Skills for Life: Democracy In Action
Democracy in action is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit about who makes decisions locally and nationally in Wales, how people can have their say, and how to research, debate and decide on a political or local issue. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2. Digital demand is low: no criterion requires technology. Digital work sits in researching an issue from official, news and social media sources, then judging how credible they are, knowing online ways to have a say, and optional digital presentations or survey data.
- 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): Three learning outcomes (decision makers who represent others, ways people share their views, taking part in a group discussion or debate) with 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 (what democracy means, how people participate, researching, presenting and discussing viewpoints on an issue, making an informed decision) with 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 Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
-
Researching an issue from online and official sources
At Level 1 learners identify information from source material on a chosen political or local issue, and at Level 2 they analyse it. The amplification suggests Senedd and UK Government sources, news and media, and digital and social media, so most learners will search online, although the criteria do not insist that the sources are digital.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils search the Senedd Youth Parliament website for one issue young people campaigned on and bookmark two pages about it.
- Year 8
- Pupils compare search results for a local issue such as a bus route cut using different keywords, then save the three most useful pages in a shared folder.
- Year 9
- Pupils gather information on a council decision from the council website, a local news site and a social media post, and note what each source says in a table.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 3, assessment criterion 3.1, page 6; amplification of learning outcome 3, page 8
“official sources, news and media, digital and social media, local community sources”
Progression step 3
I can adjust keywords and search techniques to find relevant information.
I can store search results for future use, e.g. bookmark, add to favourites.
Progression step 4
I can search a variety of sources using relevant search techniques with increased complexity.
-
Judging how credible information is
The amplification asks teachers to cover how to evaluate sources for credibility, including digital and social media, at Level 1 and Level 2, and to consider credibility at Entry Level. The assessment criteria ask learners to identify or analyse source material, so credibility checking supports the assessed work but is not itself a criterion.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Identity, image and reputation
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils look at a news article and a social media post on the same school issue and say which they trust more and why.
- Year 8
- Pupils check who wrote three online sources about a local planning decision, when they were published and whether they give facts or opinions, then rank them for reliability.
- Year 9
- Pupils fact check a viral claim about a Senedd decision against the official Senedd page and a news site, then write a short verdict with references.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Amplification of learning outcomes 2 and 3, page 8
“How to evaluate sources of information for credibility.”
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.
Good to know
- Unit codes run from Entry 1 to Level 2: "S605E1" to "S605L2", and the unit is 20 guided learning hours (Unit overview, page 3).
- No special equipment is needed: "Assessment of this unit should not require any specific resources" (Resources required for assessment, page 12), and delivery uses "standard classroom environments" (page 11).
- Evidence can be digital or recorded. The pack lists "Audio or video recordings" of debates, role plays or interviews, and "Presentation slides or digital stories" (Sources of evidence, page 10), and a portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (Specification section 4.1, page 18).
- Suggested activities and assessment tasks are optional: the specification says "These tasks are not mandatory" (section 4.1, page 18), and extended writing "is not required unless appropriate" (Sources of evidence, page 10).
- AI tools must be acknowledged. Using AI "to complete parts of the assessment so that the work does not reflect the learner's own work" is listed as misuse (Specification section 4.6, page 21).
- Social media appears as a way to have a say, but the pack warns that the UK Government "has announced plans to restrict social media use by children under 16" (Contents, page 2), so plan online participation activities with care.
Links with other qualifications
The pack names links with GCSE Social Studies and GCSE History, and the work on Senedd and council decisions, rights and civic participation also sits close to the Social Studies and History units of Foundation Humanities. The debate and argument work overlaps with spoken language and persuasive writing in GCSE English Language and Literature. Within the Skills Suite the pack suggests delivering it alongside Community participation, Equality, diversity, and inclusion, Ethical choices, Everyday law, Values for life, Fairness and inclusion in the workplace, Rights and responsibilities in the workplace, Exploring career pathways and Working in Wales.
Source: WJEC Democracy in action 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).