Child Development
Vocational GCSE in Child Development
This will appeal to students who are interested in working with babies and children. It is a subject that is relevant to life and experience. Students will be encouraged to develop many skills that are important in further education and employment.
Students will learn about the principles of child development including family and parenting, preparation for pregnancy and birth, physical development, nutrition and health, intellectual, social and emotional development and child care provision. All students have the opportunity to gain one A* - G grade.
Students will complete one short task in relation to Child Development and one Child Study task. The Child Study task will involve research, planning, practical work and evaluation. There is one written examination. There will be an opportunity to foster a virtual baby for a weekend in each year of the course.
Unit 1 is a 1.5 hour written examination, taken in Year 11. Unit 2 is a research task completed in 7 hours and taken in Year 10. Unit 3 is a child observation task covering 20 hours work. Please note that the students must identify a child of less than 5 years of age to complete this on.
Students could progress on to further courses in Child Development or related fields and ultimately Higher Education. They might also progress on to employment as a nursery nurse, play assistant or early years worker.
