One of Prior's Court's ambitions is to teach the young people vocational skills they need to enter the world of work. Part of this curriculum teaches land-based skills (looking after plants, watering, weeding etc.) in specially built polytunnels on site. 

For our Lower School, these land-based lessons fall under the Science aspect of Functional Academics. The images below show Lyla in one of her land-based lessons learning about the different parts of a plant. She will be encouraged with both verbal and physical prompts to match each part of the plant to the correct spot, and to colour in an image of a plant or tree to help practise her fine motor skills. 

Each of these lessons also holds a practical element, so Lyla will be taught how to fill a watering can from an outside tap and ensure that it is not too heavy to carry, then use that watering can to water some of the flowerbeds with support. in this particular lesson, Lyla was also taught how to plant plants in a pot by filling the pot with soil, making a hole for the plant to go in with a tool called a dibber, planting the cutting, and then watering it. 

Land-based skills, particularly those Lyla was learning, are a great way of practising practical skills and developing fine motor skills. planting, colouring, and using the outdoor tap require a lot of dexterity which allows young people to practise these skills while doing something fun.