Skills for Life: Democracy In Action
Democracy in action is a Skills for Life unit in which learners find out what democracy is, why it matters and how it works in Wales, and show practical ways to make informed decisions about their own political rights and responsibilities. It is one 10 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma, achieved at one level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Literacy sits in stating, describing and explaining democracy with examples, reading information from a range of sources, and giving reasons for decisions at Level 2. Discussion and debate appear in the unit's aim but not the criteria. The specification gives no numeracy link.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- 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): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: state, outline or identify what democracy is (and at Entry 3 why it matters and how it works in Wales), and demonstrate at least two, three or four ways to make decisions about own political rights and responsibilities. Evidence is centre-devised and internally assessed by the centre, with Pearson standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 10 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) what democracy is, why it is important and how it works in Wales, and demonstrate at least five (Level 1) or six, with reasons (Level 2), ways to make informed decisions about own political rights and responsibilities. Evidence is centre-devised and internally assessed by the centre, with Pearson standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 10 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Collaborative talk
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Discussing and debating political issues
The unit's aim names discussion and debate as practical skills to develop. The assessment criteria do not require a debate, so this is taught rather than assessed, although a recorded discussion can be used as evidence.
Literacy: Collaborative talk, Listening as part of collaborative talk
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils discuss in groups whether school uniform rules should be put to a pupil vote, taking turns and showing agreement or disagreement politely.
- Year 8
- Pupils hold a class debate on lowering the voting age further, with each speaker responding to the point made before.
- Year 9
- Pupils run a mock Senedd debate on a local issue, taking party roles, asking questions of each other and summarising the arguments at the end.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 5, Purpose and Aim, page 30
“skills to research, engage in discussion and debate, and to make informed decisions”
Progression step 3
I can contribute to group discussion in different roles, taking responsibility for completing the task well.
I can listen in order to show agreement and disagreement in collaborative discussion and situations.
Progression step 4
I can use talk in a range of authentic contexts to explore challenging or contentious issues.
I can listen to and respond to others with questions, comments and suggestions in order to develop collaborative talk and reach compromise/consensus.
Good to know
- The unit is "Unit SfL 5: Democracy in action" and carries 10 guided learning hours (Unit summary, page 5), half the 20 hours of the WJEC unit of the same name.
- Evidence is the centre's choice: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 31), and forms of evidence include "observation records, witness testimony, and products of learners' work" (Assessment requirements, page 9).
- Spoken answers need a record, because "achievement cannot be inferred from performance" (Assessment requirements, page 9).
- The command words rise by level, from "State what democracy is" at Entry 1 to explaining it with "detailed examples to support their explanations" at Level 2 (Assessment criteria, page 30; Essential information, page 32).
- The specification maps no numeracy to this unit: the numeracy column in Annexe C reads "No direct link" (Annexe C, page 161).
- AI may be used only if "the final submission must be in the learner's own words" and the use is acknowledged (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 33).
Links with other qualifications
Explaining democracy and rights and judging sources link with GCSE Social Studies and GCSE History, and the reading and explaining work supports GCSE English Language and Literature. Within the WJEC Skills Suite, Everyday Law, Community Participation and Ethical Choices use similar explanation and reasoning. The WJEC Democracy in action unit is 20 hours and requires a discussion or debate at every level, with presenting and justifying a viewpoint at Level 1 and Level 2, so it carries more speaking and listening; the Pearson unit is 10 hours and assesses mainly written or spoken explanation and reasoned decisions.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications Specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 5: Democracy in action.