Curriculum - Health and social care

Intent

Our aim is to create enthusiastic students who have a broad knowledge of health and social care, to enable them to apply this to their coursework and exam tasks. By using vocational setting to support learning, we aim to inspire students to pursue their subjects to a higher level and future career pathways.

Health and social care at level 2 aims to motivate students and open doors to progression to further study and responsibility within the workplace. We aim to give students a route through education that has clear progression pathways to further study in health and social care at level 3 or an apprenticeship. Our priority is developing knowledge and understanding of key terminology and themes to enable students to apply this to vocational scenarios. The course is designed so that the components build upon each other as the students grow in confidence, allowing students to embed their knowledge whilst giving opportunities to put into practice what they learn. This ensures they develop their technical skills, which they can apply to real life scenarios through case studies and local community contexts.

The internally assessed units are designed to promote deep learning through ensuring the connection between knowledge and practice. Content involves the understanding and application of human growth and development, how people deal with life events, health and social care services, as well as a practical demonstration of care values. The externally assessed unit builds upon this and allows students to interpret and assess an individual’s health and wellbeing.

Implementation

Students will:

  • Develop key skills in health and social care such as interpreting data to assess an individual’s health.
  • Develop knowledge of the processes that underpins effective ways of working in health and social care, such as designing a plan to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.
  • Develop awareness of the care values and how to use them to empower a service user and to practice applying them.
  • Understand human development across the life stages and categorise development into 4 areas (PIES).
  • Understand how factors can affect our development.
  • To gain knowledge of Health and Social Care services and the support they offer.
  • Experience a wide range of learning experiences which are accessible to students of all abilities. This involves group work opportunities, clearly differentiated tasks, report writing through internal assessments and examination technique for external assessments and controlled assessments.
  • Understand and be able to apply knowledge of human growth and development, how people deal with life events, health and social care services, as well as a practical demonstration of care values.
  • Develop as effective and independent students, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds.

Extra-Curricular:

  • Local health and social care professionals’ talks on job roles within the sector.
  • Work experience opportunities
  • Role play activities for the application of care values

Relationship to the wider KS3 curriculum:

  • English Language: Spelling, grammar, punctuation, written analysis, written investigation.
  • Mathematics: Numeracy, interpretation of graphs.
  • Science: Reproduction, genetics, physiological data.
  • PSHE: Relationships, life events, emotional development.
 
Links to KS5

The level 2 qualification in health and social care provides knowledge, understanding and skills for learners to progress to other level 2 qualifications, level 3 vocational qualifications (BTEC Nationals), other academic qualifications (Psychology, Applied Science, Food Technology) and employment within the Health and Social Care sector (apprenticeships and junior roles) for example:

  • Mental Health
  • Nursing including Midwifery
  • Social Work
  • Radiotherapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physiotherapy
  • Care Assistant
  • Youth Worker
 
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care

This course covers the range of knowledge and skills that you will need to be successful in a career within the care sector. It will allow you to progress on to further study or seek employment. The content of the qualification incorporates topics relevant across the health and social care sector such as Human Lifespan Development, Working in Health and Social Care and Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs.

Students will:

  • develop an interest in, and enthusiasm for Health and Social Care
  • be prepared to perform in vocational tasks that encourage the development of appropriate vocational behaviours and transferable skills.
  • develop their transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research and analysis, which are valued in both higher education and the workplace.