Years 12 & 13: Level 3 BTEC Alternative Academic Qualification (AAQ) in Health and Social Care

Course Structure

The BTEC Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualification in Health and Social Care extends and develops the learning which takes place in Key Stage 4, providing a more theoretical and refined approach to topics previously covered.  It would be of benefit to anyone considering a career working with people and contains a high percentage of coursework, at 50% of a student’s overall final grade.

Year 1 – Mandatory Unit – Unit 1 – Externally Examined Assessment
Human Lifespan Development

This unit will develop your knowledge and understanding of patterns of human growth and development across different life stages and the concept of holistic development. You will study factors which may influence human growth, development and health: some of these are innate; some are impacted by lifestyle, environmental, socio-economic factors and many are a combination of all factors. You will study the impact of health inequalities and how these affect the health of individuals. This unit also explores the promotion, prevention and treatment provided by health and social care professionals and their roles and responsibilities when providing care.
 

Mandatory Unit – Unit 3 – Internally Assessed
Principles of Health and Social Care Practice

In this unit, you will learn about the values, skills and principles of meeting care and support needs and how these should be applied in practice. You will look at some of the challenges and approaches that may arise when personalising care and how legislation, governance and regulation affect the provision of care and support to meet individuals’ needs. You will also examine the different societal factors affecting health outcomes of individuals and the strategies used in health and social care to overcome these.
 

Year 2 – Mandatory Unit – Unit 2 – Externally Examined Assessment
Human Biology and Health

In this unit, you will learn how the body is organised into cells, tissues and organ systems and how healthy bodily function is achieved. You will develop your knowledge on cellular structure and function, the different tissue types, including where they are found in the body and how their structure supports their function. You will explore respiration and energy metabolism in the human body and the homeostatic mechanisms that work to maintain the internal environment of the body. You will then build on this knowledge to develop a more detailed knowledge of the structure and function of key body systems, such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. You will also consider how normal physiological functioning may be interrupted by common disorders, such as coronary heart disease and diabetes.
 

Optional Unit – Unit 5 – Internally Assessed
Promoting Health Education

In this unit, you will develop an understanding of the purpose of health education, learning about organisations and legislations that support the implementation of health education, including how they work as part of an integrated care team to ensure the nation’s health is a priority. You will develop an understanding of a range of models and approaches to health education that will allow you to understand the processes that staff working in health and social care sectors apply when supporting the public’s health to prevent and educate on current issues in health and wellbeing. By planning a small-scale health education event, you will be able to develop an awareness of the processes of planning an event and assessing the effectiveness of models and approaches to health education.

Homework Policy:

At KS5 home learning will vary depending on the module being studied.  Homework tasks will be set weekly.  These may include research for assignments, DIRT work to use feedback to improve assignment quality and content and exam-based questions.
 

Setting Rationale and Structure:

All teaching groups at Key stage 5 are of mixed ability and there are no sets for this subject.