Skills for Life: Basic First Aid
Basic first aid is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit, offered from Entry 1 to Level 2, in which learners learn what first aid is, carry out first aid actions safely and hygienically, recognise and respond to emergencies, and get help by giving accurate information. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life or Skills for Life and Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. Literacy is mostly spoken: following instructions, explaining steps, giving clear details in a mock 999 call and reassuring a casualty, with some writing. No criterion involves numeracy, and Appendix A does not map it.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- 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
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Four learning outcomes (know about everyday first aid, carry out basic first aid actions safely, recognise and respond to an emergency, know how to get help in an emergency), with evidence compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC, 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S602E1, S602E2 and S602E3
- Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes (understand the purpose of first aid in everyday situations, carry out first aid skills safely, assess and respond appropriately to different emergencies, get help and communicate accurate information in an emergency), with evidence compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC, 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S602L1 and S602L2
Skills that use Understanding, response and analysis
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Naming and describing first aid items
Entry 1 learners name some basic first aid items, Entry 2 learners label their uses, Level 1 learners describe the uses of three or more items and Level 2 learners explain safe and effective use of a range of equipment, including slings and an AED. The pack suggests a first aid dictionary or glossary of key terms. Naming and describing items are assessment criteria.
Literacy: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Understanding, response and analysis, Developing vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils match pictures of a plaster, a bandage, a cold pack and gloves to labels describing what each is for.
- Year 8
- Pupils start a first aid glossary with ten key terms, such as sterile, dressing and compress, each with a definition in their own words.
- Year 9
- Pupils write instructions for using a triangular bandage as a sling, using the correct terms and explaining why each step matters.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 1, assessment criterion 1.3, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 1, assessment criterion 1.4, page 7; Amplification, learning outcome 1, page 10; Suggested activities, page 13
“Describe the uses of three or more basic first aid items”
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 read to build my vocabulary and develop sentence structures, and use these in my own communication.
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 have experienced a range of area of learning and experience/discipline-specific and general academic vocabulary, and can use them in my own communication.
Good to know
- The unit codes are "S602E1", "S602E2", "S602E3", "S602L1" and "S602L2", and the unit is 20 GLH in the Skills for Life suite (Unit overview, page 3).
- Spelling is not assessed and long writing is not needed: "extended written work is not required unless appropriate" and judgements should focus on "the meeting of standards, not on spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed" (Sources of evidence, page 13).
- Spoken evidence counts: sources include "audio/video recordings of mock calls" and "Q&A/discussion notes" (Sources of evidence, page 14).
- There is no numeracy in the learning outcomes or assessment criteria, and Appendix A of the specification maps the unit to literacy, critical thinking and problem solving, and personal effectiveness only (Specification Appendix A, page 28).
- AI tools can be used "When properly referenced", but "Copying or paraphrasing whole responses of AI-generated content" is AI misuse (Specification section 4.6, page 21).
- Suggested assessment tasks are provided in each pack but "These tasks are not mandatory" (Specification section 4.1, page 18).
Links with other qualifications
The pack links first aid to careers in health and social care, education, public services, childcare and sport and leisure, so the 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 Foundations in those subjects. Clear speaking and listening in roleplay build on GCSE English Language and Literature. Within the Skills Suite, the pack suggests delivering it alongside Community participation, Looking after others, Mental health and wellbeing, Personal safety and Understanding self and others.
Source: WJEC Basic first aid unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).