Can someone tell me what an Award of Personal Effectiveness is please?

[whatisthisthing]

My DD (year 8) has come home from school with a letter saying she has to attend 1 lesson a week for 8 weeks to study for this Award. I'm a bit concerned as it sounds as though she needs extra help, despite her always having done quite well. I'm still waiting for the school to phone me back about this, but I'm a bit worried.

Or is this just what all children have to do at this stage?

Have name-changed as don't want to out DD. Thanks.

Anyone?

Never heard of it but a quick google

www.asdan.org.uk/courses/qualifications/award-of-personal-effectiveness

Is it this ?

Yes, that's it. I have Googled, but it doesn't really give any clue as to whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, iyswim.

Are you in Wales? If so, the grades they get in this can add to the school's points for league tables?

This seems like an odd thing to worry about. If your daughter is otherwise doing okay, why would this cause you to worry? Maybe this is a new course the school is running? Maybe it's a pilot?

It's difficult to see what it is from Google but I suspect it's one of the "transferable skills" (e.g. team working) courses that come and go in secondary education. They're usually aimed at boosting employability, i.e. teaching skills that have practical application rather than trigonometry and Shakespeare.

They are usually also next to useless but sometimes worth UCAS points and, I guess, mean an extra qualification on her CV alongside GCSEs. Whether these are actually benefits depends on what your DD plans to do after school.

It's hard to see how it could be a "bad thing" unless you're concerned that it detracts from Shakespeare...