About us

ASDAN is an education charity and awarding organisation with a mission to engage, elevate and empower every learner at any starting point. We aim to do this through practical, portfolio-based qualifications and certificated courses from pre-Entry to Level 3. These develop the confidence and skills learners need to shape their futures. We support and empower educators with the resources and training to deliver an inclusive, skill-led curriculum. 

ASDAN works with education settings across the UK and internationally, including schools, colleges, alternative provision, prisons, local authorities and community organisations.   

Our vision is that personalised, skills-led education empowers every learner to realise and unlock their full potential. 

ASDAN's six core skills

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Six skills underpin ASDAN’s approach and sit at the heart of our offer. They help learners develop the knowledge, confidence and practical skills they need to make progress in learning, work and life. 

  • Learning: developing the ability to study, acquire new knowledge and track personal progress.
  • Communicating: articulating ideas clearly, listening actively and adjusting tone or style for different audiences.
  • Decision making: assessing risks, weighing possible outcomes and learning from past choices.
  • Thinking: evaluating information critically and approaching challenges with an open, problem-solving mindset.
  • Team working: collaborating effectively, listening to others, and contributing productively to group goals.
  • Self-awareness: recognising personal strengths, reflecting on achievements and understanding future goals. 

ASDAN’s core skills framework reflects the growing importance of transferable skills in education, employment and everyday life. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 identifies many of the same skills increasingly important for the future of work. 

For more than 35 years, ASDAN has worked to advance education and improve life chances. We use inclusive, skills-led education to support every learner at any starting point, particularly where barriers or disadvantage limit opportunity. 

We understand that learners’ life chances are shaped by interconnected factors. ASDAN’s approach to equity considers seven dimensions: cultural, cognitive, spiritual, political, emotional, economic and physiological. These reflect the complexity of learners’ experiences and the different support each learner may need to thrive. 

We put learners and the people who support them at the heart of our work. We listen to learners, educators, our members and the communities they serve. We amplify their voices and use their insights to shape our courses, qualifications and policy work. 

We amplify the voices of educators and learners to shape inclusive education. Through global partnerships, learner experiences inform policy, practice, and pathways into meaningful work.  

Through our partnerships, we bring educators, employers, policymakers and communities together. We work collectively to develop more inclusive approaches to education and strengthen pathways into further education, training and meaningful work. 

We are working towards an education system where every learner can belong, participate, develop their potential and shape their own future. 

Ethical

  • We aim to do the right things in the right ways for the right reasons.
  • We have ambitious plans, but will only grow at a pace that guarantees our quality.
  • We strive to make effective use of technology in socially responsible ways.

Diverse

  • We are committed to building a just world.
  • We seek to achieve diversity in our outlook, our people and our courses.
  • We are committed to ensuring equality of access and opportunity for learners, educators, our staff and trustees.

Collaborative

  • We work with those who share our vision to engage, elevate and empower learners with diverse needs.
  • We work closely with educators, learners, parents, carers, employers and community organisations to keep our courses relevant and grounded in real-life contexts.
  • We understand the challenges of teaching and the courage it requires, and aim to support educators in practical ways.
  • We aim to be supportive and productive partners – locally, nationally and internationally.

Innovative

  • We are future focused – committed to helping children and young people prepare for their adult lives.
  • We have a restless curiosity about effective pedagogy and assessment.

Curriculum maps

We’ve developed example curriculum maps to show how ASDAN courses can support a variety of individual pathways from Key Stage 2 through to Key Stage 5.

Discover more

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