AQA Unit Award Scheme

This AQA Unit Award Scheme was set up specifically to:

“recognise the achievement of students of all abilities in all non-qualification contexts, including work-related learning and work experience, careers education, curriculum delivery, for example at Key Stages 3 and 4, enrichment activities, personal development, citizenship, sport, outdoor pursuits, study skills”. Youth Strategy 2009

Unlike most other schemes there is no set syllabus that has to be completed to achieve accreditation. Instead centres can write their own unit setting out the knowledge, skills and experience to be gained, and submit it for approval. In practice there is rarely a need to write units as you can also use units written by any other centre in the country and there are more than 18,000 of these on the AQA website to choose from. If you find a unit that is almost suitable, it is possible to make a minor amendment rather than write a new unit.

The advantages of using the AQA scheme are:

• it is simple to use
• it can be used to cover any form of achievement
• it allows accreditation for ‘soft’ outcomes
• it is particularly suitable for young people with disabilities and special needs
• AQA is a GCSE examination board and therefore the certificates have currency with young people and employers
• it provides a good way of enabling young people to succeed quickly which can be used as motivation to progress to other forms of accreditation units can be selected that, when combined, add up to a different award.

There are a wide range of units available. Lambeth has registered to use a selection of them to match the core curriculum, which are outlined below. Additional units can be registered with AQA if required.

Details of the AQA units registered to Lambeth are available on the following pages. Details of more than 18,000 available validated units are on the AQA website http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/uas.php