Skills for Life: Home Management and Maintenance
Home management and maintenance is a 20 hour Skills for Life unit, offered from Entry 1 to Level 2, about household routines, simple home maintenance done safely, hygiene and cleaning, and sustainable habits such as recycling and saving energy. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma. Digital demand is low because the unit is practical. Digital work sits in planning routines with planners or apps, following instructional videos and online guides, comparing products online, tracking energy and water use, and presenting improvements at Level 2. Only the planning and presenting are assessed, and neither has to be digital.
- 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, with separate 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, with separate 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.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Planning household routines with planners or apps
Level 1 learners create a weekly plan for a routine of household tasks, and Level 2 learners review tasks over a month, sorting them into daily, weekly and occasional. The amplification suggests tools such as planners, digital apps and task schedules. The plan is required by the assessment criteria, but making it digitally is a choice, not a requirement.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content, Creating digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils fill in a simple weekly chores table in Word, with one task for each day and who does it.
- Year 8
- Pupils build a weekly household routine in a shared online calendar or to-do app, setting reminders for two tasks.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan a month of household tasks in a spreadsheet, colour coding daily, weekly and occasional tasks, and then adjust it after a week of trying it.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1, page 7; learning outcome 1 amplification, page 10
“use tools such as planners, digital apps and task schedules”
Progression step 3
I can independently create and plan work before beginning a digital task.
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 effectively use a variety of planning techniques.
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Following instructional videos and online guides
The unit overview says learners develop digital competence using instructional videos, and the resources point to step-by-step tutorials and safety advice for home maintenance. Learners can find and follow a video or online guide for a task such as changing a light bulb safely or assembling a flat-pack item, and judge whether the source is trustworthy. This is only suggested; the criteria require the practical task, not the use of online guides.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils watch a short video on how to change a battery in a smoke alarm and put picture cards of the steps in order.
- Year 8
- Pupils search for a guide on unblocking a sink, try two different search phrases, and pick the clearest result.
- Year 9
- Pupils compare two online guides for assembling a flat-pack shelf, decide which is more reliable using who made it and the safety advice given, and explain their choice.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit overview, integral and cross-curricular skills, page 4; learning outcome 2 amplification, page 10; Resources available to support delivery, page 13
“Step-by-step tutorials and safety advice on home maintenance”
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.
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Comparing household products and shopping online
The unit overview names online shopping as a digital tool learners use, and Level 1 and Level 2 suggested activities include comparing environmentally friendly household products. Learners can compare products on retailer websites and think about adverts, offers and secure checkout. This is only suggested and is not required by the assessment criteria.
DCF: Health and well-being, Identity, image and reputation
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils look at two supermarket web pages for washing-up liquid and point out the parts of each page designed to catch their eye.
- Year 8
- Pupils compare three eco cleaning sprays on retailer websites, recording price, size and claims, and spot any sponsored adverts.
- Year 9
- Pupils fill a mock online basket with cleaning products for a month within a budget, checking the site is secure and explaining why they ignored a pop-up offer.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit overview, integral and cross-curricular skills, page 4; Suggested activities, page 12
“Digital competence when using tools such as online shopping or instructional videos”
Progression step 3
I can identify marketing elements designed to draw my attention.
I can understand how to protect myself from online identity theft, e.g. identifying secure sites, phishing, scam websites.
Progression step 4
I can make informed choices while making online choices, including making in-app purchases and clicking on adverts.
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Recording energy and water use
A suggested Level 1 and Level 2 activity is to monitor and reduce household energy and water usage, which suits a simple digital table or spreadsheet with a chart. Level 2 learners then evaluate the environmental impact of household routines. The monitoring is suggested; the evaluation is required but does not have to use data tools.
DCF: Data and information literacy
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils tally how many lights are left on in empty classrooms over a week and type the totals into a table.
- Year 8
- Pupils record how long their showers take for a week in a spreadsheet and use SUM and AVERAGE to work out the totals.
- Year 9
- Pupils track daily electricity meter readings at home or school in a spreadsheet, chart them, and compare a normal week with a week of energy-saving changes.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Suggested activities, page 12; Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 4, assessment criterion 4.2 (Level 2), page 8
“monitor and reduce household energy and water usage through practical activities”
Progression step 3
I can construct, refine and interrogate data sets within tables, charts, spreadsheets and databases to test or support an investigation.
I can use a range of spreadsheet formulae, e.g. + - / x, sum, average, max, min.
Progression step 4
I can perform analysis on simple data sets including grouping data as appropriate.
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Presenting improvements to household routines
Level 2 learners evaluate the environmental impact of household routines and present improvements, and Level 1 and Level 2 learners review routines and suggest improvements. Learners could present with slides, a poster or a short video, but any format is acceptable. Presenting is required at Level 2; using digital tools to do it is a choice.
DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils make a one slide poster in PowerPoint showing three ways to save water at home, with a picture for each.
- Year 8
- Pupils make a three slide presentation on how their class could recycle more, with a photo of the current bins and their suggestions.
- Year 9
- Pupils present a short slideshow or video evaluating the waste and energy use of a household routine, and justify why they chose that format for their audience.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 4, assessment criterion 4.2 (Level 2), page 8; learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.2, page 7
“Evaluate the environmental impact of household routines and present improvements”
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 ensure my output is appropriate for specific purposes.
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.
I can justify the reasons for choices and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the different digital outputs I create.
Good to know
- The unit has five codes, one for each level, from "S616E1" to "S616L2" (Unit overview, page 3). Only the highest level achieved counts, because "only the highest level of the unit achieved will count towards the GLH" (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 2.2, page 10).
- This is a practical unit and needs equipment: "Centres delivering this unit should have access to a range of household equipment, materials, and environments", including cleaning products, basic maintenance tools, household appliances and recycling facilities, plus "gloves and protective clothing" (Resources required for delivery, page 13).
- Photos and video are expected evidence for practical work: the pack lists "photographic evidence of completed household tasks or maintenance activities" and "video evidence demonstrating practical skills (where appropriate)" (Sources of evidence, page 12). The portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (specification, section 4.1, page 18).
- Spelling and presentation are not judged: "Assessor judgements should focus on meeting the standard, not spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed" (Sources of evidence, page 12).
- The suggested activities and tasks are optional. The specification says suggested assessment tasks "are not mandatory" and teachers "may choose to use these suggestions, adapt them, or develop their own alternatives" (section 4.1, page 18).
- AI tools are only acceptable "When properly referenced", and learners "cannot be credited for any work they produce for assessment which is not their own". Misuse includes "Failing to acknowledge use of AI tools when they have been used as a source of information" (specification, section 4.6, page 21). A weekly plan or routine generated by an AI tool would not count as the learner's own.
- Where a criterion uses a plural without a number, "a plural reference within assessment criterion refers to a minimum of two" (pages 6 and 8).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names links with "GCSE Design and Technology and VCSE Built Environment": safe use of hand tools, assembling flat-pack items and fixing loose fittings overlap with workshop practice in Design and Technology, and identifying when to repair, replace or call a professional connects with the building maintenance side of Built Environment. Within the Skills Suite it suggests delivering this unit alongside Basic first aid, Financial literacy, Food planning and preparation, Healthy lifestyle, Healthy relationships, Looking after others, Practical gardening and Teamwork. Financial literacy is the natural partner for the budgeting and cost comparison the pack mentions, and Food planning and preparation shares the hygiene and safe cleaning content.
Source: WJEC Home management and maintenance 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).