LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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Skills for Life: Basic First Aid

Basic First Aid is one of 30 Skills for Life units in Agored Cymru's Skills Suite, offered at Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2, each a separate 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life, or Skills for Life and Work, Award, Certificate or Diploma. Learners carry out a primary survey, respond to an unresponsive casualty, call for help, treat wounds, nosebleeds and burns and, at Level 1 and Level 2, recognise the signs of acute illnesses, with the practical work shown in recorded role play. Literacy demand is medium: learners use first aid vocabulary such as anaphylaxis and hypoglycaemia, give clear information when calling 999 or handing over to helpers, and list, outline or describe checks, procedures and treatments, with written description rising to Level 2. Numeracy demand is low: learners put steps in the right order, and the unit's map mentions timing and estimation, but no criterion asks for a calculation or a measurement.

Awarding body
Agored Cymru
Level
Entry Level 1 to Level 2
Guided learning hours
20
First taught
September 2027
Amount of literacy work
Medium
Amount of numeracy work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
  • Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Three learning outcomes at each Entry level: know the steps to providing first aid, be able to respond when an individual is unresponsive, and be able to respond to injuries. Entry 1 (Unit ID CDR883, Unit Code PV3E1CY002) learners identify situations such as cuts, grazes, burns and scalds, list ways to get help, indicate how to help place someone in the recovery position, give an example of what to tell those helping, and demonstrate washing hands, helping to apply a dressing and helping someone with a nosebleed. Entry 2 (CDR882, PV3E2CY002) learners also list the checks before giving first aid, including environment, airway, breathing, circulation and consent, indicate how to call 999, and demonstrate the recovery position, applying a dressing and helping with a nose bleed. Entry 3 (CDR881, PV3E3CY002) learners give examples of when first aid is needed, outline checks including medication, outline how to respond to an unresponsive person according to current accepted guidelines, and demonstrate the recovery position, calling for help, hygienic dressing of a wound and treating minor burns. At every Entry level the prescribed method is role play recorded on video and/or annotated photographs with an assessor observation statement for LO2 and LO3. The centre devises the task within Agored Cymru's mandatory Summative Assessment Package, marks it internally, and Agored Cymru moderates it. 20 guided learning hours and 2 credits at each level, graded Pass or Fail.
  • Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes at each level: the primary survey, responding when an individual is unresponsive, responding to external bleeding and wounds, and the signs of acute illnesses. Level 1 (Unit ID CDR880, Unit Code PV31CY003) learners outline the six steps of a primary survey, demonstrate checks on an unresponsive casualty, the recovery position, controlling bleeding including nosebleeds and applying wound dressings, outline the treatment of burns and how to respond to head injuries, and outline the signs of 6 acute illnesses from an asthma attack to a cardiac arrest. Level 2 (CDR879, PV32CY001) learners describe the six steps, demonstrate the checks and recovery position including when an individual is unconscious or having a seizure, describe precautions with wounds, demonstrate controlling a nosebleed and applying and checking dressings, describe treating grazes, minor cuts, bruises and minor burns, and describe the signs of 8 acute illnesses, including mild and severe choking in adults. The prescribed method is role play recorded on video and/or annotated photographs with an assessor observation statement, for LO2 and LO3 at Level 1 and for LO2 and AC 3.2 and 3.4 at Level 2. The centre devises the task within the mandatory Summative Assessment Package, marks it internally, and Agored Cymru moderates it. 20 guided learning hours and 2 credits at each level, graded Pass or Fail.

Skills that use Collaborative talk

  1. Speaking respectfully to a casualty and asking for consent

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Entry 2 learners list consent among the checks before giving first aid, and the unit's map says it encourages respectful and appropriate physical contact and reinforces consent, privacy and emotional support in emergencies. Asking permission, explaining what you are about to do and reassuring the casualty are spoken skills that run through the role plays. Only the Entry 2 list names consent, so the spoken skill is taught, not assessed.

    Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Collaborative talk, Purpose

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils practise polite phrases for offering help, such as asking a person's name and whether they would like help.
    Year 8
    Pupils role play asking permission before helping with a nosebleed, explaining each step calmly as they go.
    Year 9
    Pupils role play reassuring a frightened casualty, changing what they say when the casualty becomes upset, and discuss what to do if consent is refused.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Basic First Aid, Entry 2 AC 1.2, page 24; Cross curricular map, Relationships and Sexuality Education, page 28

    “Encourages respectful and appropriate physical contact”
    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 share, talk and write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions showing empathy and respect.

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

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Agored Cymru places Basic First Aid in the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience and maps it to Literacy for clear communication when reporting incidents and accurate medical and safety vocabulary, and to Relationships and Sexuality Education for consent and respectful contact. The describing, explaining and emergency communication sit well beside GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare, the VCSEs in Public Services and Sport and Leisure, and the matching Foundations, and clear speaking and listening in role play build on GCSE English Language and Literature. Within the Skills Suite, Personal Safety, Looking After Others and Mental Health and Wellbeing are natural partners. Compared with the WJEC Basic first aid unit, which builds a portfolio around four learning outcomes and stresses reassuring a casualty and a mock 999 call, and the Pearson unit, which sets out the facts to give on an emergency call at each level, Agored's version has more knowledge criteria, so learners at Level 1 and Level 2 outline or describe treatments and the signs of 6 or 8 acute illnesses, and its Entry 2 criteria spell out what to say on a 999 call.

Source: Agored Cymru The Skills Suite: Skills for Life and Work Specification, version 1.0, October 2026, Basic First Aid.