Skills for Life: Everyday Law
Everyday law is one 10 hour Pearson unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, at any level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Learners learn about human rights, responsibilities, types of law such as criminal and employment law, how laws affect daily life and different people, and what they would do in scenarios to contribute to a just and equitable society. The centre sets and marks the assessment. Literacy sits in using legal vocabulary, describing and explaining rights, laws and their impact, responding to scenarios, and research, discussion and presentation. Annexe C records no direct 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 basic facts and concepts about everyday laws, rights and responsibilities, with set minimum numbers of rights, responsibilities, laws and ways to contribute to a fair society. There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre, using the Pearson Authorised Assignment Brief or its own assignment, and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) how legal concepts affect daily lives and how people can contribute to a just and equitable society, covering at least three rights, responsibilities and types of law, their impact, and decisions in real-life scenarios. There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
Skills that use Purpose
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Responding to legal scenarios and justifying decisions
Entry 2 learners make simple decisions in given scenarios, Entry 3 learners identify at least three options, Level 1 learners talk about what to do in real-life situations, and Level 2 learners explain the decisions they would make, including the rights involved, the laws broken, their action, why, and the consequences. This is required by the assessment criteria.
Literacy: Purpose, Reading strategies, Questioning
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils read a short scenario about someone dropping litter and say aloud two things they could do and why.
- Year 8
- Pupils read a scenario about a young worker being underpaid, list three options, and explain to a partner which one they would choose.
- Year 9
- Pupils respond in writing to a scenario about a co-worker being harassed, naming the right involved, the law broken, the action they would take and its consequences.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 9, assessment criteria Entry 1 to Level 2, page 46; Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 2 to Level 2, pages 47 to 48
“Learners can explain a range of scenarios and the decisions they would make”
Progression step 3
I can share, talk and write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions using a range of techniques to show impact.
I can use inference and deduction to understand the text, and can consider the reliability of what I read.
Progression step 4
I can sustain a convincing point of view, anticipating and responding to other perspectives.
I can gain a full understanding of texts using inference, deduction and analysis.
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Discussing and presenting legal issues
Annexe C lists structured decision-making, discussions and presentations as literacy links, and Entry 2 learners respond to simple questions about their views and decisions. Discussion and presentation are suggested ways to teach and evidence the criteria rather than requirements.
Literacy: Purpose, Collaborative talk, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils discuss in pairs whether a school rule is fair and report their view to the class in one sentence.
- Year 8
- Pupils discuss in groups whether the voting age should be 16, listening to each view before agreeing a group answer.
- Year 9
- Pupils give a short formal presentation on how one law contributes to a fairer society and answer questions from the class.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 9, Levels of supervision and support before and during assessment, page 49; Annexe C, SfL 9 row, page 161
“structured decision-making; discussions/presentations”
Progression step 3
I can organise talk so that different audiences in different contexts can follow what is being said, including using formal language.
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 use talk in a range of authentic contexts to explore challenging or contentious issues.
Good to know
- The unit is Unit SfL 9 and the unit summary lists it at "10" guided learning hours, half the 20 hours of the WJEC unit of the same name (Unit summary, page 5).
- Entry 1 evidence can be very light on writing: it "may be demonstrated through matching or sorting activities" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 47).
- Level 2 needs extended answers: learners "explain, with detailed accounts, at least three types of law, rights, and responsibilities" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 48).
- Command words are defined in the glossary, for example Describe means learners "give a clear account in their own words" (Part B Glossary, page 152).
- Legal content must be current and relate to Wales: "centres must ensure that it is current, up to date and relates to the legislative context of Wales" (Units, page 11).
- AI use must be acknowledged: "If AI is used, the final submission must be in the learner's own words and reflect their own effort" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 49).
- There is no assessed numeracy: Annexe B leaves the Numeracy Links column blank for SfL 9 and Annexe C records "No direct link" (pages 157 and 161), even though examples such as the minimum wage appear in the guidance.
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills Suite has its own Everyday law unit at 20 guided learning hours, which asks learners to use legal terms such as contract and consent, compare sources of legal advice and justify a recommendation, and includes some cost and value numeracy; the Pearson unit is 10 hours, centres on human rights, criminal and employment law and decisions that contribute to a just society, and has no numeracy. Explaining rights and the impact of laws on different groups links with GCSE Social Studies and with the discussion and explanation in GCSE English Language. Within the WJEC Skills Suite the closest units are Rights and responsibilities in the workplace, Democracy in action and Equality, diversity and inclusion.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 9: Everyday law.