ASDAN's Vision and Values

ASDAN’s Charitable Objective

ASDAN is established as a registered charity for “The advancement of education, by providing opportunities for all learners to develop their personal and social attributes and levels of achievement through ASDAN awards and resources, and the relief of poverty, where poverty inhibits such opportunities for learners.” 

Registered charity number: 1066927​

ASDAN’s Vision

What do we do?

Our vision is to transform life chances through learning by enabling all learners to discover, develop and make full use of their abilities.

We do this by working with partner educators to foster the personal, social and work-related abilities of learners.

Why do we do this and who do we work with?

We believe that all learners should have the opportunity to discover, develop and make use of their abilities.  This is the way to raise aspirations, address inequality and improve social mobility. 

Learning is the process by which learners and educators convert potential into actual ability.

We believe the development of personal, social and work-related abilities is vital for learners of all abilities because:

  • strengthening these abilities supports academic and vocational education
  • they are particularly effective in re-engaging young people
  • they are important for accessing knowledge and skills at work
  • they are especially important for entry level work
  • they equip learners to live well and make use of their abilities

We want all learners, in particular those who face barriers to learning to benefit from ASDAN’s curriculum programmes and qualifications. 

By educators we mean all those who have a role in working with children and young people as learners in a range of contexts, for example, teachers, trainers, assessors, coaches, mentors, peers, supervisors, leaders, managers, family members and carers.

ASDAN's Values

Our values are the key beliefs and principles that people within ASDAN and our customers and partners consider important. They define the way we work.

ASDAN is:

Ethical
  • We are proud to be a charitable organisation – we approach our work with integrity and aim to do the right things in the right ways for the right reasons
  • We have ambitious plans for growth, 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 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
Real
  • We work closely with educators, learners, employers and community organisations to keep our courses real and relevant
  • We understand the challenges of teaching and the courage it requires, and aim to support educators in practical ways 
Collaborative
  • We work with all those who share our vision to help learners make full use of their abilities
  • We aim to be good 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

ASDAN's educational principles:

Our educational principles underpin our approach to fostering the personal, social and work-related abilities of young learners.

Our starting point is to recognise that many learners experience barriers to learning. Our courses are designed to address these by:

Building belief

Our courses support children, young people and educators develop the confidence, self-esteem and resilience to enjoy and (sometimes) endure learning and to believe in themselves and the value of their learning.

Engaging and motivating

We are dedicated to active, relevant and accessible learning; to developing curious, alert and daring learners.

Promoting progress and achievement

We motivate and engage learners through making their progress visible and celebrating genuine achievements, early and often.

Inspiring creativity

We want children, young people and educators to be creative in their learning lives and ambitious for the roles they play at home, at work, and in their communities.

Releasing potential

At our best, we equip children, young people and educators to make full use of their talents and abilities as a force for good in the world.

What next?