Skills for Life: Preparing for an Outdoor Expedition
Preparing for an outdoor expedition is Pearson Skills for Life Unit SfL 30, in which learners get to know expedition equipment, plan an expedition and practise skills such as packing a rucksack, setting up a tent and navigating, with a focus on safety, teamwork and the environment. It is one 20 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, achieved once at a single level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Digital demand is low. Level 2 learners explain communication devices as expedition equipment, and Pearson maps GPS devices, digital maps and online research as digital links, but no criterion requires technology.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- 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 (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: learners list, outline or identify expedition equipment and take part safely in practical expedition activities, from recognising at least three items and basic outdoor features at Entry 1 to identifying five items and following a simple expedition plan at Entry 3. There are no mandatory evidence requirements; the centre sets its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional), assesses it internally, and Pearson quality assures it through standards verification. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: Level 1 learners describe expedition equipment and take part in expedition planning and practical activities, contributing to a basic expedition plan, and Level 2 learners explain the purpose of a wide range of equipment, prepare a basic plan and solve problems such as unexpected weather. Evidence type is chosen by the centre, internally assessed by the centre and quality assured by Pearson through standards verification. All activities are teacher supervised. Graded Pass or Fail. 20 guided learning hours.
The digital skills in this qualification
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Explaining communication devices as expedition equipment
Level 2 learners explain the purpose of a wide range of essential equipment, which Pearson lists as including communication devices, and how each item contributes to the safety and success of the expedition. Lower levels do not name communication devices. This is required by the Level 2 essential information, although the specification does not say which devices.
DCF: Communication
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils list the ways a group on a walk could contact help, such as a mobile phone or a whistle, and say when each would work.
- Year 8
- Pupils compare a mobile phone, a two way radio and an emergency text service for a hill walk, noting signal, battery and who can be reached.
- Year 9
- Pupils explain in a short report which communication devices an expedition group should carry, why, and how to keep them charged and dry.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 30, Assessment criteria, Level 2, page 137; Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 2, page 139
“waterproof and windproof clothing, cooking utensils, food and communication devices”
Progression step 3
I can show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.
Progression step 4
I can select and use different online communication tools for specific purposes with higher levels of competence, e.g. set up and manage an address book, organise contacts, use advanced features of e-mail provider (signature, auto reply, read receipt, widgets).
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Using GPS devices and digital maps
Pearson's annex mapping names GPS devices and digital maps as the unit's digital links, alongside paper map and compass navigation, which the essential information gives as an example of Level 1 practical skills. Using location technology also means deciding when to share a location. No assessment criterion requires digital navigation, so this is taught content.
DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Data and information literacy, Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils find the school on a digital map, switch to the satellite view, and compare it with an Ordnance Survey paper map of the same area.
- Year 8
- Pupils use a GPS app on a school tablet to record a short route around the grounds and check the distance against the map.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan a route on a digital mapping tool, export it to a phone, and discuss when the group should share its live location and with whom.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Annexe C, Evidence for Units mapped against Curriculum for Wales Cross-curricular skills frameworks, SfL 30 Digital Links, page 166; Annexe B, page 159
“GPS devices, digital maps, online research”
Progression step 3
I can identify the benefits and risks of mobile devices broadcasting the location of the user/device.
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 understand that photographs, locations and tags can be tracked and can make informed decisions accordingly.
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Researching expedition plans online
Pearson maps online research as a digital link, for example finding equipment lists, route information, weather and environmental guidance such as the Countryside Code and Leave No Trace named in the annexes. Level 1 and Level 2 learners contribute to or prepare a basic expedition plan, but the criteria do not require the research to be online, so this is taught content.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils search for the Countryside Code online and copy three rules into a kit list for a class walk.
- Year 8
- Pupils check a mountain weather forecast website and a general forecast for the same day, and note the differences that would affect a walk.
- Year 9
- Pupils research equipment for a two day expedition from two outdoor organisations' websites, judge which list is more reliable, and reference both in their plan.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Annexe C, SfL 30 Digital Links, page 166; Annexe E, SfL 30 Local, National and International Context Links, page 178; Unit SfL 30, Essential information for assessment decisions, Level 1 and Level 2, page 139
“references Countryside Code, Leave No Trace, Welsh environmental legislation”
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
- The unit is "SfL 30" with "20" guided learning hours in the unit summary table (Section 3, page 6); the specification gives no separate unit code per level.
- A unit counts once: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6, and Assessment of units, page 9).
- Practical work must be supervised: "All activities are undertaken under teacher supervision" (Entry 3, page 138), and at Level 2 "All planning and practical activities are carried out under teacher supervision" (page 139). Centres need expedition kit such as maps, compasses, tents and cooking equipment.
- The criteria assess equipment knowledge, planning and "practical expedition activities"; the essential information refers to supervision "during the expedition" but does not say learners must complete a full expedition, and Level 2 learners must respond to challenges "such as unexpected weather" (Essential information for assessment decisions, pages 137 to 139).
- The page 137 footer reads "Submission 5 draft", dated April 2026, while every other page reads Issue 1, August 2026; the purpose statement reads "learners’ learners skills"; and Annexes B to E call the unit "Preparation for an Outdoor Expedition" (pages 159, 166, 169 and 178). These look like editing errors.
- AI must be acknowledged: "A learner will have committed malpractice if they use AI tools without acknowledging them" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 140).
Links with other qualifications
WJEC has no Preparing for an outdoor expedition unit, so there is no WJEC version to compare. The closest WJEC Skills Suite unit is Skills in the natural environment, which also covers practical outdoor skills, navigation and environmental responsibility but spreads them across four learning outcomes rather than focusing on expedition kit and planning. The WJEC Teamwork unit shares group planning and decision making, and Basic first aid shares the first aid kit and dealing with minor injuries. GCSE Geography shares map reading and fieldwork planning, and Pearson's annex links the unit to careers in outdoor education and adventure tourism, which VCSE Sport and Leisure and VCSE Travel and Tourism also cover.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 30: Preparing for an outdoor expedition.