Skills for Life: Preparing for an Outdoor Expedition
Preparing for an outdoor expedition is Pearson Skills for Life Unit SfL 30, in which learners get to know expedition equipment, plan an expedition and practise skills such as packing a rucksack and navigating, with a focus on safety, teamwork and the environment. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, achieved once at a single level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Literacy sits in naming and explaining equipment, following and writing an expedition plan, and explaining decisions at Level 2. Numeracy demand is low: Pearson maps map reading, grid references, scale and travel time, but no criterion requires them.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- 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
- 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: learners list, outline or identify expedition equipment and take part safely in practical expedition activities, from recognising at least three items and basic outdoor features at Entry 1 to identifying five items and following a simple expedition plan at Entry 3. There are no mandatory evidence requirements; the centre sets its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional), assesses it internally, and Pearson quality assures it through standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: Level 1 learners describe expedition equipment and take part in expedition planning and practical activities, contributing to a basic expedition plan, and Level 2 learners explain the purpose of a wide range of equipment, prepare a basic plan and solve problems such as unexpected weather. Evidence type is chosen by the centre, internally assessed by the centre and quality assured by Pearson through standards verification. All activities are teacher supervised. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Collaborative talk
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Discussing and explaining expedition decisions
Level 1 learners contribute to group planning and decision making, identifying potential problems and suggesting solutions, and Level 2 learners explain the rationale behind their decisions and how each contributes to safety and effectiveness. The Level 2 explanation is required by the essential information; the Level 1 group discussion is described in the support guidance.
Literacy: Collaborative talk, Questioning, Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils discuss in groups what to do if it starts to rain on a class walk and agree two sensible choices.
- Year 8
- Pupils take roles in a group planning meeting for a day walk, with one pupil chairing, and agree the route and kit after hearing every view.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a paragraph explaining why their group changed a planned route after a poor forecast, and how the change made the walk safer.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 30, Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 2, page 139; Levels of supervision and support, page 140
“Learners can explain the rationale behind their decisions and how each contributes to the safety and effectiveness of the expedition”
Progression step 3
I can contribute to group discussion in different roles, taking responsibility for completing the task well.
I can ask and answer questions, building on and developing the ideas of others in group discussions.
Progression step 4
I can recognise a range of options for action and reach agreement to achieve the aims of the group.
I can use summary, discussion of issues, detailed explanations and logic when covering a topic.
Good to know
- The unit is "SfL 30" with "20" guided learning hours in the unit summary table (Section 3, page 6), and "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6).
- Each level sets a minimum number of equipment items, from "at least three basic items of expedition equipment" at Entry 1 to "at least five items of expedition equipment" at Entry 3 (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 138).
- Centres choose the evidence: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (page 138), so Entry learners can point to or name items rather than write about them.
- Learners can be assessed "in Welsh or English" (Language of assessment, page 8).
- The page 137 footer reads "Submission 5 draft", dated April 2026, while every other page reads Issue 1, August 2026, and the annexes call the unit "Preparation for an Outdoor Expedition" (pages 159 to 178). These look like editing errors.
- AI must be acknowledged and work must be in learners' own words: "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 140).
Links with other qualifications
WJEC has no Preparing for an outdoor expedition unit, so there is no WJEC version to compare. The closest WJEC Skills Suite unit is Skills in the natural environment, which also uses map scales, planning notes and descriptions of outdoor features, and Teamwork shares group discussion and decision making. GCSE Geography shares map reading, grid references and scale, and planning fieldwork routes. GCSE English Language and Literature and GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature share writing clear instructions and plans and explaining reasons, and VCSE Sport and Leisure shares planning safe outdoor activities.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 30: Preparing for an outdoor expedition.