Future Proofing courses enable you to invest in areas of study that will strengthen your personal development, prepare you for Post 16 study and strengthen understanding of new careers opportunities related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
This is a menu of WIS developed short courses which give students the opportunity to explore a wide range of personal interests, with an emphasis on transferable 21st Century skills development. |
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Course Name |
Course Details |
Main ATL Skill |
App Development |
This course introduces students to the world of Mobile App Development. They will experience the process of building mobile apps to solve real-world situations and problems. Students will be introduced to the world of mobile applications. Using industry-standard frameworks, students will learn how to approach building apps from the early stages of ideation and research through to designing the user interface and prototyping their first app. Using and building their own brief, students will explore the empathy of how to work and collaborate as they would with a real client. |
Problem Solving |
Understanding Human Behaviour |
Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do? Why people behave differently in a group than individually? Why people can feel strong emotions? This course will explore these questions about human behaviour drawing on psychology to understand how to influence behaviour and emotion. You will work collaboratively with others to complete tasks that are grounded in real life such as forming a family with an egg baby to learn how to cooperate, negotiate and navigate responsibility. There will be a focus on practical activities and you will be investigators who conduct experiments, observations and interviews to come to conclusions. This course aims to develop your emotional intelligence, an important 21st century skill, so you will be able to better recognise, understand and influence your emotions and that of others. “What really matters for success, character, happiness and life long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills – your EQ — not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests.” — Daniel Goleman. |
Critical Thinking |
Game Development |
Ever played a game and thought you could do better? Tried the original Pokemon and been inspired? Join Game design! In this Future Proofing course you will use Microsoft MakeCode to create a classic game of your own design. You will come up with characters and a storyline, design backgrounds and sprites and think of different levels. Once you're ready, you'll code your game, developing a final product that can be played on most mobile phones. Note: This course is split between designing and coding the game. There is equal focus on both elements. |
Creativity |
Web Development |
You probably visit several websites every day. Have you ever wondered how these websites work? How are they built? In this course, you will create a website just as advanced as those you see for restaurants or other small businesses. You will use a mixture of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP to do this. You can make a digital resume, a site for your business or one dedicated to anything you're interested in. It's up to you! This course is designed to start you on a path toward future studies in web development and design, no matter how little experience or technical knowledge you currently have! |
Problem Solving |
Digital Photography |
Students will have the opportunity to explore the many ways in which digital photography can be used within art, design and media. You will learn the best practices of digital photography and ways to incorporate filters and other sorts of editing, as well as the fundamentals of composition, lighting and other traditional photography skills. You will be required to provide your own camera (a high-quality phone camera is fine) and will need to have Adobe Photoshop installed on your own computer. You will be required to produce a portfolio of photography experiments and outcomes as well as learn about photography for exhibition, working for a client and completing photography and artistic briefs for members of our school community. |
Creative Thinking |
Digital Art |
Using Adobe software such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and Fresco to explore creative concepts and ideas by applying knowledge of the Elements and Principles of art and design. Students will learn a variety of skills and develop their creative thinking and conceptual ideas. These skills will include photo manipulation, digital collage, text and poster style art/design. Throughout the course students will also develop their ATL skill of transferable knowledge to learn new 21st century software used in the Visual Art and Design industries. |
Creativity |
Debating a Changing World |
Students will investigate a series of current global Issues that affect our ever changing world. By developing a greater understanding of these issues you will then take on the role of concerned states and begin to analyse the issue based on that country’s perspective. With this knowledge students will engage in formal debate procedures to try and work out potential resolutions to these global issues. You will learn how to structure debate and communicate effectively, how to tackle complex problems and negotiate a resolution that is acceptable to states with competing interests by coordinating with others |
Critical Thinking |
Architecture |
With the global population set to increase by 46% by 2050, our cities will have to grow accordingly. Buildings and infrastructure will have to meet the needs of this population. A broad skill set will be required to design and engineer suitable homes, buildings, workspaces and recreational landscapes. Students will work on projects both individually and collaboratively to develop solutions to the challenges of these architects of the future. |
Critical Thinking |
Financial Literacy |
The aim of this course is to expose students to basic ideas of personal finance and investing. Once students leave West Island School they take on more responsibility for their own finances and expenses. Students will firstly look at their own spending habits and analyse what they spend, how much and how often. We will look at how students can budget and subsequently save. The biggest question, then, is what to do with your saving? Do you spend it on new clothes, a PlayStation or a night out, or, do you spend it on a course, or, maybe, invest it in the stock market? Why would you want to do that anyway, and, If you do, which stock do you choose? How do you buy stocks in the first place? These ideas and more will be covered in this course. |
Critical Thinking |
Set Design |
Have you ever thought about what it takes to build a set on stage? Here is your perfect chance to get building. This course will give you the ability to communicate ideas from text through model making, drawing and bringing your ideas to life. It will teach you how to budget and estimate costs for building a set. You will learn the health and safety aspects of set building and how that affects creative visions. You will also gain an understanding of how to sell your ideas to clients and adapting your ideas for Stage, TV and Film. |
Creative Thinking |
Public Speaking |
An excellent presenter leads their audience with ease and confidence. By showing how verbal and non-verbal communication shapes every aspect of a successful presentation, this course will help develop the underlying skills for polished, successful public speaking. You will discover how to use body language, tone of voice, and other subtle, physical behavior to convey credibility and capture the audience’s attention. You will learn how to pitch an idea or sell a product either to a live audience or through digital media |
Communication |
Play in a term |
Play in a Term includes the opportunity to perform/write/direct new and original work as part of an ensemble Theatre Company. We welcome those who prefer to concentrate on their stage performance, as well as artists interested in script writing and directing. All the world’s a stage! Using stories as inspiration, students will draw parallels and comparisons in their own life to create, write, and perform an original theatre piece. Through theatre and improv games, students will learn the basic techniques of acting and build trust as a group to present a performance at the end of the term |
Creative Thinking |
Sports Leadership |
The Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership provides the ideal starting point for learners who wish to develop their leadership skills, whilst under the direct supervision of their Tutor/Assessor. The course is designed to develop generic leadership skills that can be applied to a variety of recreational and leadership situations, as well as contributing to the personal development of the learner. |
Thinking Skills |
Electronics |
Electronics will be a challenging introduction to circuit design and construction. You will investigate integrated circuits and their applications within a wide range of practical and real world contexts. We will also study digital electronics and programming of microprocessors. You will have the chance to build a project based on personal interest and curiosity, for example a basketball scoreboard, fading coloured night lights, laser intruder alerts. In addition, many people will throw away simple appliances such as remote controls and headphones because they do not have the confidence or circuit skills to do simple repairs. You will gain the confidence to build and repair basic circuits. |
Thinking Skills |
Access to Engineering |
Are you interested in the world around you? Do you like to know how things work? Are you interested in becoming a better problem solver? This course will introduce you to solving real world problems using applied mathematics techniques. You will study the mathematics and problem solving skills required by technical careers, particularly Engineering and the other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, although there will be significant overlap into many other technical fields. The course will include elements of Theoretical Mechanics, Logic, Algorithmic Solutions and Discrete Math. |
Problem Solving |
Event Management |
From planning weddings and birthday parties to coordinating Clockenflap, ‘Events Management’ is a highly skilled industry that we will all encounter in our lives. Event planners, as you will be on this course, plan and organise the most memorable and enjoyable events in our lifetimes. The Event Management Future Proofing course will teach you the core skills needed in putting together large scale events. After learning some of the skills in Event Management, you will set off organising your own large scale event to be held at WIS or externally, where you will be responsible for a budget, social media communications, logistics and external negotiations. Finally, the course will feature guest speakers from event planners in the music industry and seminars from people who have organised large-scale charity benefits. |
Organisation |
Enterprise Skills |
This course gives students the opportunity to develop and sell their own products. We will teach the basics of setting up and managing a business as well as researching existing entrepreneurs. Then students will take a position in a company with their fellow students and compete against other companies to sell the most. Over the course, students will engage with real entrepreneurs, persuade shareholders to invest, negotiate deals with their actual suppliers and showcase their experiences to Kennedy School students to inform their Enterprise unit. |
Collaboration |