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Head of Subject

Ali Wright

Overview of the course

This course is for students who want to acquire sector-specific applied knowledge through vocational contexts by planning, developing and adapting play opportunities suitable for young children across five areas of development as part of their Key Stage 4 learning.  The qualification recognises the value of learning applied knowledge and vocational attributes to complement GCSEs.  The qualification will broaden students’ experience and understanding of the varied progression options available to them.

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What will you study?

The Tech Award gives students the opportunity to develop applied knowledge and understanding of child development and growth up to the age of five, how children learn through play and how meeting the needs of individual children will support their development, play and learning.

Students will have the opportunity to develop applied knowledge in the following areas:

The characteristics of children’s development from birth up to five years

Factors that affect growth and development

The importance of play

How play promotes children’s learning and development

Reasons why children may need support

Child-friendly environments to support play, learning and development in children from birth to five years old

Supporting all children to learn and develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially, and adapting activities to support children’s play, learning and development.

 

Component 1	Component 2	Component 3
Children’s Growth and Development	Learning Through Play	Supporting Children to Play, Learn and Develop

 

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Assessment

This qualification is graded with Pass, Merit or Distinction

Components 1 and 2 will be internally assessed and moderated through a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA), completed in a computer room in controlled conditions.  Students will have one resubmission opportunity for each PSA allowing them to make improvements to their work based on teacher feedback.

Students are allowed to have their own notes in front of them while completing each PSA and will have approximately six hours across eight lessons.

Component 3 will be assessed with an external examination in the summer of Year 11.  This is a synoptic assessment meaning that it covers knowledge gained from all three components.

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Possible career path

Study of this qualification as part of Key Stage 4 learning will help students to make more informed choices for further learning, either generally or in this sector.  The choices that students can make Post-16 will depend on their overall level of attainment and their performance in the qualification.

The early years sector focuses on the learning, development and care of children in the UK -there were approximately 1.7 million Ofsted registered childcare places for children offered by many different types of early years settings in England in 2019, ranging from childminders and nannies to nurseries, crèches and preschools.  

Knowledge of child development is important in a variety of occupations outside of childcare and teaching, for example, in healthcare roles such as

Paediatricians	Psychologists
Occupational Therapists	Speech and Language Therapists