GCSE Health and Social Care

April 18, 2018 by iebsoftware

This qualification presents students with a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course to study and allows for an insight into Health and Social Care disciplines. It prepares students for making informed decisions about future learning opportunities and career choices.

The table below summarises the new structure of this GCSE course introduced by CCEA in September 2017:

Controlled Assessment is made up of three tasks:

• Task 1 produce a report accessing a care service of your choice for a chosen service user.
• Task 2 producing an information booklet on a local service.
• Task 3 producing a PowerPoint presentation and evaluating own suitability for chosen job role. 

Written Examination (Must be done in Year 11):

The exam will focus on:

• The stages and pattern of human growth and development.
• Different factors affecting growth and development.
• Different types of relationships and their effects on development.
• Factors affecting self – concept.
• Coping with life changes and effects on development.

Skills developed through the study of Health and Social Care

• Pupils’ increase understanding of the health and social care sector to develop as effective and independent learners.
• Pupils’ understand aspects of personal development and the health, social care, and early years and children’s services sectors by investigating and evaluating a range of services and organisations.
• Pupils’ have the opportunity to develop a critical and analytical approach to problem solving within the health, social care, early years and children’s services sectors.
• Pupils’ can examine issues that affect the nature and quality of human life, including an appreciation of diversity and cultural issues.

The GCSE course acts as an excellent foundation for AS and A2 health and social care which is offered at post 16 in our school. The AS/A2 course has an excellent uptake and opens up a wide variety of choices at university level.

Careers linked with Health and Social Care

Examples of appropriate employment to which a GCSE Health and Social Care student might progress include: Nursery Nurse, Care Assistant, Care Manager, Child minder, Pre – School/Nursery School Assistant, Health Education Officer, Dental Nurse and Dental Hygienist, Reflexologist or another complementary Medicine, Careers Advisor, Medical Technical Officer, Health and Safety Officer as well as a Career in the Ambulance Service. The GCSE could contribute towards meeting the entry requirements for training in Nursing and professions such as Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Speech and Language Therapy, Social Work, Midwifery, Health Visiting and Dietetics.

It can also contribute towards meeting the entry requirements for Teaching and working with people with disabilities.

A GCSE in Health and Social Care encourages learners to be inspired, moved and changed by following a broad, coherent, satisfying and worthwhile course of study and gain an insight into related sectors.  It prepares learners to make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices.