Petty Pool College partners with Big Life Adventure to help learners build confidence online

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Big Life Adventure, a digital platform designed for people with learning disabilities and autism, helping our learners build friendships, develop confidence and explore the online world safely.

As the first college in the UK to partner with Big Life Adventure, Petty Pool College is taking an exciting step towards making the digital world more accessible and inclusive for young people with additional needs.

From staying connected with friends and exploring interests to finding opportunities and building relationships, being online is a big part of everyday life. But for young people with learning disabilities, navigating digital spaces can sometimes bring additional barriers and challenges.

Research shows that 35% of people with learning or memory disabilities lacked essential digital skills for everyday life, compared with 21% of the wider UK population. The findings highlight the importance of ensuring everyone has the skills and confidence to make the most of the digital world.

Building confidence, independence and connections

At Petty Pool College, helping learners develop the skills and confidence they need for life beyond education is at the heart of everything we do.

Through our new partnership with Big Life Adventure, learners will have access to a purpose-built social platform where they can connect with others, explore their interests and develop the skills to navigate online spaces safely and confidently.

Gareth Edwards, Principal at Petty Pool College, said: “Too often technology is seen as a risk that needs managing. We see it as an opportunity that needs teaching. We want learners to have bigger lives, not just while they’re with us, but after they leave us as well. That means giving them the confidence to build friendships, make their own choices and take advantage of the opportunities available to them, both online and offline.”

Making the digital world a more inclusive place

Big Life Adventure is a fun and safe social media platform created specifically for young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism.

The platform offers an inclusive online environment where people can make connections, share experiences, explore their interests and develop confidence in communicating with others.

Niki Wakelin, CEO of Big Life Adventure, said: “Big Life Adventure gives people with SEND something that many mainstream platforms simply don’t: a safe space that has been designed with them in mind. It’s a place where people can build friendships, find their voice, explore the things that matter to them and grow in confidence online. We want people to have the freedom to be part of the digital world, not feel excluded from it. We are thrilled to partner with Petty Pool and look forward to working with them to build bigger online lives for their learners.”

For us, this partnership is about much more than introducing a new digital platform. It’s another way we’re helping our learners build confidence, develop independence and prepare for their next steps beyond college.

We’re really looking forward to seeing how our learners embrace Big Life Adventure and the new friendships, experiences and opportunities it will bring.

Find out more about Big Life Adventure at www.biglifeadventure.co.uk