Skills for Life: Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy lifestyle is a Skills for Life unit in which learners explore how lifestyle choices affect physical and mental wellbeing, set a personal health or wellbeing goal, plan steps towards it and take part in activities that support it. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with other units into a Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2. Literacy carries most of the assessment: describing, explaining and comparing lifestyle choices, justifying and planning a goal, and reflecting on progress. Numeracy is light and sits in tracking activity, sleep or steps, reviewing that data and planning steps with timescales.
- 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): 4 learning outcomes with assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 (what a healthy lifestyle is, simple ways to support it, setting a personal health or wellbeing goal, taking part in activities towards that goal). Evidence is compiled in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: 4 learning outcomes with assessment criteria at Level 1 and Level 2 (key factors in a healthy lifestyle, how lifestyle choices affect physical and mental wellbeing, setting, planning and tracking a personal goal, taking part in and reviewing a range of activities). Evidence is compiled in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Clarity and vocabulary
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Describing and explaining how lifestyle choices affect wellbeing
Learners move from giving one feature of a healthy lifestyle at Entry 1 to describing how factors support physical and mental wellbeing at Level 1, and explaining, analysing and comparing the effects of positive and negative choices at Level 2. Answers can be spoken or written, and these criteria are assessed.
Literacy: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils sort picture cards of daily habits into healthy and unhealthy and write one sentence about why each healthy habit helps.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a paragraph describing how sleep affects both the body and mood, using the words energy, concentration and immune system.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short comparison of two teenagers' weekends, explaining the physical and mental effects of each one's choices and which is healthier overall.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcomes 1 and 2, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcomes 1 and 2, assessment criteria 1.1 to 2.3, page 6
“How lifestyle factors support physical and mental wellbeing”
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 write a comprehensive account of a topic, theme or viewpoint.
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 summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
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 printed in the pack are "S613E1" for Entry 1 and S614E2, S614E3, S614L1 and S614L2 for the other levels, so check the Entry 1 code with WJEC before registering. The unit carries "20" guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- Writing is not the point: "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 12).
- Reflections and evidence can be spoken or visual: "tutor questioning (oral or written) and learner responses" and "audio or video recordings of discussions or presentations" are listed (Sources of evidence, page 12).
- Plural criteria have a minimum: "a plural reference within assessment criterion refers to a minimum of two" (pages 5 and 7).
- AI tools may be used only when acknowledged; AI misuse includes "Using AI to complete parts of the assessment so that the work does not reflect the learner's own work, analysis, evaluation or calculations" (specification, section 4.6, page 21).
- Suggested assessment tasks "are not mandatory"; teachers may use, adapt or replace them (specification, section 4.1, page 18).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names GCSE Physical Education and Health, GCSE Food and Nutrition, VCSE Sport and Leisure, and the Foundation qualifications in Sport and Leisure and in Health and Social Care and Childcare as linked WJEC qualifications. Explaining the effects of exercise, sleep and diet, setting goals and evaluating activities are shared with GCSE Physical Education and Health and VCSE Sport and Leisure, and recording and charting activity data links with GCSE Mathematics and Numeracy. Related Skills Suite units named in the pack are Exercise for all, Mental health and wellbeing, Food planning and preparation, Community participation, Music, dance and drama, Skills in the natural environment, Arts and crafts, Practical gardening and Values for life.
Source: WJEC Healthy lifestyle 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).