Skills for Life: Sustainability In Action
Sustainability in action (Unit SfL 25) is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2. Learners find out about sustainability practices and, from Level 1, the three pillars of sustainability and relevant legislation, using local, national and at Level 2 international examples, then plan and take part in a sustainability activity. The centre sets and marks the assignment. Literacy carries the unit: reading about examples and legislation, describing or explaining principles, and contributing to a written plan. Numeracy is light: Pearson names measuring resources and estimating quantities, but no criterion requires calculation.
- 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: list, outline or identify everyday sustainability practices and take part in a simple sustainability activity, contributing to its planning at Entry 3. There are no mandatory evidence requirements; the centre sets and marks its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional), internally verified and checked by a Pearson Standards Verifier. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) the principles of sustainability using local and national examples, and at Level 2 international ones too, then plan and participate in a sustainability activity. Evidence is chosen by the centre, internally assessed by the centre and checked by a Pearson Standards Verifier. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Strategic competence
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Measuring and estimating resources for an activity
Pearson's Annexe C names measuring resources and estimating quantities as the numeracy link, for example estimating how many bags are needed for a litter pick or measuring waste collected. Planning and running the activity is required, but no criterion asks for measurement or calculation, so numeracy is suggested only.
Numeracy: Strategic competence, The number system
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils weigh the classroom recycling bin each day for a week and record the masses in a table.
- Year 8
- Pupils estimate how many bin bags and gloves a litter pick for 30 pupils needs, then compare their estimate with what was used.
- Year 9
- Pupils measure a dripping tap for one minute, scale it up to estimate the water wasted in a year and round their answer sensibly.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 25, Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 2, page 117; Annexe C, page 165
“plan and participate in a sustainability activity independently, selecting and using relevant skills and information”
Progression step 3
I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.
I can estimate by rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 or whole number.
Progression step 4
I can identify, measure or obtain required information to complete the task.
I can make and justify estimates and approximations of calculations.
Good to know
- The unit is Unit SfL 25 and the unit summary lists it at 20 GLH ("SfL 25 Sustainability in action 20", Unit summary, page 5); it counts towards Skills for Life qualifications numbered C00/5443/4 to C00/5445/0 (Qualification titles, pages 3 to 4).
- A unit is achieved once, at one level: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6).
- Written work is not compulsory: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 117), and assignments "can include both practical and written tasks" (Assessment of units, page 9).
- Learners can be assessed in Welsh or English: "Learners can be assessed in Welsh or English" (Language of assessment, page 8).
- The compulsory teaching content is in a separate document: "This can be found in the T Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" (Unit content, page 117). The stray "T" is a typing slip.
- AI may be used only if acknowledged: "the final submission must be in the learner's own words and reflect their own effort" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 118).
- The specification is inconsistent on size: the unit summary gives 20 GLH, but worked Example 7 lists "Unit SfL 25 10" (Understanding the qualification grade, page 148).
Links with other qualifications
Describing the three pillars of sustainability and reading about legislation such as the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which Pearson's Annexe E names, reinforce GCSE Geography and GCSE Social Studies and the WJEC Foundation in Humanities; writing and explaining in organised paragraphs supports GCSE English Language and Literature. Within the WJEC Skills Suite it overlaps with Sustainable Economic Development and Skills in the Natural Environment. Compared with the WJEC Sustainability in Action unit, which asks learners to keep and review a record of sustainable actions over time, the Pearson unit puts more weight on describing principles and legislation and has no required record, so its numeracy is lighter.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 25: Sustainability in action.