DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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Skills for Life: Art and Crafts

Arts and crafts (Unit SfL 1) 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 practise art or craft techniques and materials and produce a 2D or 3D piece on a given topic, building a portfolio of exploratory work from Level 1. Centres set and mark the assessment, Pearson verifies it, and the unit is passed once at one level. Digital demand is low: no criterion requires digital work and Annexe B does not tick the digital column. Digital skills sit in photographing work for a possible digital portfolio, researching artists online and acknowledging sources and AI.

Awarding body
Pearson
Level
Entry Level 1 to Level 2
Guided learning hours
20
First taught
September 2027
Amount of digital work
Low
Specification
Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
  • Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One practical assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3, rising from demonstrating a few basic skills in a given arts or crafts activity, to demonstrating a range of skills and techniques to produce a piece of 2D or 3D artwork or craft on a given topic. The centre chooses the evidence, sets and marks the assessment, and Pearson quality assures it through standards verification. 20 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail at the level achieved.
  • Level 1 and Level 2: One practical assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: learners develop a portfolio of exploratory skills (Level 1) or of techniques, stylistic approaches and exploratory skills (Level 2) and produce a final piece of 2D or 3D artwork or craft. The centre chooses the evidence, sets and marks the assessment over a number of sessions, and Pearson quality assures it through standards verification. 20 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail at the level achieved.

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Photographing work and building a digital portfolio

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Level 1 and Level 2 learners must develop a portfolio of exploratory work and development, and Entry 3 learners refer to a portfolio when making their final piece. Annexe C lists digital cameras and a possible digital portfolio as the digital links, and centres can choose the type of evidence. The portfolio is required, but keeping it digitally is a choice, not a requirement.

    DCF: Storing and sharing, Creating digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils photograph each stage of making a clay tile with a tablet, crop the photos and save them in a named folder.
    Year 8
    Pupils make a three page digital sketchbook in presentation software with photos of their technique trials and a caption for each.
    Year 9
    Pupils assemble a digital portfolio of research, technique trials and a final piece, choosing a layout that shows how their idea developed.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 1, assessment criteria Level 1 and Level 2, page 12; Essential information for assessment decisions, Entry 3 and Level 1, page 13; Annexe C, page 160

    “Learners will produce a portfolio in preparation for the making of a piece of artwork”
    Progression step 3

    • I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.

    • I can use a range of software to select, produce and edit a range of multimedia components for a purpose, such as:

      • text and images, e.g. format text (bold, underline, italics, highlight); insert and edit text boxes; columns; use refine tools (spellchecker, find and replace); word wrap; crop; alter size and shape; alter images; add effects; trim and split sound and video clips; transitions; onion skin
      • presentation, e.g. page orientation; animations; transitions; remove and alter images; use background; use action buttons to create hyperlink; embed objects.
    Progression step 4

    • I can select and use a variety of appropriate software, tools and techniques to create, modify and combine multimedia components for a range of audiences and purposes, such as:

      • text and images, e.g. explore and use effectively image manipulation techniques; explore and use appropriately the many aspects of document layout; use animation, video and audio effects such as echo, tempo, envelope, layering, frame rate, key frames
      • presentation, e.g. use design tools; adapt themes and colours to suit the purpose; create master templates.

  2. Researching artists, techniques and Welsh art online

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Level 2 learners carry out a basic investigation using generally relevant research and make informed choices based on it. Annexe E shows the unit content includes researching Welsh art and design, with a focus on Welsh artists, traditions and community art. Research is expected at Level 2, but it does not have to be done online, so the digital part is taught rather than assessed.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils search the Amgueddfa Cymru collections website for a Welsh artist, save two images of their work and note one technique the artist uses.
    Year 8
    Pupils research a craft technique, such as felting, using two websites and a video, and record the key steps and the sources used.
    Year 9
    Pupils compare what a gallery website and a general web page say about a Welsh artist, judge which is more reliable, and use it to plan their own piece.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 1, Level 2 essential information and Levels of supervision and support, page 14; Annexe C, page 160; Annexe E, page 170

    “Learners will produce a portfolio with a basic investigation, using generally relevant research”
    Progression step 3

    • I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.

    • I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.

    Progression step 4

    • I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.

    • I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

  3. Acknowledging sources and AI use in the portfolio

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Learners must certify that their evidence is their own and reference any sources and any AI they used, and using AI without acknowledging it is malpractice. This applies at every level, for example to images of other artists' work collected for research or AI generated ideas. It is an assessment rule rather than an assessment criterion.

    DCF: Digital rights, licensing and ownership, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils add the artist's name, artwork title and website under each image they collect for a mood board.
    Year 8
    Pupils discuss when using an artist's style is inspiration and when copying an image is plagiarism, then label their own sketches with the artist that inspired them.
    Year 9
    Pupils keep an acknowledgements page recording each source image and any AI tool used for ideas, and explain how their final piece differs from those sources.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 1, Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 15

    “they have clearly referenced any sources and any artificial intelligence used”
    Progression step 3

    • I can understand that copying the work of others and presenting it as my own is plagiarism.

    • I can cite sources when researching and explain the importance of this, e.g. create simple lists for the referencing of digital and offline sources.

    Progression step 4

    • I can act responsibly as creator and user of creative work, e.g. exploring decisions that creators make when exercising their creative rights and responsibilities, giving consideration to ethical, real-life issues.

    • I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Arts and crafts leads naturally into GCSE Art and Design and links with the Foundation in Expressive Arts, the Foundation in Design and Technology and the VCSE in Creative and Media Production and Technology; Pearson maps it to the Expressive Arts 'What matters' statements on exploring and creating. Photographing and presenting work digitally uses skills also built in GCSE Digital Media and Film. Within the WJEC Skills Suite, Digital Film and Media and Career Creativity are natural partners. Compared with the WJEC Arts and crafts unit, also 20 hours, which has three learning outcomes including knowing what art and craft is and expressing ideas, Pearson's version has one practical criterion per level centred on producing a 2D or 3D piece and, from Level 1, a portfolio, and it does not ask learners to describe or compare art forms.

Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications Specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 1: Arts and crafts.