Curriculum
Health and Social Care is both a challenging and rewarding Key Stage 4 subject that students have the choice to select during their Year 9 option choices to study in Year 10 and 11.
We are currently delivering the BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care, an enjoyable qualification which students can study further at both college and university. BTEC qualifications help develop work related transferable skills through independent projects, requiring research and analysis to produce Pearson set assignments (PSA) under controlled exam conditions within given deadlines.
Health and Social Care is all about physical health and wellbeing, mind and body, including mental health, respect and care values.
Learners will explore different aspects of growth and development throughout the various life stages. Learners will demonstrate an understanding of the various factors that can have a positive and negative impact on an individual’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Learners will also explore the different events that can impact on individuals’ physical, intellectual, emotional and social development and how individuals cope with and are supported through changes caused by life events. Students will demonstrate their level of understanding by analysing exam board case studies and writing their findings in a report during a series of assessments under controlled exam conditions.
Learners will explore health and social care services and how they meet the needs of service users. They will also study the skills, attributes and values required when giving care. This component requires learners to produce a report based on given case studies where they identify the health and social needs. Learners are assessed via a series of controlled assessments under exam board conditions. Component two is also assessed via a practical assessment whereby learners are required to demonstrate the practical use of the core values in practise. This practical element will allow learners to further develop transferable vocational skills towards working in the health or care sector.
Learners will explore the factors that affect health and wellbeing, learn about physiological and lifestyle indicators and person-centred approaches to make recommendations which improve an individual’s health and wellbeing. Learners will be assessed via an external examination (2 hours) at the end of Year 11. Component three requires students to evaluate a given case study with health issues and advise ways to improve lifestyle, health and wellbeing.
The BTEC Tech Award is assessed throughout Year 10 and 11, allowing learners to gain control over their final outcome. The course combines theory with plenty of practical application, giving learners the opportunity to develop key skills relevant to the health and social care sector, such as research techniques and measuring physical health, as well as developing their written communication skills as they create health and wellbeing plans.
Through the two internally assessed components (component one and two studied in Year 10), learners’ complete realistic tasks and activities that allow them to fully connect knowledge to practice and evidence core knowledge, understanding and skills.
The BTEC Award Health and Social Care Level 1/Level 2 qualification opens up a wide range of progression opportunities, including A Levels or a BTEC National in Health and Social Care.
Health and Social Care is a challenging but popular subject choice amongst learners of all abilities, where accessible ‘real life’ research is undertaken.
The BTEC Tech Award in Health and Social Care is for learners interested in gaining an insight into what it is like to work in one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK. The course covers some of the fundamental aspects of Health and Social Care, including growth and development, health and social care services and values, health and wellbeing. Giving learners a broad introduction to a sector that transcends a wide range of careers from social care and social work to many different branches of healthcare, providing learners with an insight into the many rewarding career pathways in the National Health Service and social care. For example, working with the elderly, counselling, education, childcare and many, many more.
Learners will use realistic vocational contexts to help them acquire sector-specific knowledge and technical skills, exploring a range of healthcare conditions and social care needs, considering how the different healthcare and social services available can help meet individuals’ needs as well as the common barriers and obstacles to accessing care. They will learn about physical, lifestyle, social, cultural, economic and environmental factors affecting health and wellbeing and how to make recommendations for improvement using person-centred approaches.
Mrs K Cowern
Law Degree LLB (Hons). Post Grad Degree Human Resource Management. Further qualifications include: Business Finance and Administration. Many years invaluable work experience in the private sector from James Beattie retail to QAD American software firm. Left the private sector, large office, long lunches and paid overtime to pursue career in teaching as passion for learning.
