Personal and Social Development

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About this course

What is it?

The Personal and Social Development (PSD) qualifications offer imaginative ways of supporting young people in:

  • becoming confident individuals who are physically, emotionally and socially healthy
  • being responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society and embrace change
  • managing risk together with their own wellbeing

as well as introducing them to new activities and personal challenges.

Read the full PSD specifications:

Awards: Entry 1; Entry 2; Entry 3; Level 1; Level 2

Certificates: Entry 1; Entry 2; Entry 3; Level 1; Level 2

Updated materials for September 2026

We are currently updating and refreshing our PSD and Employability materials as part of ASDAN’s scheduled periodic review process, helping to keep our courses relevant, up to date and informed by member and learner feedback.

Updated units and resources will be available from 1 September 2026. We will share further information, including key changes and guidance for centres, ahead of launch.

Learner age 14+, 14–16, 14–25, 16+, 16–19, 19+, Adults
Level Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1, Level 2
Key Stage Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5
Education setting Mainstream school, Special school, Justice system (including youth offending), Further education, Community Education, EOTAS, PRU, Academy / Multi-academy trust, Training provider, Adult education, Independent school, Secondary
Guided learning hours 60–100 hours, 100–180 hours
Regulated Qualification
Certification Externally certificated, hard-copy only
Location International (including Channel Islands and Ireland), Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England
UCAS points No UCAS points available
Available on Equitas No
Pathway Independent Living

Join ASDAN

To teach this course you must be an ASDAN member.

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Who is it for?

PSD at Entry 1, 2 and 3 is used by students aged 14+ and adults in the Foundation Learning stage of their development. PSD Levels 1 & 2 is used by mainstream establishments for students aged 14-19, and also for adults. These qualifications also play a major role in rewarding achievement within the non-formal sector.

Facts and figures

  • Nationally recognised certification
  • Accreditation for existing PSHE and PSD activities
  • Opportunities to include activities both inside and outside of school and in non-formal situations
  • Following amendments to the school and college performance tables in England, qualifications that do not rely on a written examination for assessment purposes, such as ASDAN qualifications, do not, themselves, contribute to the tables. There is however strong evidence that ASDAN qualifications improve performance in English and Mathematics, which have a double weighting in school performance measures such as Progress 8
  • In Wales and Northern Ireland, ASDAN qualifications can contribute towards school/college performance measures. Download this information sheet for details.

Structure

Learners have to complete enough units to reach the required number of credits for a particular size of qualification.

  • At Entry 1-3: 6 credits are required for an award, and 13 credits for a certificate.
  • At Levels 1-2: 8 credits are required for an award, and 13 for a certificate.

Each credit is equivalent to around 10 hours of learning time.

Download a table of PSD units at all levels.

Units and standards

Download the PSD Entry 1-3 standards only and PSD Levels 1-2 standards only.

Please note that centres registered to deliver PSD will be able to access a full copy of the standards with guidance, which provides key information on how to interpret and implement the unit standards. Download sample units from the PSD Entry 1-3 standards with guidance and sample units from the PSD Levels 1-2 standards with guidance.

Exemplar portfolios

These exemplar unit portfolios have been created to provide guidance for centres on the type and amount of evidence required for PSD units.

Become a member 

Our expert team will guide you through the process. Please complete this expression of interest form and an ASDAN expert will be in touch. You can also visit our membership page for a reminder of what is included. 

Create a cohort

Once you are approved as an ASDAN member and have approval to deliver this course, you can create a cohort of learners in the members’ area. Specify a course coordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course. Learners should be registered within 60 days of starting any ASDAN course and before any assessment takes place. 

Resources 

ASDAN provides a wide range of supporting resources, including course standards with guidance and assessment materials. All resources related to your course can be found on the course webpage. 

Assessment 

All ASDAN courses are assessed through portfolios or projects, instead of exams. Appropriate internal quality assurance (IQA) and external quality assurance (EQA) will take place according to the course and you will be guided on this by our team. 

Qualification assessment planning

This training includes three video-based lessons covering what assessment plans are, how to complete them and how to manage them across your cohorts. This training is free and not mandatory. 

Professional development opportunities

Continued professional development (CPD) training opportunities are available for all ASDAN courses to support assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA). 

Training is delivered by ASDAN experts, supporting your centre to run our courses successfully and develop and sustain expertise across your team. They provide an introduction to the course, along with guidance on processes, course delivery and moderation.  

Browse training opportunities 

As an ASDAN member, you can also take part in ASDAN’s special interest groups. These are termly online sessions focusing on specific areas of practice, providing space for discussion, collaboration and networking between ASDAN members. 

ASDAN training events are delivered by experts to enable your centre to successfully run our courses. They provide an introduction to the course, along with guidance on the processes involved, course delivery and moderation. 

Training is mandatory for PSD qualifications. 

Book training

 

ASDAN Qualification Assessment Planning 

Three video based lessons covering what assessment plans are, how to complete them and how to manage them across your cohorts.

This training is free and not mandatory.

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Costs

All candidate registration costs shown below are per candidate, unless otherwise stated.

Item Price
Personal and Social Development:   
Award (all levels) £37
Certificate (all levels) £37

Public funding for ASDAN qualifications delivered in the UK

Many ASDAN qualifications are fully funded by the UK Government.

Whether you are an employer, a learner or a training provider, the following websites will provide you with more information on the different types of public funding in the UK for ASDAN qualifications.  

Products

Course resources

PSD Entry 3 recognising progress

PSD Entry 2 recognising progress

Learning log

Scheme of work template

This template can be used to plan and create a scheme of work for any ASDAN programme or qualification. Also included is a completed example showing a scheme of work for Module 3 of the Personal Development Programmes.

PSD Level 1 generic worksheets

PSD Level 1 assessment checklists

PSD Level 1 assessment plans

PSD Level 1 unit activities

Please note that there is no minimum number of challenges required to achieve units from the Personal and Social Development qualifications. Assessors should choose enough challenges for their learners to produce evidence which meets the requirements across all assessment criteria within the unit. Additional challenges may be completed to support the development of learner understanding and/or skills. You can contact your education development partner, or the Quality and Qualifications team, if you are unsure about what your learners need to do to achieve an ASDAN qualification.

PSD Level 1 unit worksheets

PSD Level 1 controlled challenges

PSD Level 1 completed example assessment plans

PSD L1 summative challenges

Success stories

PSD provides ‘refreshing GCSE alternative’ and improves learners’ focus

Of the 17 students who completed the Personal and Social Development (PSD) Level 2 qualification at Integrated College Dungannon in Co Tyrone last year, all went on to sixth form or college.
Progression pathway
Personal Progress
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