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.
Skills that use Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
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Researching health and nutrition information online
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.
Good to know
- Each level is a separate unit, CBM086 to CBM090, with "Credit Value: Two (2)" and "Guided Learning Hours: 20" (Unit Content, pages 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22), matching the Level 1 Qualification Guide (page 18).
- Only 1 level counts: "units with the same title at different levels are barred for completion within the same qualification", BSL being the only exception (Level 1 Qualification Guide, page 17).
- Tasks are designed by the provider, who must check before assessment that tasks "cover all assessment criteria and are appropriate to the level", and "All assessment criteria must be met in full for the learner to be awarded a 'pass'" (Assessment Approach, page 7).
- Evidence goes in a portfolio, paper or digital, and "Wherever possible, e-portfolios are encouraged" (Assessment Approach, page 7). Entry 3 to Level 2 include "Assessor observation of participation and contribution" (pages 8 and 9).
- Technology is optional: the equipment list includes "access to digital devices where appropriate for research and recording progress" and "simple fitness tracking where appropriate" (Physical Resources, page 6).
- Practical space is needed: "access to safe and appropriate spaces for physical activity where required" (Practical Resources, page 6). Staff must "be able to facilitate discussions on potentially sensitive topics in a safe and supportive environment" (Staffing Resources, page 5).
- Neither the unit specification nor the Level 1 Qualification Guide says anything about learners using AI tools.
- The Principles of Progression look misaligned: Entry 2 quotes "Progression step 3" and Entry 3 quotes "Progression step 4" (pages 13 and 16), and the Level 2 statement contains the typo "an adjust my diet" (page 22).
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.