LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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Foundation Built Environment

WJEC Foundation Built Environment is a two year, 120 hour Entry Level and Level 1 course for learners in Years 10 and 11 who want a practical route into construction, leading on to VCSE Built Environment. Both units are teacher-set portfolios, marked in school and moderated by WJEC. Literacy runs through Unit 1, where learners name, describe and explain buildings, land, stakeholders and job roles through reading, discussion, role-play, posters and short written pieces, and through Unit 2, where they write safety guidance, set success criteria and review their own hand skills. Numeracy is practical and narrow: measuring in metric units, reading scales, checking angles and level, and marking out accurately before cutting. No calculations are set.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Entry Level and Level 1
First taught
September 2027
Amount of literacy work
Medium
Amount of numeracy work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
Next step up
VCSE Built Environment, Level 1 and Level 2
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Getting to Know the Built Environment: Centre marked non-examination assessment, portfolio of evidence, maximum assessment time 9 hours (typically 7 to 9 hours), 36 guided learning hours, 60 of the qualification's 132 points, tasks set by the teacher, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, available from summer 2028
  • Unit 2: Practical Hand Skills: Centre marked non-examination assessment, portfolio of evidence, maximum assessment time 21 hours (typically 19 to 21 hours), 84 guided learning hours, 72 of the qualification's 132 points, tasks set by the teacher, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC, available from summer 2029

Skills that use Strategic competence

  1. Marking out accurately and double-checking

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Learners mark materials for cutting or assembly with chalk, pencil or a scriber, double-check measurements before marking and follow the rule measure twice, cut once. Appendix A links this marking work, with measuring, to developing mathematical proficiency.

    Numeracy: Fluency, Logical reasoning, Strategic competence

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils mark a 150 mm line on a strip of wood, swap with a partner who checks it with a rule, and correct any mark that is out.
    Year 8
    Pupils mark out three pieces of a given length from one board, measuring each from the same end, and check the total against the board length before cutting.
    Year 9
    Pupils mark out the parts of a small planter from a cutting list, check every measurement a second time, and record any mark they had to change before cutting.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Section 2.3.3, page 32; Unit 2, Assessment criteria LO2.3, page 40; Appendix A, page 55

    “double-checking measurements before marking”
    Progression step 3

    • I can select and apply appropriate checking strategies.

    • I can verify results and solutions.

    • I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.

    Progression step 4

    • I can select and apply appropriate checking strategies.

    • I can verify and prove results and solutions.

    • I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.

  2. Thinking about quantities and costs on building projects

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Unit 1 teaches that accurate ordering reduces waste, that the lifecycle brings cost savings, and that cost and delivery of materials are a challenge for developments in Wales. Appendix A links these sections to the number system strand, but the specification sets no calculations, so this is about weighing up quantity and cost in explanations.

    Numeracy: The number system, Financial literacy, Strategic competence

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils estimate how many bricks are in a short garden wall by counting one course and the number of courses, then check by counting.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare the prices of a pack of screws from two suppliers and decide which order fits a small budget with the least left over.
    Year 9
    Pupils work out how many tiles are needed for a small wall from its measurements, add a little extra for breakages, and explain how ordering accurately cuts cost and waste.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Sections 1.2.2 and 1.2.3, page 15; Unit 1, Section 1.3.3, page 16; Appendix A, page 55

    “reducing the amount of waste produced through accurate ordering”
    Progression step 3

    • I can estimate by rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 or whole number.

    • I can manage money, compare costs from different retailers and determine what can be bought within a given budget.

    Progression step 4

    • I can make and justify estimates and approximations of calculations.

    • I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

The specification names VCSE Built Environment as the next step. Both qualifications build construction vocabulary, safe practical work, measuring and marking out, and reviewing one's own practical work. The VCSE steps these up: learners read a case study and technical documents such as briefs and method statements, justify choices of sites, methods and materials in writing, and write a structured evaluation, while its numeracy adds measuring to tolerances, reading plans, mixing to ratios, estimating quantities, costing within a budget and planning a critical path. Measuring and marking link with Mathematics and Numeracy, and land classification and development in Wales with GCSE Geography.

Source: WJEC Entry Level/Level 1 Foundation Built Environment specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).