Studying child development will impart knowledge about how children learn, how schema are formed, and how development is linked to nurture.
Official statistics identify circa 75 000 Early Year’s Care Providers registered on the Early Years Register (EYR) in England. Demand for childcare professionals in this vital sector is consistent, as children require care and early education. The Early Years’ sector focuses on the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years. In England, there are approximately 1.3 million childcare places for children aged under five and many different types of Early Years’ settings, ranging from childminders and nannies, to nurseries, crèches and preschools. Knowledge of child development is also important in a variety of healthcare roles such as paediatricians, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Study of this sector at Key Stage 4 will complement GCSE study through providing an opportunity for practical application alongside conceptual study.
The BTEC Child Development Tech Award gives students at Key Stage 4 the opportunity 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. Students who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects or alternately study a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC Level 3 National in Children’s Care, Learning and Development, et.al.
Essentially, this qualification is a practical introduction to the application of play opportunities for the learning and development of children in a variety of environments.
Cross-Curricular
Core knowledge
Official statistics identify circa 75 000 Early Year’s Care Providers registered on the Early Years Register (EYR) in England. Demand for childcare professionals in this vital sector is consistent, as children require care and early education. The Early Years’ sector focuses on the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years. In England, there are approximately 1.3 million childcare places for children aged under five and many different types of Early Years’ settings, ranging from childminders and nannies, to nurseries, crèches and preschools. Knowledge of child development is also important in a variety of healthcare roles such as paediatricians, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists. Study of this sector at Key Stage 4 will complement GCSE study through providing an opportunity for practical application alongside conceptual study.
The BTEC Child Development Tech Award gives students at Key Stage 4 the opportunity 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. Students who generally achieve at Level 2 across their Key Stage 4 learning might consider progression to A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects or alternately study a vocational qualification at Level 3, such as a BTEC Level 3 National in Children’s Care, Learning and Development, et.al.
Essentially, this qualification is a practical introduction to the application of play opportunities for the learning and development of children in a variety of environments.
Cross-Curricular
Literacy – Students will be given the opportunity to use subject specific terminology and key terms contextually, all of which are underpinned by grammatical principles, thus encouraging the correct use of punctuation and a diverse vocabulary range.
Numeracy – Students will be given some opportunity to use and apply the skills acquired in maths.
Physical Education – Students will understand the importance of exercise and how a child’s body reacts to it.
PSHE – Students will be given the opportunity to discuss and evaluate the impact of physical, environmental and socio-economic factors may have on the growth and development of babies and children.
Cultural capital (including skills and emotional)
Students have 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.
In a practical learning environment, students will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and technical skills 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