Head of Department:	Mrs A Austin
Specification:	Pearson
Qualification:	BTEC Level 2 Tech Award in Child Development

PROGRAMME OF STUDY

Throughout the course you will learn some of the main values that are used by early years practitioners and how they are applied within early years settings.

You will understand how a child develops from birth to five years and how patterns of development emerge. You will also learn how practitioners use play to create a learning environment and the role of specialist workers in meeting the needs of a child.

Component 1: Children’s Growth & Development (Pearson Set Assignment worth 30%)

You will investigate the factors affecting growth and development of children from birth to five years old. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of children’s growth and development across five areas of development - physical, intellectual and cognitive, communication and language, social and emotional. You will explore the different patterns of development and the professionals who are responsible for monitoring the development of children.

Component 2: Learning through Play (Pearson Set Assignment worth 30%)

You will develop an understanding of how play activities can influence children’s learning between the ages of birth and five years old. You will consider the different types of play in which children engage, and how activities can support children’s learning and progress across the five areas of development.

Component 3: Supporting Children to Play, Learn & Develop (Exam worth 40%)

You will investigate how a child learns and develops and how to adapt activities to support the inclusion of all children in play. You will look at some of the ways children’s individual circumstances can affect how they learn and develop, compared to their peers. This can include a sensory impairment, restricted movements or a delay in development. You will also investigate the role of an adult in making sure that all children are safe when engaging in play activities.

HOW IS THE COURSE STRUCTURED & ASSESSED?

The BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Child Development is run over two years and content is broken down into components. Assignments and the exam are graded from Pass (level 4), Merit (level 5.5), Distinction (level 7) and Distinction* (level 8.5).

The qualification consists of three components that give you the opportunity to explore how children develop from 0-5 years, as well as develop key skills and gain an insight into the sector. 

Components 1 & 2 are internally assessed. These are set by Pearson, marked by the centre and moderated by Pearson. The set assignments for both components have to be completed in supervised conditions in a timetabled assessment window. 

Component 3 is an exam unit that is set and marked by Pearson, completed under supervised conditions and timetabled by the exam board. 

In order to be awarded a qualification, a learner must complete and achieve an outcome for all three components. The overall grade is a direct aggregation of performance across individual components, with each component weighted according to the GLH. 

WHAT CAN THESE QUALIFICATIONS LEAD TO?

Successful completion of this course will help you progress to Level 3 vocational and academic qualifications. You may wish to study Health and Social Care in Sixth Form as the skills and content is transferable. We offer the BTEC Level 3 Health and Social Care Extended Certificate; this is equivalent to one A Level and will further develop and extend knowledge from the Child Development course. On successful completion of the BTEC Level 3 course, you are then eligible to apply to university to continue your studies or vocations in Child Development. 

The course will also help build your skills, knowledge and understanding of child development, working with children, communication and public service working. These transferable skills are needed to enter the world of work in fields such as: Early Years teacher, Education consultant, Education Mental Health Practitioner, Family Support Worker, Play Therapist, Social Worker, Nursery Nurse, Paediatric Care.