Lifestyle learning and earning for our Year 8 pupils
The Real Game is a lifestyle learning and earning resource for Year 8 pupils. At Westholme we suspend the timetable for a half-day to allow students to enter into the spirit of the game and to fully engage with the activities and challenges on offer. The project involves some very real topics including careers, salaries, lifestyle choices and living costs, which are approached through fun activities and quizzes. Students create a ”˜dream cloud’ of their ideal house, car, etc and are then given a job description at random, complete with annual salary. They then have to adjust their dream clouds by reviewing their original choices and selecting housing, transport and leisure activities which ensure that their budgets balance each month, allowing for both income tax and savings.
This year Miss Naylor, one of the younger members of the English teaching staff, is a Year 8 form tutor. Miss Naylor realised that she too had participated in The Real Game during her time at school and had clear memories of her own enjoyment of the project! Members of Year 8 enjoyed the Real Game activities but many admitted that it had been a wake-up call in terms of the cost of everyday living. Each student completed an evaluation form at the end of the day and one response summed up by stating “The Real Game makes you aware of the things you can really afford and also that if you want lots of things then you will need a really good job!”.
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