Animal Care Short Course
About this course
What is it?
The ASDAN Animal Care Short Course is a flexible, portfolio-based course for learners aged 13 and over. It accredits between 10 and 60 hours of activities exploring animal care, safety, welfare, responsible ownership and careers working with animals.
Activities can range from caring for domestic pets and farm animals to learning about wildlife and more exotic species. Through practical challenges, research, planning and reflection, learners develop their subject knowledge alongside confidence, independence and transferable skills for learning, life and work.
The course is designed for learners working at Entry level 3 to Level 1 but can be adapted for learners working above or below these levels.
Deliver Short Courses through Equitas
The updated Animal Care Short Course is available through Equitas, ASDAN’s digital learning platform. Equitas brings course content, learner activities, evidence and progress tracking together, supporting flexible online, offline and blended delivery.
Explore the Animal Care Short Course on Equitas
The course remains available as a student book. The ASDAN e-portfolio is closed to new registrations, with access for existing registrations ending on 31 August 2026. Some Equitas challenges differ from the student book. Use one format per learner group; Equitas challenges can be downloaded.
| Learner age | 13+, 14+, 14–16, 14–25, 16+, 16–19, 19+, Adults |
| Level (indicative for non-regulated courses) | Entry 3, Level 1 |
| Key Stage | Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5 |
| Education setting | Mainstream school, Justice system (including youth offending), Further education, Community Education, EOTAS, PRU, Academy / Multi-academy trust, Voluntary sector, Training provider, Adult education, Independent school, Social services, Secondary |
| Guided learning hours | 10–20 hours, 20–60 hours |
| Regulated | Non-regulated course |
| Certification | Externally certificated, digital or hard-copy (additional fee) |
| Location | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, International (including Channel Islands and Ireland) |
| UCAS points | No UCAS points available |
| Available on Equitas | Yes |
| Pathway | Personal Effectiveness |
Helpful resources for getting started
Who is it for?
The Animal Care Short Course is suitable for learners aged 13 and over in formal and non-formal settings.
It is designed for learners working at Entry level 3 to Level 1 but can be adapted for those working above or below these levels. Its flexible structure enables educators to select and adapt challenges according to learners’ abilities, needs, interests and learning environments.
Course information
The Animal Care Short Course:
- offers flexible, portfolio-based learning
- can be adapted for learners working at different levels
- accredits between 10 and 60 hours of activities and skills development
- is assessed and internally moderated by the centre
- leads to an ASDAN certificate
- can count as up to three of the credits needed to achieve ASDAN’s Personal Development Programmes
- can support skills development for ASDAN’s Personal Effectiveness Qualifications
- may contribute to recognition of prior learning where the required standards are met in full.
Requirements
Learners must present evidence of their activities in an organised portfolio.
This should include:
- a record of the challenges completed, with supporting evidence
- recording documents showing how the learner planned and reviewed their activities
- a summary of achievement highlighting skills development
- a personal statement.
Equitas organises evidence against each challenge within the platform. Learners using student books can present their evidence in an organised physical or digital portfolio.
Course content
The Animal Care Short Course contains seven modules:
- Animal investigation
- Safety around animals
- Looking after animals
- Animals in trouble
- Animals in the media
- Animals and the law
- Careers in working with animals
Educators can select challenges from across the modules to create a personalised programme of between 10 and 60 hours.
For guidance on running ASDAN Short Courses, please see our step-by-step guides:
ASDAN training supports educators to deliver our courses successfully. Sessions provide an introduction to the course alongside guidance on delivery, assessment and internal moderation.
Training is included as part of ASDAN membership for organisations joining or renewing after 1 April 2026, excluding tailored INSET.
Each learner completing a Short Course on Equitas needs their own registration and login.
Equitas registrations and student books are valid for three years from the date of purchase.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Equitas registration for 1–9 learners* | £12 per learner |
| Equitas registration for 10–19 learners* | £8 per learner |
| Equitas registration for 20–29 learners* | £6 per learner |
| Equitas registration for 30 or more learners* | £4 per learner |
| Short Course student book | £12 per learner |
| Short Course PDF certificate | Free |
| Short Course printed and foiled certificate | £3.75 |
| Replacement certificate | £15 plus postage |
*Equitas volume pricing applies to new registrations purchased together in a single transaction for the same Short Course.
Products
Course resources
Animal Care Short Course: 4A8 - Endangered animals
This worksheet can be used to support challenge 4A8 of the Animal Care Short Course, which asks learners to give a presentation about the plight of an endangered species and what can be done to help. This resource provides examples of endangered animals for learners to pick from and a template to help prepare for their presentation.
Animal Care Short Course - 7A4 Interviewing someone who works with animals
This worksheet can be used to record an interview with someone who works with animals (e.g. vet, zookeeper, Police dog handler). This resource links to challenge 7A4 of the Animal Care Short Course.
Animal Care Short Course - 1A7 Animal handling session diary
This worksheet can be used to record participation in an animal handling session at a zoo or wildlife centre (e.g. birds of prey, snake handling, pets corner). This resource links to challenge 1A7 of the Animal Care Short Course.
Evaluation chart (individual)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week individual activity. Learners are asked to mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt; at the end of the project the learner should join up the marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Evaluation chart (group)
This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week group activity. Each member of the group should choose a different colour and mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt. At the end of the project, each group member then joins up their marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Planning a group or team task
This resource can be used when planning a group or team task. It links particularly well to ASDAN's Short Course programmes.
Self-evaluation template
This generic self-evaluation template can be used by learners to evaluate almost any group activity. Learners are asked to record how they felt about the activity and pick out the best and worst bits, before reflecting on what they could do better next time. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Teamwork health check
This generic teamwork health check template can support a wide range of group activities. Learners are asked to come up with a list of agreed ground rules for good teamwork, then rate each group member's performance against these criteria. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses summary of achievement and personal statement : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 1 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 2 : Word version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : PDF version (mandatory)
Short Courses skills sheet 3 : Word version (mandatory)