Is there a limit on the number of pupils who can complete the award?
There is no limit on the number of pupils within your school that can complete the award.

How long does it roughly take for the students to complete it?
There is no time frame to complete the award. It is very dependent on the pupils. It may take some pupils one year to complete a stage, others may take longer. It is important that you only sign off completion when the supporting evidence reflects the embedding of that life skill at the appropriate stage as laid out in the criteria and award framework.

Please be aware the PE Life Skills licence is for an academic year, from 01 August to the 31 July. Please refer to the delivery agreement available here.

What sort of activities do they complete, or does it run alongside their normal PE lessons?
The award will be competed in normal planned and progressive PE lessons ensuring there is an explicit focus on the life skill aspect. To complete the award, pupils must demonstrate and evidence progress in two learning environments, one must be PE, the other can be physical activity (breaks and lunchtime structured play), extra-curricular, school sport (intra and/or inter) and community.

Can the programme be delivered to 16-19 year-olds and, if so, still be accredited?
Yes. We launched Stage 5 of the award in March 2023. Stage 5 is accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation.

Would there have to be additional time allocated for PE
No additional time is needed in PE in order to complete the award.

How will the evidence be collected? 
The PE Life Skills Award comes with a printable Learning Journal for each stage. This can be used to collate evidence of life skills learning. If a pupil requires an alternative option to written evidence, the Learning Journal can be used as a prompt for the pupil but an alternative method to evidence the learning can be used e.g. verbal, scribed, photographs, video, drawing, etc.

How does the assessment tool work?
The PE Life Skills Award has been developed to be embedded into PE and school sport delivery. The tool provides an achievement framework that identifies key life skills through the four domains of PE and school sport and provides the pupil with a Learning Journal to record their life skills development through PE and school sport.

Can we select specific groups to complete this project with e.g. not a whole cohort?
Yes. You can deliver PE Life Skills Award with whichever cohort within your school you feel would benefit the most. The accredited award has been differentiated into stages so that you can find the appropriate stage for your cohort.

Does the PE assessment framework currently in place affect the success of this project?
No, you can continue to assess using your existing framework, however, if your existing framework does not consider and take account of holistic development, this must be added in.

We are keen to do this but are a middle school so we have primary and secondary. How much would this be for us? 
It would be costed at the secondary school rate and you will have access to all four stages to ensure it is appropriate for all your pupils.

Will the 14-16 year-olds programme carry any weight at GCSE level?
No. This is an accredited award that demonstrates the learning of life skills through PE and school sport. It complements the delivery of the national curriculum and can be used to evidence the development of skills for the personal development aspect of Ofsted and the Gatsby Benchmarks. GCSEs are a full 120 guided learning hours qualification so could not be seen as an equivalent.

How is PE Life Skills Award assessed?
Demonstrating the achievement of life skills will be documented through the Learning Journal or by gathering evidence through alternative methods (please see 'How would the evidence be collected and evidenced to achieve the award?' for more information on evidence collection). The teacher completes the pupil report form to confirm achievement and if the required demonstration of life skills has been met, the pupil can be certificated.

Can the award support e.g. college applications or attract UCAS points?
This is an accredited award not a qualification at Level 3 and therefore cannot be assigned UCAS points. However, by completing the PE Life Skills Award at Stage 4, a pupil has an opportunity to demonstrate the practical use of life skills which can be recorded as part of their personal statement.

What paperwork is required?
All the paperwork is available through the PE Life Skills Award resources site which will be available to schools upon registration. As a minimum, evidence of demonstration of life skills through a Learning Journal or suitable alternative (please see 'How would the evidence be collected and evidenced to achieve the award?' for more information on evidence collection) and a pupil report form will be required to award the appropriate accredited award certificate. The school will also need to be approved as an accredited deliverer. For this approval to happen, the school will need to complete a short approval form following registration. For the certificate templates to be released to the school, they must also complete a ‘standards review process’ and declare the number of pupils completed. The whole process is explained through the training we have provided for schools. Any questions relating to the approval and certification process please email [email protected].

Can I use PELSA in Scotland and Wales?
Yes, the PELSA framework and accreditation can be used across the UK.

Are all resources online or physical?
All resources, including the learner journals are online and printable.

Would you suggest using this as a separate Sports Leaders type unit of work or is it meant to be embedded throughout the normal curriculum?
This should be used to evidence the life skills development that has been embedded throughout the curriculum. A separate delivery unit is not required. If delivering sports leadership, this is an ideal opportunity to evidence the PE Life Skills Award through sports leadership curriculum too.

Can achievement be recorded digitally or does it have to be paper-based?
Currently, all recording of achievements is paper-based. This is an area that will be reviewed with the pioneer schools.

How are we evaluating the impact?
Focus groups will be set up with pioneer schools who will meet half-termly to discuss impact.

Listen to our recent webinar: Why deliver the PE Life Skills Award – Evidencing the 3 I's.

Is the training in the assessment a pre-record or is this training live?
The training and support for the assessment of the PE Life Skills Award is a pre-recorded webinar, accessible via the resource site after purchasing the licence. 

Is the award suitable for learners with special educational needs?
Yes, the PE Life Skills Award is fully inclusive and can be delivered to learners with special needs.