Animal Care Short Course
About this course
What is the Animal Care Short Course?
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.
Delivery format: Animal Care Short Course is available through Equitas, ASDAN’s digital learning platform, or in student book format. Some Equitas challenges differ from the student book version. 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 information
Who is the Animal Care Short Course for?
Short Courses are suitable for learners aged 13 and over in formal and non-formal settings.
Course information
- 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.
Short Courses are widely used in formal and non-formal settings, by 13-19 year olds. Because they are multi-level, the focus is on completing challenges and skills development according to individual ability, although learners are expected to be working at Entry level 3 to Level 1.
Requirements
Each learner must have their own registration. 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.
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.
Download sample challenges from the Animal Care Short Course on Equitas
Download sample pages from the Animal Care Short Course student book
For guidance on running ASDAN Short Courses, please see our step-by-step guides:
ASDAN training supports educators to deliver this course successfully. Sessions provide an introduction, alongside guidance on planning, delivery, assessment and internal quality assurance. Training is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.
Training is included in ASDAN membership for organisations joining or renewing after 1 April 2026, excluding tailored INSET.
Book training in the members area
ASDAN members can also take part in our special interest groups. These online sessions focus on specific areas of practice and provide opportunities for discussion, collaboration and networking with other members.
All registration costs are per learner. Each learner must have their own registration. Registrations are valid for three years from the date of purchase.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Short Course student book | £12 |
| Short Course Equitas learner registration and digital learning platform login | £12 |
| Short Course PDF certificate | Free |
| Short Course printed and foiled certificate (optional, per learner, per Short Course) | £3.75 |
Volume pricing for Equitas Short Courses
We offer scalable pricing for Short Courses on Equitas. This pricing applies only to new registrations made together in a single transaction for the same Equitas Short Course:
- 1–9 learners: £12 per registration
- 10–19 learners: £8 per registration
- 20–29 learners: £6 per registration
- 30+ learners: £4 per registration
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)