Health & Social Care

All students will have the chance to gain work experience in relevant health or social care settings

All students will study: 

• Human Lifespan Development  
• Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs
• Working in Health and Social Care  
• Supporting Individuals with Additional Needs  

If you are studying the Diploma or Extended Diploma you will also study:   

• Principles in Safe Practice  
• Promoting Public Health  
• Enquiries in current research  

In addition to all of the above, if you are studying the Extended Diploma you will also study:  

• Work Experience (minimum of 100 hours in settings) 
• Anatomy and Physiology  
• Nutrition  
• Infection Prevention and Control  
• Physiological Disorders  

Studying Health and Social Care will allow you to apply for higher education courses and supports progression in to the following areas:

Extended diploma (human biology focus):  

• Nursing (adult, child, mental health) 
• Midwifery*
• Physiotherapy*
• Occupational Therapy* 
• Paramedic Practice*
• Radiographer*
• Podiatrist*

*please check the entry requirements for each university as some will require science as a separate subject 

The Diploma or Extended Certificate, combined with other relevant subjects supports:

• Social care 
• Social work 
• Counselling 
• Speech and Language Therapist 
• Health care worker

Alternatively, you may choose to progress into a related apprenticeship or training position or study another subject at a degree level. 

Edexcel

All courses will have two exams in Year 12 - Human Lifespan Development in January and Working in Health and Social Care in May. Extended diploma students will have an additional exam in Anatomy and Physiology in May/June of Y12. In Y13 there is a Research exam in January for Diploma and Extended diploma students. 

To prepare for these exams there is lots of support available via CP, Newman Revise, regular assessments and mock exams. Other units are assessed via coursework. The grades from both the coursework units and examined units are combined to calculate an overall grade for the course.

At least five 4s at GCSE including at least a 4 in English Language or Maths.  

NOTE: Completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service Application (DBS) is compulsory as gaining work experience with a range of vulnerable client groups is an essential requirement of the extended diploma course.

BTEC Extended Certificate is equivalent to 1 A-Level  
BTEC Diploma, this is equivalent to 2 A-Levels  
BTEC Extended Diploma, this is equivalent to 3 A-Levels

Assessment is via a mixture of coursework and external assessments.