the flat, said "hoovering and washing up" were top of the list of chores he was looking forward to doing.

Ann McKerchar's son George also helped with creating the apartment.

She said: "I'm really pleasantly surprised because it gives a meaningful context to what's out there when they leave school.

"The way that they process information to learn, they need to have that transition so it's making connections."

Assistant principal Sarah Tollemache said students had embraced the project

Ms McKerchar said getting the students involved with the decoration of the flat had made it "kind of theirs".

"I think it will give George that sense of self, to improve his confidence and make connections.

"I really appreciate everything the staff do here, it is such an important connection with the parents and the community."

The school caters for young people aged between three and 19 who have severe and complex needs arising from communication and interaction difficulties, autism and severe learning disabilities.

The flat includes a fitted kitchen with appliances