The name is absent

smashed. These subjects also benefit psychological health because they generate
visible products that can be admired and given away or sold. This was rewarding for
many respondents. In addition, these subjects generate conditions that are conducive
to developing friendships because there is little pressure to communicate but plenty of
opportunity to do so. One respondent remarked that the mix of students attending
classes in the creative arts tended to be greater than the mix attending other classes.

Physical Education (PE) leads to a wide range of benefits. First, it encourages
exercise, which is good for physical health. Several respondents described how
participation in PE at school had led to physical activities of all sorts throughout their
lives. Second, PE is beneficial to psychological and mental health because it is fun,
builds confidence, provides a distraction, and can relieve tension and aggression.
Third, PE involves discipline, which can be useful for coping with adversity and
pursuing goals. Fourth, it teaches people to deal with failure - to be ‘a good loser’.
This relates to the fifth benefit of PE, which is social integration. Team sports develop
teamwork skills and friendships.

Courses in health generate knowledge and skills, which are important in day-to-day
life. Respondents had studied a variety of health-related courses, including basic
health and safety, aromatherapy, and health studies. Basic knowledge was very
reassuring, especially for parents of young children, and skills were applied to treat
family members. Knowledge gained through studying health-related subjects helped
respondents to accept and cope with family illness, for example, partners’ mental
illness and children’s learning disabilities. In addition, respondents developed an
understanding of health that led to changes in their own health behaviours, such as
taking more exercise and eating a healthier diet.

Courses in childcare and family history had impacts upon family relationships.
Respondents who had studied childcare and parenting had acquired knowledge,
understanding and skills that transferred directly to their own parenting, resulting in
improved relationships and happier, more confident children. A respondent who
studied family history had found the course valuable because she gained a clearer
sense of her identity and also because it gave her a shared interest with her mother,
which improved their relationship.

“ It’s helping us both in a way of communication. We can sit and talk about things
... It’s given us something else to talk about. ” (Nadine)

Some courses involve going out as a class to public places, such as libraries,
museums, and art galleries. For students lacking confidence to go out (because of
domestic ties, a history of learning difficulties, and so on) the experience of making a
visit in the public domain protected by the security of the group and the tutor was
tremendously empowering and helped them to extend their social spheres beyond the
private and into the public.

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