Skills for Life: Basic First Aid
Basic first aid is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit, offered from Entry 1 to Level 2, in which learners learn what first aid is, carry out first aid actions safely and hygienically, recognise and respond to emergencies, and get help by giving accurate information, often through roleplay. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life or Skills for Life and Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. Digital demand is low: no criterion requires digital work and Appendix A does not map digital competence. Digital skills sit in first aid apps, reviewing videos, recorded evidence and optional leaflets.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 20
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Four learning outcomes (know about everyday first aid, carry out basic first aid actions safely, recognise and respond to an emergency, know how to get help in an emergency), with evidence compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC, 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S602E1, S602E2 and S602E3
- Level 1 and Level 2: Four learning outcomes (understand the purpose of first aid in everyday situations, carry out first aid skills safely, assess and respond appropriately to different emergencies, get help and communicate accurate information in an emergency), with evidence compiled into a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC, 20 guided learning hours, unit codes S602L1 and S602L2
Skills that use Identity, image and reputation
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Reviewing first aid videos critically
Entry Level learners watch and review first aid videos from St John Ambulance or the NHS with guided questions, and Level 1 and Level 2 learners review videos critically for what was done correctly and what could be improved. The British Red Cross First Aid Champions platform offers e-learning modules with videos. These are suggested activities, not assessment criteria.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Identity, image and reputation
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils watch a short St John Ambulance video on treating a burn and list the steps shown in order.
- Year 8
- Pupils watch two online videos on the recovery position, one from a first aid charity and one from an unknown channel, and spot differences between them.
- Year 9
- Pupils review a first aid video against a checklist, note what was done correctly and what could be improved, and say whether the source can be trusted.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Suggested activities, pages 12 and 13; Resources available to support delivery, page 15
“reviewing first aid videos critically (what was done correctly/what could be improved)”
Progression step 3
I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.
I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.
Progression step 4
I can evaluate the reliability of sources of information, justify my opinions and reasons for choices, and reference using appropriate methods.
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Recording practical evidence responsibly
Possible evidence includes photographs or video clips of learners carrying out first aid actions and audio or video recordings of mock 999 calls and emergency scenarios. Learners at every level may record or be recorded during roleplays, so they need to save files sensibly and think about sharing images of others. Recording is a suggested way to collect evidence, not a criterion.
DCF: Storing and sharing, Identity, image and reputation, Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils take a photo of a partner putting on a plaster and save it with a clear file name in a class folder.
- Year 8
- Pupils record a mock 999 call as an audio file, listen back for missing details and agree with their partner who can see the recording.
- Year 9
- Pupils film a short roleplay of DRABC, organise the clips in a dated folder and discuss why videos of a 'casualty' should not be posted online.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Sources of evidence, pages 13 and 14; Specification section 4.1, page 18
“photographs or video clips of learners carrying out actions”
Progression step 3
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.
Progression step 4
I can understand that photographs, locations and tags can be tracked and can make informed decisions accordingly.
I can use appropriate advanced file management techniques, e.g. version history, restore previous version, tagging, compression.
Good to know
- The unit codes are "S602E1", "S602E2", "S602E3", "S602L1" and "S602L2", and the unit is 20 GLH in the Skills for Life suite (Unit overview, page 3).
- Centres "may need access to basic first aid equipment such as bandages and plasters" for practical work, and assessment "should not require any additional resources to those required for delivery" (Resources, pages 14 and 15).
- Evidence can be recorded rather than written: sources include "photographs or video clips of learners carrying out actions" and "audio/video recordings of mock calls" (Sources of evidence, pages 13 and 14), and the portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (Specification section 4.1, page 18).
- AI tools can be used "When properly referenced", but "Failing to acknowledge use of AI tools when they have been used as a source of information" is AI misuse (Specification section 4.6, page 21), and learners "must sign a declaration confirming the authenticity of submitted work" (section 4.2, page 19).
- Suggested assessment tasks are provided in each pack but "These tasks are not mandatory" (Specification section 4.1, page 18).
- This unit teaches everyday first aid; it is not a first aid certificate, although St John Ambulance "Also offers accredited First Aid certification courses" (Resources available to support delivery, page 15).
Links with other qualifications
The pack links first aid to careers in health and social care, education, public services, childcare and sport and leisure, so it sits well beside GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare, the VCSEs in Public Services and Sport and Leisure, and the Foundations in those subjects. Within the Skills Suite, the pack suggests delivering it alongside Community participation, Looking after others, Mental health and wellbeing, Personal safety and Understanding self and others. Its digital work is light compared with GCSE Digital Technology.
Source: WJEC Basic first aid 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).