DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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Skills for Life: Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy Lifestyle is an Open Awards Skills for Life unit about diet, activity, emotions and wellbeing, from listing healthy foods and naming feelings at Entry 1 to evaluating the links between diet, body and mind, planning a nutritious meal and leading or joining an activity for others' wellbeing at Level 2. Each of the 5 levels is a separate 20 hour unit, assessed through provider designed tasks with evidence in a portfolio, and only 1 level counts towards a qualification. Digital demand is low: no assessment criterion asks for technology, although the delivery requirements list digital devices for research and recording progress, simple fitness tracking and digital tools for reflection, and e-portfolios are encouraged.

Awarding body
Open Awards
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 1 (CBM086) and Entry Level 2 (CBM087): Entry 1 has 3 learning outcomes and 8 criteria: list at least 3 healthy foods, state why a healthy lifestyle is important and list contributing factors, identify a physical and an emotional response and a reason for one, and state 1 activity that helps the body and 1 that helps the mind; learners can point to pictures. Entry 2 has 8 criteria: list emotions, identify their causes and ways to change them, list how own feelings can be communicated and identify simple strategies to express emotions safely, state activities that promote own physical and mental wellbeing, and state a way to improve own healthy lifestyle. Provider designed tasks with portfolio evidence; every criterion must be met for a pass. 20 guided learning hours at each level.
  • Entry Level 3 (CBM088): 3 learning outcomes and 8 criteria: explain what a healthy lifestyle is, list its factors and describe how everyday choices contribute, describe own ways of supporting physical and mental wellbeing and identify changes that could improve them, then participate in an activity that supports physical or mental wellbeing, explain its benefits and describe how it influenced own emotions. Includes assessor observation of participation. 20 guided learning hours.
  • Level 1 (CBM089): 4 learning outcomes and 11 criteria: describe own ways of living a healthy lifestyle, how it could be improved and how everyday choices contribute, describe own everyday habits and give examples of how lifestyle choices affect wellbeing, identify goals relevant to own wellbeing and the steps to reach them, participate in an activity that supports wellbeing and one that supports mental wellbeing, discuss the benefits and create an action plan to improve wellbeing. 20 guided learning hours.
  • Level 2 (CBM090): 3 learning outcomes and 12 criteria: evaluate how physical changes link to emotional responses, analyse how contexts influence wellbeing and explain effects on behaviour, describe how types of diet affect physical health, analyse diet and mental wellbeing, evaluate short and long-term impacts of diet, reflect on own diet and plan a nutritious meal, evaluate more than 2 strategies to support wellbeing, apply strategies to own wellbeing, participate in an activity that promotes the wellbeing of others and reflect on it. 20 guided learning hours.

The digital skills in this qualification

  1. Researching health and nutrition information online

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Centres should give access to digital devices for research where appropriate. Level 2 learners describe how types of diet affect physical health, analyse diet and mental wellbeing and evaluate short and long-term impacts, which needs reliable information about nutrition and health. The spec does not require online research, so this is taught, not assessed.

    DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils search for how much water a teenager should drink each day and compare the answers from 2 websites.
    Year 8
    Pupils research the benefits of a fruit and vegetable rich diet, refining keywords and bookmarking the 3 most useful pages.
    Year 9
    Pupils research links between diet and mood from at least 3 sources, judge which are most reliable and reference them in a short summary.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Physical Resources, Equipment, page 6; Unit Content, LO2, Level 2, page 23

    “access to digital devices where appropriate for research and recording progress”
    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.

  2. Tracking activity and wellbeing with simple digital tools

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    The equipment list includes timers and simple fitness tracking where appropriate, and reflection can use journals, worksheets or digital tools. These support Level 1 goal setting and action planning and Level 2 reflection on own diet and strategies. No criterion asks for tracking, so this is taught, not assessed.

    DCF: Data and information literacy

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils use a stopwatch app to time a short fitness circuit and record their times in a table.
    Year 8
    Pupils log their daily steps or minutes of activity for a week in a spreadsheet and make a bar chart.
    Year 9
    Pupils track 2 weeks of sleep and activity data in a spreadsheet, group it by weekday and weekend, and describe what the pattern shows.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Physical Resources, Equipment and Practical Resources, page 6; Unit Content, LO3 and LO4, Level 1, pages 19 to 21

    “tracking tools (e.g., timers, simple fitness tracking where appropriate)”
    Progression step 3

    • I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.

    Progression step 4

    • I can perform analysis on simple data sets including grouping data as appropriate.

  3. Balancing screen time as part of a healthy lifestyle

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Entry 2 learners state a way to improve their own healthy lifestyle, and the example given is going to bed earlier or spending less time watching TV before bed. Level 1 learners describe own everyday habits and how choices affect wellbeing. Screen habits are an example, not a requirement, so this is taught, not assessed.

    DCF: Health and well-being

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils keep a 3 day diary of screen time and discuss how it fits with sleep, activity and time with friends.
    Year 8
    Pupils compare their evening screen time with how rested they feel the next morning and set 1 screen free target.
    Year 9
    Pupils reflect on how social media and games shape their daily habits and write a short personal plan to balance screen use with activity and sleep.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit Content, LO3 AC 3.3, Entry 2, page 14; LO2, Level 1, page 20

    “I could go to bed earlier, I could spend less time watching tv before bed”
    Progression step 3

    • I can understand the importance of balancing game and screen time with other parts of my life, e.g. explore the reasons why I might be tempted to spend more time playing games or find it difficult to stop playing and the effect this has on my well-being.

    Progression step 4

    • I can reflect on the role of digital media in my life and habits.

  4. Producing plans and reflections in an e-portfolio

    Assessed: Taught, but not assessed

    Evidence is collated in a portfolio and e-portfolios are encouraged wherever possible. Level 1 learners create an action plan to improve wellbeing and Level 2 learners plan a nutritious meal and reflect on their own diet, all of which can be produced and stored digitally. Digital presentation is encouraged, not required, so this is taught, not assessed.

    DCF: Creating digital content, Storing and sharing

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils make a 1 slide poster of 5 healthy foods with pictures and save it in a named folder.
    Year 8
    Pupils create a weekly activity plan in a digital template with a table and images, and upload it to the class area.
    Year 9
    Pupils build a short wellbeing action plan as a digital document with headings, a table of steps and a reflection section, and keep it in an organised e-portfolio.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Assessment Approach, page 7; Unit Content, LO4 AC 4.4, Level 1, page 21; LO2 AC 2.5, Level 2, page 23

    “Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged”
    Progression step 3

    • 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.

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

    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.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Healthy Lifestyle links with GCSE Physical Education and GCSE Food and Nutrition, which go further into diet, nutrients and the effects of exercise, and with GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare for wellbeing and lifestyle factors. The Level 2 meal planning and diet analysis connect with the WJEC VCSE Hospitality and Catering, and the work on emotions and responses links with the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience, which the unit names. The Pearson Healthy lifestyle unit uses questionnaires, health data and a written lifestyle plan; the Open Awards unit builds instead on taking part in activities and, at Level 2, on analysing diet and planning a nutritious meal. Within the Open Awards Skills for Life group, Food Planning and Preparation and Mental Health and Wellbeing cover nearby ground.

Source: Open Awards Skills for Life Unit Specification, Healthy Lifestyle, Entry Level 1 to Level 2.