DCF Cymru Digital competence for Wales

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VCSE Sport and Leisure

The VCSE in Sport and Leisure asks learners to collect, chart and interpret participation and fitness data, film and analyse performance or coaching, research using sources they reference, and know how social media and digital tools are used across the sector. Unit 1 is a short sector test that centres may run on screen, while the digital work is concentrated in the Unit 2 NEA and in whichever of Unit 3 or Unit 4 a centre chooses, with evidence documented and submitted digitally and no use of AI. The single biggest thing KS3 should build is the habit of recording sport and activity data in a spreadsheet, charting it and saying what it shows, alongside filming practical work and reviewing it honestly.

Awarding body
WJEC
Level
Level 1 and Level 2
First taught
September 2027
Amount of digital work
Medium
Specification
Open the specification
Step before
Foundation Sport and Leisure, Entry Level and Level 1
How this qualification is assessed
  • Unit 1: Introduction to the Sport and Leisure Sector: Sector test 1 hour, paper-based or on screen, 20%, 50 marks, set and marked by WJEC
  • Unit 2: Promoting Health and Wellbeing through Sport and Leisure: NEA 5 hours plus one hour reading time, 20%, 50 marks, set and marked by WJEC, brief changes every year
  • Unit 3: Developing Personal Performance in Sport and Leisure (optional, alternative to Unit 4): NEA 7 hours, 60%, 90 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC; the six-week training programme can be carried out outside the supervised time
  • Unit 4: Leadership and Coaching in Sport and Leisure (optional, alternative to Unit 3): NEA 7 hours, 60%, 90 marks, set by WJEC, marked by the centre and moderated by WJEC

Skills that use Health and well-being

  1. Knowing how digital technology is used in sport and leisure jobs

    Assessed: In the exam

    Learners must understand the skills needed across sport and leisure roles, which include using digital technology to communicate and using sports analysis software, with sports analysts using video and data tools as the named example. This is knowledge tested in the Unit 1 sector test rather than a practical skill.

    DCF: Communication, Health and well-being, Identity, image and reputation

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils list the ways their PE department and a local club communicate with them (Teams posts, emails, a club app, posters) and say which works best for a fixture change and why.
    Year 8
    Pupils write a short, polite email in Outlook to a teacher asking to join an extracurricular club, using a clear subject line and checking it before sending.
    Year 9
    Pupils research one sport and leisure job, such as a performance analyst or leisure centre assistant, and make three slides showing the digital tools the job uses and why a professional online presence matters.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, Section 1.3.3, pages 18 and 19

    “use of digital technology to communicate”
    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.

    • I can identify the wider positive and negative influences of technology, e.g. on my life, on society, on the environment.

    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).

    • I can understand that I have a digital footprint and that this information can be searched, copied and passed on.

    Progression step 5

    • I can make use of and reflect on available online communication services for specific purposes, justifying selections made based on their appropriateness for delivery of information.

    • I can build a positive reputation in the context of employment prospects, e.g. use social media responsibly.

  2. Using social media to promote participation, responsibly

    Assessed: In coursework (non-examination assessment, NEA)

    Learners study strategies to increase participation, and the list includes using technology and social media to encourage people to take part. The Unit 2 brief asks them to design and evaluate an initiative for a target group, so promotion through social media is one route they may choose.

    DCF: Health and well-being, Identity, image and reputation, Online behaviour and online bullying

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils look at two real posts from Sport Wales or a local club and pick out the marketing features (images, hashtags, call to action) that are meant to grab attention.
    Year 8
    Pupils design a mock post in PowerPoint to promote a lunchtime netball or football club, and check it for stereotypes and for any personal details or faces that should not be shared.
    Year 9
    Pupils plan a short campaign of three mock posts to get more Year 7 pupils taking part in an after-school activity, and write the rules they would follow on consent, photos and location tags.
    Show the specification wording and the DCF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 2, Section 2.3.1, page 29; Section 3.2, Unit 2, page 45

    “using technology to encourage participation through social media.”
    Progression step 3

    • I can identify marketing elements designed to draw my attention.

    • I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.

    Progression step 4

    • I can identify stereotypes and their impact in a range of media.

    • I can understand that photographs, locations and tags can be tracked and can make informed decisions accordingly.

    Progression step 5

    • I can build a positive reputation in the context of employment prospects, e.g. use social media responsibly.

    • I can apply appropriate strategies to protect the rights, identity, privacy and emotional safety of both myself and others in online communities.

Good to know

Links with other qualifications

Fitness testing, training logs and filming performance overlap closely with GCSE Physical Education and Health, and the participation survey and charting work matches the data demand in GCSE Social Studies and GCSE Health and Social Care, and Childcare, so one shared KS3 routine of Forms to Excel to a written conclusion would serve all of them.

Source: WJEC Level 1/Level 2 VCSE Sport and Leisure specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027, for award from 2029 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).