Personal and Social Development
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:
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.
The following documents are available to download for free:
PSD qualification specifications
Awards: Entry 1; Entry 2; Entry 3; Level 1; Level 2
Certificates: Entry 1; Entry 2; Entry 3; Level 1; Level 2
- Table of PSD units at all levels
- PSD Entry 1-3 standards
- PSD Levels 1-2 standards
- sample units from the PSD Entry 1-3 standards with guidance
- sample units from the PSD Levels 1-2 standards with guidance
- PSD exemplar portfolio: Preparation for work Level 1
- PSD exemplar portfolio: Preparation for work Level 2
Assessment resources
1. Staff training
• The members of staff with overall responsibility for delivery must attend an ASDAN introductory workshop, webinar or INSET. Book at: asdan.org.uk/training
2. Register with ASDAN
• You will need ASDAN Qualifications membership to deliver Personal and Social Development qualifications. Membership allows centres to purchase materials and access support, including regular mailings and updates.
• Become a member at: asdan.org.uk/membership or manage your existing membership at: asdan.org.uk/membership-details
3. Centre approval
• Centres will need to provide specific policies and procedures and provide additional information in order to be given centre approval to deliver qualifications. Centres are risk rated and all new centres will require a centre approval visit.
• Centres should create assessment plans for all units being assessed. Centres may be asked to supply them to ASDAN for validation.
• Centres will be required to review and renew a number of centre policies each year at: asdan.org.uk/member/centre-details/centre-approval
4. Create a new cohort
• Create a new cohort using the ASDAN website: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Specify a course co-ordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course.
5. Delivery and assessment
• Deliver the course to candidates, making use of the standards and general guidance and assessment resources. Resources can be downloaded from the course resources section on this page.
6. Internal moderation
• Internally moderate all portfolios to ensure that learners have met the full requirements of the course. Ensure learners are given time to make any necessary amendments.
8. External moderation
• Book your moderation at: asdan.org.uk/member/moderations
• Deadline of 31 October for booking moderation within the academic year. Fees apply for moderations booked after this date. Members are entitled to two free moderations per qualification, per year.
• Confirm your learner names and details for moderation: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Provide the sample portfolios to the external quality assurer (EQA), as requested.
Moderation may take place as part of a centre visit or be carried out by post.
• Certificates will be sent to your centre within 20 working days of your EQA notifying ASDAN that a successful final moderation has taken place.
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.
Costs
All candidate registration costs shown below are per candidate, unless otherwise stated.
Item | Price |
---|---|
Personal and Social Development: | |
Award (all levels) | £32.95 |
Certificate (all levels) | £35.95 |
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.
- England - Education and Skills Funding Agency, ESFA
- Wales - Qualifications in Wales, QiW
- Northern Ireland - Department for the Economy
Join ASDAN
To teach this course you must have one of these membership types:
- Qualifications
Already a member? Sign in
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.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.Products
PSD Entry standards with guidance
The standards with guidance is a vital document that describes the standards candidates must meet for each PSD assessment unit and provides guidance to support these standards at Entry Level 1, 2 and 3.
All centres registered for PSD are issued with a copy. This resource is also available for members approved to deliver PSD to download from the resources section below.
£10.00
PSD Levels 1 and 2 standards with guidance
The standards with guidance is a vital document that describes the standards candidates must meet for each PSD assessment unit and provides guidance to support these standards at Entry Level 1, 2 and 3.
All centres registered for PSD are issued with a copy. This resource is also available for members approved to deliver PSD to download from the resources section below.
£10.00
PSD Entry standards with guidance
The standards with guidance is a vital document that describes the standards candidates must meet for each PSD assessment unit and provides guidance to support these standards at Entry Level 1, 2 and 3.
All centres registered for PSD are issued with a copy. This resource is also available for members approved to deliver PSD to download from the resources section below.
£10.00
PSD Levels 1 and 2 standards with guidance
The standards with guidance is a vital document that describes the standards candidates must meet for each PSD assessment unit and provides guidance to support these standards at Entry Level 1, 2 and 3.
All centres registered for PSD are issued with a copy. This resource is also available for members approved to deliver PSD to download from the resources section below.
£10.00
Course Resources
PSD specification: Entry 3 award
PSD specification: Level 1 certificate
PSD specification: Level 2 certificate
PSD specification: Entry 2 award
PSD specification: Entry 2 certificate
PSD specification: Level 2 award
PSD specification: Entry 1 certificate
PSD specification: Entry 3 certificate
PSD specification: Level 1 award
PSD specification: Entry 1 award
PSD Entry 3 recognising progress
PSD Entry 2 recognising progress
PSD Entry 1-3 standards with guidance
Updated for October 2023, please be aware of an error in the September 2023 version that has been corrected in this version.
PSD Levels 1-2 standards with guidance
Updated for October 2023, please be aware of an error in the September 2023 version that has been corrected in this version.
PSD Standards with guidance September 2023 versions error notice
Table of PSD units at all levels
Qualifications internal moderation checklist
Qualifications internal standardisation meeting template
Qualifications internal standardisation feedback record
Qualifications internal moderation sampling plan
Qualifications internal moderation report template
Qualifications internal quality assurance guidance
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 exemplar portfolio: Healthy living Level 1
PSD exemplar portfolio: Preparation for work Level 1
PSD exemplar portfolio: Parenting awareness Level 1
PSD exemplar portfolio: Healthy eating Level 2
PSD exemplar portfolio: Preparation for work Level 2
PSD exemplar portfolio: Parenting awareness Level 2
Principles of assessment