LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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Foundation Public Services

Foundation Public Services is a two unit, portfolio assessed Entry Level and Level 1 qualification for learners aged 14 to 16 interested in the police, fire and ambulance services, councils, the Armed Forces and voluntary groups. Literacy carries almost all of the assessment: learners read case studies and news reports about incidents, use public service terms, write short descriptions and explanations with examples, and speak and listen in role plays, interviews and discussions, with the command words rising from recognise and state to describe and explain. Numeracy is light and sits mainly in setting short and longer term targets with timelines in a personal development plan and in designing a simple questionnaire.

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 Public Services, Level 1 and Level 2
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Introduction to the Public Services Sector: Centre-marked non-examination assessment, portfolio of evidence from teacher-set activities, maximum assessment time 9 hours (typically 7 to 9 hours), 48 guided learning hours, 72 of the 152 qualification points, criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1, assessed in the centre and moderated by WJEC, available from summer 2028
  • Unit 2: Public Services in Action: Centre-marked non-examination assessment, portfolio of evidence from teacher-set activities, maximum assessment time 15 hours (typically 11 to 15 hours), 72 guided learning hours, 80 of the 152 qualification points, criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3 and Level 1, assessed in the centre and moderated by WJEC, available from summer 2029

Skills that use Clarity and vocabulary

  1. Using public service vocabulary and definitions

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

    Learners must recognise, list and at Level 1 define non-emergency incidents, emergency incidents and large-scale events, using examples. They also meet terms such as collaboration, governance, Local Resilience Forums and JESIP and use them when describing how services work together.

    Literacy: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Clarity and vocabulary

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils match key words such as emergency, paramedic and volunteer to simple definitions and learn the spellings in a weekly word check.
    Year 8
    Pupils sort ten incident cards into emergency, non-emergency and large-scale event, and write a one sentence definition of each type.
    Year 9
    Pupils write their own definitions of collaboration, emergency incident and large-scale event, each with a real Welsh example, and use them correctly in a short written answer.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO2.1 content, page 38; Unit 2, assessment criteria 2.1.1 to 2.1.3, page 45; Unit 2, LO2.5 content, page 43

    “Give a definition of an emergency incident”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use varied, appropriate and precise vocabulary including area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words for different purposes.

    • I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.

    Progression step 4

    • I have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.

    • I can use a variety of strategies and resources to spell familiar and unfamiliar vocabulary and area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words correctly.

  2. Speaking clearly in role play public service scenarios

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

    In Unit 2, LO2.4, learners show communication skills in a simulated or role play scenario, such as a shop theft, a chemical spill or answering a pretend emergency call, and at Level 1 plan and carry out the scenario themselves. The communication skills listed include speaking clearly, listening actively, checking for understanding and appropriate body language.

    Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Collaborative talk, Purpose

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils role play a lost child being helped by a PCSO, speaking calmly and clearly and using polite language.
    Year 8
    Pupils role play a call handler and a caller reporting a minor road collision, with the handler asking clear questions and repeating the details back to check them.
    Year 9
    Pupils plan and act out a group scenario of a chemical spill at a school event, each taking a service role and adapting what they say for a frightened member of the public and for a colleague.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, LO2.4 content, page 42; Unit 2, assessment criteria 2.4.1 to 2.4.3, page 47; Unit 2, examples of tasks LO2.4, pages 53 and 54

    “Plan and carry out a simulated or role play public services scenario”
    Progression step 3

    • I can speak clearly, recognising the appropriate language for different audiences and purposes, and varying my expression, vocabulary, tone and gestures to engage the audience.

    • I can explore challenging or contentious issues through a variety of authentic contexts, including sustaining a role.

    Progression step 4

    • I can speak clearly, selecting and adapting my language appropriately for a range of audiences and purposes, conveying meaning effectively to the audience.

    • I can organise talk effectively to respond to how listeners are reacting by adapting what I say and how I say it.

  3. Interviewing a public service worker and taking part in mock interviews

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

    Suggested tasks for LO1.5 have learners prepare questions and interview a public service worker about their career pathway, with Level 1 learners presenting their findings. For LO1.7 learners take part in mock interviews describing how their skills relate to public service roles.

    Literacy: Questioning, Collaborative talk, Clarity and vocabulary

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils write three open questions to ask a school staff member about their job and ask them in a short class interview.
    Year 8
    Pupils interview a visiting worker such as a PCSO, asking prepared questions and one follow up question of their own.
    Year 9
    Pupils take part in a mock interview for a cadet place, answering questions about their skills, and reflect on how to make their answers clearer next time.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, examples of tasks LO1.5, pages 32 and 33; Unit 1, examples of tasks LO1.7, pages 34 and 35

    “Learners develop simple questions and conduct a brief interview with a public service worker”
    Progression step 3

    • I can ask and answer questions, building on and developing the ideas of others in group discussions.

    • I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.

    Progression step 4

    • I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.

    • I can reflect on my use of strategies to improve the quality, accuracy and effects of my spoken communication, including in formal situations.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

The specification names VCSE Public Services as the Level 1/2 progression route. The Foundation shares its reading about public services, use of sector vocabulary, written explanations with examples and communication with different audiences. VCSE Public Services steps the literacy up to researching a local wellbeing issue, writing justified recommendations, a project proposal with aims and objectives and an evaluation, and steps the numeracy up sharply to fitness testing against normative data, measuring improvement from a baseline, BMI and resting heart rate, and analysing survey feedback. The reading, writing and discussion of incidents and community issues also build skills for GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Social Studies.

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