Nine top tips for running UAS successfully

We know your time is limited, which is why the Unit Award Scheme (UAS) is designed to be quick and easy to set up in your school. Our experienced team has put together some top tips for UAS coordinators and teachers to help you set up and run the scheme successfully and smoothly.

UAS coordinators

  1. Make small and regular claims

    Claiming certificates on a little and often basis allows you to keep on top of your claims, and provides students with rapid reward for successfully completing units. We’ll issue your certificates within 10 working days.

  2. Encourage new coordinators and teachers to attend regular training

    One-hour monthly training sessions for new coordinators and teachers will ensure they’re up to speed with the scheme and teaching units as quickly as possible. We run these free, live, online sessions every month (except August and December).

  3. Use supporting guides and videos to help administer the scheme

    All our resources, including guidance documents and videos, can be accessed on Centre Services via the resources tab (UAS assessment and training).

  4. Complete a summary sheet for every unit

    Make sure teachers are completing summary sheets for every unit taught, and that student work is marked-up correctly to keep the UAS process running smoothly. A blank summary sheet is available in Centre Services via the resources tab, and there’s a link to the form at the bottom of each unit on our unit search pages.

Teachers

  1. Deliver UAS alongside your existing schemes of work

    The curriculum-led approach of UAS means you don’t need to make changes to your programmes of learning or teaching styles. Its flexibility ensures it can fit around timetables and slot in with your current lesson plans.

  2. Use existing student work for evidence

    Student work doesn’t need to be specific to UAS. Any existing work, for example that’s produced as coursework for a qualification, can also be used as evidence for a UAS unit. We provide guidance on this when joining UAS.

  3. Make use of one-to-ones and observation for teacher supplied evidence

    For many unit outcomes, the only evidence you need to provide is the date you observed students demonstrating the required skills or knowledge, eg through class debates, one-to-one discussions or practical work. We’ll provide guidance when you join.

  4. Make the unit library your first stop

    Check whether you can use or adapt existing units before you write new ones. Our unit library contains units mapped to a selection of our specifications, including GCSE English and Maths, written by our assessment and curriculum experts to help strengthen your students’ core skills. It contains over 17,000 units across a wide range of subjects and topics, with many linked to Pre-entry and Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2 in addition to those mapped to GCSE.

  5. Use keywords in the unit search

    As our unit library is extensive, using keywords, for example, ‘creative writing’ or ‘algebra’, when looking for units will help narrow down the options to find the right ones for your students in no time.

Find out more

If you’d like to know more, or are interested in joining UAS, complete our enquiry form and one of our friendly team will be in touch soon.

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