Skills for Life: Personal Safety
Personal safety is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit about staying safe at home, in the community, outdoors and online. Learners spot hazards, explain how risks change between places, practise safety rules, support others and plan safety actions. It is one unit learners combine with others into a Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma. The literacy sits in the criteria themselves: describing and explaining what personal safety means, how risks differ and why actions keep people safe, rising to analysing and evaluating at Level 2, plus talking to support others and ask for help. Numeracy demand is low, limited to optional hazard charts and tables.
- 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 personal safety, understand personal safety in different environments, apply safety rules or actions and support others, plan ways of staying safe), with separate assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes (know key principles of personal safety, understand how risks vary across environments, apply personal safety strategies and support others, plan and justify personal safety actions), with separate assessment criteria at Level 1 and Level 2. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
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Explaining what personal safety means
Learners say or write what personal safety means and who can help, from pointing out an example at Entry 1 to a statement at Entry 2 and a description at Entry 3. At Level 1 they explain the key principles in a familiar situation and at Level 2 across a range of situations, and evaluate the role of people or services that give support. This is required by the criteria.
Literacy: Clarity and vocabulary, Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils write a one sentence definition of personal safety and list two people in school who can help in an unsafe situation.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a short paragraph explaining three key principles of staying safe, such as being aware of hazards and asking for help, with an example of each.
- Year 9
- Pupils explain to a partner how the same safety principles apply at home, in town and at a sports venue, then write up the strongest example.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1 and 1.2, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1 to 1.3, page 7
“Explain the key principles of personal safety in a range of situations”
Progression step 3
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
I can use varied, appropriate and precise vocabulary including area of learning and experience/discipline-specific words for different purposes.
Progression step 4
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.
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Describing hazards and explaining how risks vary
Learners describe safety hazards in a range of environments at Entry 3 and explain how to stay safe in them. At Level 1 they explain how risks differ across environments, and at Level 2 they analyse risks and explain how and why they vary between familiar and less familiar places. This is required by the criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Clarity and vocabulary, Connectives and syntax
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils label a picture of a kitchen with four hazards and write how to stay safe near each one.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a comparison of the risks on a busy street and in a park, using connectives such as whereas and however.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a structured explanation of why the risk of drowning is higher at a river than at a supervised pool, giving at least two reasons.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Entry Level, learning outcome 2, assessment criteria 2.1 and 2.2, page 5; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criteria 2.1 to 2.3, page 7
“Explain how and why risks vary across familiar and less familiar environments”
Progression step 3
I can use and adapt different structures within my writing, e.g. reporting an event, investigation or experiment.
I can express issues and ideas clearly using area of learning and experience/discipline-specific vocabulary and examples.
Progression step 4
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
I can use a range of connectives specifically when organising my ideas in whole texts for different purposes.
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Evaluating and justifying safety actions
Learners say how chosen actions reduce risk at Entry 2 and Entry 3, explain how actions help reduce risk at Level 1, and at Level 2 evaluate strategies, assess how actions protect themselves and others and review the impact of their actions. The amplification adds reflecting on what worked well and what could be improved. This is required by the criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Purpose, Questioning
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils choose the safer of two actions, such as walking home with a friend or alone, and give one reason.
- Year 8
- Pupils rank four ways of staying safe on a night out at a local event and justify their top choice in a short paragraph.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a review of a safety plan they followed on a school trip, saying what reduced risk, what did not work and what they would change.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criterion 2.3, page 7; learning outcomes 3 and 4, assessment criteria 3.3 and 4.4, pages 7 and 8; amplification of learning outcome 4, page 12
“Assess how the actions reduce risk and protect themselves and others”
Progression step 3
I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.
I can share, talk and write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions using a range of techniques to show impact.
Progression step 4
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
I can sustain a convincing point of view, anticipating and responding to other perspectives.
Good to know
- Unit codes are "S621E1" to "S621L2", one code per level from Entry 1 to Level 2, and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- Evidence can be spoken: "While evidence may be verbal, written, practical, or visual, extended written work is not required unless appropriate" (Sources of evidence, page 13).
- Spelling is not marked: assessor judgements should focus on the standard, "not spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed" (Sources of evidence, page 13).
- Plural criteria mean at least two: "a plural reference within assessment criterion refers to a minimum of two" (pages 6 and 8).
- No special equipment is needed: "Assessment of this unit should not require any specific resources" (Resources required for assessment, page 16).
- Suggested assessment tasks "are not mandatory"; teachers may use, adapt or replace them (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.1, page 18).
- AI tools may be used only when "properly referenced", and misuse includes "Copying or paraphrasing whole responses of AI-generated content" (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.6, page 21).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names Community participation, Looking after others, Basic first aid, Home management and maintenance, Skills in the natural environment and Fairness and inclusion in the workplace as units to deliver alongside Personal safety, and Online safety covers digital risks in more depth. GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare is named as a link and shares explaining hazards, safeguarding and sources of support. GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature share the explaining, evaluating and discussion skills, and VCSE Public Services shares the role of the police, fire and rescue and emergency services that the pack suggests inviting in.
Source: WJEC Personal safety 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).