AQA Unit Award Scheme at Nu FOCUS
Nu FOCUS is registered to use AQA’s Unit Award Scheme validated units. That means selected Starz learning, enterprise projects and work experience can lead to an AQA certificate recording exactly what a learner has achieved.
Add one £35 certification token for each learner and eligible project mapped to one validated unit. The learning stays active and practical; we build the required evidence into the journey.
Clear distinction: UAS records and certificates achievement. It is not a qualification and UAS units do not count towards a qualification.
What the scheme does
AQA UAS breaks learning into clear units. Each unit states what must be achieved and what evidence is needed, while Nu FOCUS chooses how to teach it in a way that fits the learner.
For learners and families
Instead of a general attendance award, the certificate lists the unit outcomes achieved. Over time, a learner can build a portfolio showing skills, knowledge and experience across different projects.
For schools and settings
Outcomes and evidence are planned before delivery, but tutors can still adapt the route. This is particularly useful for SEND, SEMH, enrichment, community learning and alternative provision.
Accurate representation matters. Nu FOCUS is registered to use AQA UAS validated units. We do not present the scheme as a qualification or imply that Nu FOCUS is accredited by AQA.
Read AQA’s scheme overviewOne scheme across the ecosystem
Eligible offers will display an AQA UAS option only after Nu FOCUS has matched the activity to a validated unit and defined the evidence pathway.
Selected online modules can be mapped to a validated unit so the learner’s normal tasks produce the required evidence.
Eligible supplementary courses will show an AQA UAS option before purchase or enrolment.
A business idea, customer research, budgeting, promotion and pitching can become a structured project portfolio.
Attendance, workplace behaviours, completed tasks and reflection can evidence an appropriate work-related unit.
Especially valuable in alternative provision
For a learner who has disengaged, missed curriculum time or needs a more practical route, a short certificated unit can make progress visible. It can rebuild momentum and support later progression without pretending that the UAS certificate itself is a qualification.
From activity to certificate
The learner completes meaningful work. Nu FOCUS makes sure the right evidence is present and that every stated outcome has genuinely been achieved.
Look for the AQA UAS option or ask Nu FOCUS which validated unit is mapped to the activity.
The module, course or programme is designed so the required outputs and observations can be gathered as the learner works.
One token covers one learner and one eligible project mapped to one validated unit. Timing rules differ for online and in-person delivery.
We collate the portfolio, confirm each outcome and internally verify the claim before it is submitted.
The certificate names the completed unit and lists the knowledge, skills or experiences achieved.
Choose the correct timing
The difference is whether the evidence already exists in the learning system or needs a tutor to observe and record it during delivery.
Online or self-directed
Parents can buy or redeem a token during the activity or within four weeks after an eligible project is completed, while the required work remains available for review.
Best for:Tutor-led and in person
Some outcomes rely on observation, discussion or tutor records. Advance notice lets us brief staff and compile the correct portfolio while the learner participates.
Best for:Once a token is redeemed, relevant evidence may need to remain securely available for verification, the AQA claim, queries and monitoring. It should not be stored in a publicly accessible WordPress media folder. Access and deletion must follow the Nu FOCUS privacy notice and a documented records-retention schedule.
Find eligible learning
A certificate should reinforce meaningful participation rather than become the only reason to learn. Start with the goal, then choose an eligible route and the right validated unit.
Use the Academy route finderAQA UAS questions
These answers explain eligibility, token timing, alternative provision, evidence and the important difference between a UAS certificate and a qualification.
Ask about an eligible projectThe Unit Award Scheme records achievement in short, clearly defined units of learning. Each validated unit states the outcomes a learner must achieve and the evidence required. When a unit is successfully completed and claimed, AQA issues a certificate listing those outcomes.
No. The Unit Award Scheme is not a qualification and its units do not count towards a qualification. It provides formal recognition of completed learning, can build a portfolio of achievement and may help a learner rebuild confidence and progress towards later courses or qualifications.
One token covers one learner and one eligible project mapped to one validated unit. The £35 is Nu FOCUS’s service price and includes checking and collating the required evidence, internal verification, submitting the valid claim through Nu FOCUS and standard certificate administration. The underlying learning is separate; any exceptional resubmission, replacement certificate or delivery cost would be explained separately.
Eligible learning will be clearly marked as an AQA UAS option and mapped to a validated unit before delivery. This can include selected Starz modules, Innovation Hub courses, enterprise programmes, work-experience activity and other practical projects. A token cannot turn unrelated or incomplete work into a certificate after the event.
For eligible online or self-directed learning, a token can be redeemed during the activity or up to four weeks after completion while the necessary evidence is still available. For tutor-led, in-person programmes, tell us before the programme starts so the tutor can capture observations and compile the required portfolio as the learner works.
Where it suits the learner and commissioned placement, UAS certification can be planned into an alternative-provision pathway from the outset. This gives the tutor time to select the right validated unit, teach towards clear outcomes and gather evidence without turning the placement into an exam-led experience. Inclusion and any fees are confirmed in the placement agreement.
The four-week redemption period is not an automatic deletion date. Evidence is kept securely only for as long as it is needed to administer the option, verify and submit a redeemed unit, respond to a query and meet any AQA monitoring requirement. The applicable period and access arrangements are set out in the Nu FOCUS privacy and records-retention information.
Nu FOCUS first checks that every required outcome has been achieved and the evidence is complete. AQA states that certificates are issued within 10 working days after a valid claim is submitted. Allow additional time for Nu FOCUS verification, any evidence correction and delivery to the learner.
