Children’s Care

The Programme:

A broad basis of study of the arly ears’ ector. This qualification is designed to support progression to higher education when taken as part of a programme of study that includes other appropriate BTEC Nationals or A Levels. This is a two year course, equivalent in size to one A Level.

Students taking this qualification will study three mandatory units, which cover the following topics: children’s development, communication and numeracy and play and learning. Students will complete 50 hours of work experience in the sector. We then select one option unit, which supports students’ progression to specialised degree programmes within the sector and covers areas such as: afeguarding, the arly ears’ oundation stage, hysical evelopment, are and ealth eeds.

Units are a mix of two mandatory external exams and two internal assessments. There are three main forms of assessment that you need to be aware of: external, internal and synoptic. Externally-assessed units:- Each external assessment for a BTEC National is linked to a specific unit. Each assessment is taken under specified conditions, then marked by Pearson and a grade awarded. The styles of external assessment used for qualifications in the Children’s Play, Learning and Development suite are:

Examinations - all learners take the same assessment at the same time, normally with a written outcome;

Set Tasks - learners take the assessment during a defined window and demonstrate understanding through completion of a vocational task; internally-assessed units - most units in the sector are internally assessed and subject to external standards’ verification;

Synoptic assessment - Synoptic assessment requires learners to demonstrate that they can identify and use effectively, in an integrated way, an appropriate selection of skills, techniques, concepts, theories and knowledge from across the whole sector, as relevant to a key task.