Skills for Life: Understanding Self and Others
Understanding Self and Others is a Pearson Skills for Life unit in which learners describe or explain the personal, social, physical and psychological factors that shape how we see ourselves and others, and practise ways to develop self-awareness and build positive connections with family, peers and staff. It is one 10 hour unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life Award, Certificate or Diploma, from Entry 1 to Level 2. The centre sets and marks the assignment. Digital demand is low: no criterion needs technology. Digital work sits in researching sources at Level 1 and Level 2, presenting findings, which Pearson's mapping suggests doing with digital tools, and referencing sources and any AI used.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- 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: state, outline or identify factors that affect how we see ourselves and others, and demonstrate or apply simple ways to develop self-awareness and build positive connections with one or more other people. The centre sets and marks its own assignment (Pearson's Authorised Assignment Brief is optional) and there are no mandatory evidence requirements; work is internally verified and quality assured by a Pearson Standards Verifier. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each level: learners describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) a range of factors that affect how we see ourselves and others, and apply a range of skills to develop self-awareness and build positive connections with different people, at Level 2 in different contexts. The centre sets and marks its own assignment, with no mandatory evidence requirements, internally verified and quality assured by a Pearson Standards Verifier. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
The digital skills in this qualification
-
Researching factors that shape identity
Level 1 learners select and use relevant information from a limited range of sources provided, and Level 2 learners identify, select and use information from a variety of sources, including sources they find themselves, to explain the factors that affect how we see ourselves and others. This comes from the levels of supervision guidance; no criterion requires the sources to be digital, so online research is a likely method rather than an assessed skill.
DCF: Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils use a teacher chosen website on wellbeing to find two things that can affect how young people see themselves and note the page they used.
- Year 8
- Pupils search for information on how first impressions are formed, try two different sets of keywords and record which gave more useful results.
- Year 9
- Pupils find three sources on how culture, beliefs or life events shape identity, choose the most useful, and say why they trust it.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 27, Levels of supervision and support, Level 1 and Level 2, page 126; Annexe C, page 165
“They can identify, select, and use information from a variety of sources, including self-selected sources.”
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.
-
Presenting findings with digital tools
Level 1 learners are accountable for organising their findings and presenting them clearly, and Pearson's mapping names creating info packs and using digital tools for research and presentations. Presenting digitally is a suggestion, not a requirement, so the digital production itself is not assessed.
DCF: Creating digital content, Evaluating and improving digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils make a one page digital poster about themselves with three images and captions showing things that matter to them.
- Year 8
- Pupils build a short slide deck on factors that shape how we see others, with one slide per factor and an example on each.
- Year 9
- Pupils create a digital info pack for Year 7 on building positive friendships, choosing layout and images to suit that audience.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 27, Levels of supervision and support, Level 1, page 126; Annexe C, page 165
“Digital tools for research/presentations”
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.
-
Referencing sources and acknowledging AI
Every learner must certify that the evidence is their own and that sources and any artificial intelligence used are clearly referenced; using AI tools without acknowledging them is malpractice. This applies at every level and is a requirement of the unit's rules on permitted resources, so learners keep a record of any websites or AI tools they use.
DCF: Digital rights, licensing and ownership, Sourcing, searching and planning digital content
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils copy the title and web address of each website they used into a source list at the end of their work.
- Year 8
- Pupils add a source list to a short research task and explain in one sentence why copying without saying where it came from is unfair.
- Year 9
- Pupils discuss when using a chatbot would be acceptable for a reflective task, then write an acknowledgement of any AI they used and how.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 27, Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, pages 126 to 127; Section 4, Assessment of units, page 9
“they have clearly referenced any sources and any artificial intelligence used”
Progression step 3
I can cite sources when researching and explain the importance of this, e.g. create simple lists for the referencing of digital and offline sources.
I can begin to reference sources used in my work, and consider if content is reliable.
Progression step 4
I can understand copyright and can explain the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work, e.g. exploring the ethical and legal ramifications of piracy and plagiarism and know that they are irresponsible and disrespectful, and I can apply my understanding of the rules and regulations to different scenarios.
Good to know
- The unit is SfL 27, listed as "Understanding self & others" with 10 guided learning hours (Section 3, page 5). The WJEC unit of the same name is 20 guided learning hours, so the two do not swap like for like in a qualification.
- A learner achieves the unit once, at one level: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6). Units and qualifications are graded Pass or Fail (page 7).
- The Pearson qualification numbers run from C00/5443/4 (Entry Level 1 Skills for Life Award) to C00/5445/0 (Level 2 Skills for Life Diploma) (Qualification titles, pages 3 to 4).
- The teaching content is not in the specification: "This can be found in the Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" (Unit content, page 125), so schools need that separate document as well.
- No equipment is required: "No resources are explicitly prohibited for the assessment of this unit, and the centre can decide the resource requirements" (page 126), and "there are no mandatory evidence requirements" (page 125).
- Sources and AI must be acknowledged: learners certify "they have clearly referenced any sources and any artificial intelligence used" and "A learner will have committed malpractice if they use AI tools without acknowledging them." (page 127).
- The Entry 2 and Level 1 guidance repeat a word in the list of people: "such as family members, peers, teachers, family members or other support staff" (page 125).
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills for Life unit Understanding Self and Others covers the subject in 20 guided learning hours with four learning outcomes on emotions, identity, similarities and differences, and interpersonal skills, and it touches online identity and stereotypes in media. Pearson's 10 hour unit has one holistic criterion per level built on the factors that shape how we see ourselves and others and on ways to build self-awareness and positive connections, and its specification makes no mention of online life, so the digital content is lighter. Identity, bias and stereotypes link with GCSE Social Studies, and communication and relationships with GCSE Health and Social Care and Childcare. Within the WJEC Skills Suite, Values for Life, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Healthy Relationships and Mental Health and Wellbeing are close neighbours.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 27: Understanding self and others.