Staff
Mrs L Booth (Leader of Learning)
Miss C Henning
Miss B Brown
Mrs A Grim
Mr S Donnelly
Mrs G Beattie
Mr R Fitzpatrick

Within the Early Years Department, we offer the following courses:

Key Stage 4

• Level 2 Award in Occupational Studies (Childcare)
• NCFE CACHE Level 2 Technical Award in Child Development and Care

Occupational Studies (Childcare) www.ccea.org.uk

Two internally assessed units are required to achieve the qualification.

Within the Childcare pathway pupils have the opportunity to study the following units:

Unit 1 -The Play Environment

Play is an essential element in young children’s learning. This unit will help the learner understand how providing appropriate activities, experiences and equipment can encourage a child’s learning. This unit will also help the learner to understand how you can support children’s learning. The content of the unit includes:

• a basic outline of the expected pattern of children’s physical, communication, intellectual, social, emotional and behavioural development;
• the importance of play in children’s learning and development;
• play, language and communication;
• books, poems, games and rhymes for the age group of your choice;
• communication difficulties; and
• Health and Safety.

Section 1 – The importance of language and communication activities in children’s play

At the end of the section learners need to show that they can:

• talk and listen to young children, using/providing suitable activities/experiences/ equipment to encourage talking and listening;
• choose suitable books, poems and rhymes for different stages of development, and which reflect positive and non-discriminatory images and different cultures;
• set up a book area;
• choose, use and make visual aids to support story-telling, songs, rhymes and finger play activities; and
• outline common communication difficulties in children.

Section 2 – Play different types of games with young children

At the end of the section learners need to show that they can:

• choose games for children at different stages of development and how they encourage learning;
• devise and improvise children’s games;
• state how table-top activities help children’s development; and
• demonstrate adapting games to enable children with particular needs to participate.

Unit 2 The Physical Care of Babies

This unit is designed to enable those working with children to understand the main characteristics of a safe, secure and stimulating child care and education environment.

In this unit you will learn about:

• The role of the childcare worker and associated career opportunities
• Basic hygiene needs of babies
• Measures to prevent cross infection
• Disposal of waste and related environmental impacts when caring for babies
• Products and clothing for babies
• Feeding babies
• Health and safety issues when caring for babies

Section 1 Hygiene Requirements of Babies

Within this task you will cover the following areas of understanding

• implications of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA)1974 in relation to this occupational area;
• the role of the childcare worker;
• career opportunities when working with babies;
• the importance of meeting babies’ hygiene needs;
• topping and tailing a baby;
• changing a baby’s nappy;
• bathing a baby;
• how to care for babies’ teeth, feet and skin;
• how to prevent cross infection;
• how to dispose of waste safely and hygienically, minimising the impact on the environment;

Section 2 Equipment and Clothing for Babies

Within this task you will cover the following areas of understanding

• the importance of safety symbols and labelling on equipment and clothing;
• the importance of safety products for use in the home;
• appropriate clothing and footwear for a baby;
• how to dress a baby safely and correctly;
• how to put a baby to sleep in a cot or Moses basket safely; and

Section 3 Feeding Babies

Within this task you will cover the following areas of understanding

• the benefits of breast-feeding;
• how to store expressed breast milk;
• the methods of sterilising babies’ bottles;
• the environmental impact of various methods of sterilising;
• how to make a formula feed for a baby;
• when and how to wean a baby;
• how to meet the nutritional requirements of babies;
• the allergies babies may have to particular foods;
• the cultural food requirements of babies;
• compare home-made and shop-bought foods for babies and consider the use of organic products

NCFE CACHE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Child Development and Care

www.cache.org.uk

How is the subject assessed?

Level 2 Tech Award

The qualification has 2 assessments:

One externally-set, and externally marked (50%)

• Written exam

One externally-set, internally marked and externally moderated (50%)

• Synoptic project

Requirements of the Course:

This course is an equivalent to a GCSE grade A* – D.

To be awarded this qualification, learners are required to successfully demonstrate the knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of all 9 content areas:

• Child Development
• Care routines, play activities to support the child
• Roles and responsibilities within the early years setting
• The importance of observations in early years childcare
• Planning in early years childcare
• Factors that influence the child’s development
• Early Years provision
• Legislation, policies and procedures in the early years
• Expectations of the early years practitioner

Additional Information

This course will provide learners with the knowledge and understanding of child development and well-being necessary for working with children in a variety of settings, for example: Day Care and Nursery schools.

Upon successful completion learners will be able to progress to study Early Years’ qualifications in Post 16 as part of the Advanced Level programme.

Further information can be found at www.cache.org.uk

Post 16

• Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s Play, Learning and Development (BTEC) www.edexcel.com

Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s Play, Learning and Development (BTEC)

This qualification is for students interested in learning about the early year’s sector as part of a balanced study programme. It is intended as an Applied General qualification, and is equivalent in size to 1 A level.

It supports access to a range of higher education courses, possibly in the early year’s sector, if taken alongside further level 3 qualifications.

Course of Study

The content of this qualification supports progression towards higher study.

Students taking this qualification will study the following four units:

• Children’s Development
• Development of Children’s Communication, Literacy and Numeracy Skills
• Play and Learning.
• Keeping Children Safe

Students will also complete 50 hours of work experience in the sector.

3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s Play, Learning and Development

Unit Assessment