BTEC HND Child Care Studies Course

Aims of the course

• To provide students with opportunities to develop academic skills in Childcare Studies appropriate for a range of progression options.
• To enable students to develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of the subject area
• To encourage the learner to apply theoretical understanding and evaluation to complex content
• To encourage students to apply terms and concepts appropriately
• To enable students to apply a range of transferrable skills to subject related topics, issues and situations.
• To facilitate and foster the development of a range of presentation skills relevant and appropriate to the discipline and level of study.

Course Objectives

• To encourage direct and indirect independent learning and the development of key skills in an effective and academic context for the purposes of personal development and progression.
• To develop an appreciation of the value and problems of interpretation of core concepts in Childcare Studies, together with related and relevant practices, methodologies and theories.
• To build an understanding of the core concepts within Childcare Studies in different situations and contexts
• To encourage students to apply their experience, knowledge and understanding, and skills to a range of course-related topics.
• To encourage students to develop study autonomy and be able to demonstrate planning, judgement and organisational skills.
• To advance the development of presentation skills appropriate to the discipline, level of study and delivery method.
• To encourage development of transferrable evaluative and analytical skills relevant to Childcare Studies

HOME STUDY SUPPORT

You will be provided with comprehensive materials designed to provide you with everything required to complete your course of study. You will have your own personal tutor helping you with your course work and with any questions you may have. Plus you can contact our Student Advisors by email or phone for all the practical advice you may need – so we really are with you 100%.

What's more, you'll have access to the online student portal, where you can interact with other students, browse our resource library and manage your account.

COURSE ASSESSMENT

This HND subject is made up of a set of 16 units, which may be delivered and assessed independently. All units are assessed by coursework activities, and the compilation of an e-portfolio. The HND subject requires successful completion of all 16 units. Learners are able to complete units at a pace appropriate to their resources, commitments and study plans.

It is expected that a full set of subject units will be completed within 2 academic years of initial enrolment.

Credit is awarded for successful completion of each unit. Any units which are not successfully completed may be repeated but this is subject to the college’s discretion and criteria. All the learning outcomes attached to each unit must be met in order for credit to be awarded. Each unit attracts a total of 15 credits. Coursework is subject to marking criteria which will be outlines within each unit.

This course is delivered entirely via the distance learning route and therefore there is no face to face element or requirement for centre based assessment.

COURSE DURATION

We recommended you spend approximately 1200 hours of your time studying for the course name. The pace of study is completely up to you. To give an example, if you dedicate 12 hours a week to the course it would take you two years to complete but if you could spare 24 hours a week you could complete it in one year.

Get started today, and you can earn your BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) in Child Care Studies in as little as a year, or take up to two years, if you prefer – the choice is yours.

HOME STUDY COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

All students must be 17 years of age and above. Students should have completed a Level 3 Diploma or Professional Diploma or A level standard course (or equivalent) before the Level 5 qualification.

HE diplomas should be targeted at those learners who have the ability to benefit from the course and progress to Level 6. They should also have success at level 3. This is a prerequisite to undertaking the course, as is sufficient skills in English, Maths and ICT.

You have the freedom to start the course at any time and continue your studies at your own pace for a period of up to 24 months from initial registration with full tutor support.

The Edexcel BTEC Child Care Studies HND course is divided into sixteen comprehensive units:

Students will be presented with the opportunity to learn about:

• ICT methods, tools and strategies
• The use of ICT in higher education
• Reflective writing and the use of this for skills enhancement
• The ePortfolio
• Anatomical development of the child
• Physiological development in children

Students will be provided with learning opportunities in:

• Identifying different ICT methods relevant to Level 5 study
• Understanding how to apply different ICT tools and strategies within the course
• Gain understanding of value of independent study and be able to reflect upon experience
• Child development from conception until birth and then explore the anatomy and physiology at each stage of development until puberty and adolescence.
• Exploring genetics, embryology and cellular structure, function and growth.
• Theoretical perspectives of nature/nurture

Students will be presented with the opportunity to learn about:

• How a child grows and develops
• Child wellbeing
• How children formulate relationships
• Stages of language development

Students will be provided with learning opportunities in:

• Exploration of key stages of child growth and development will be explained and assessed.
• The transition from childhood to adolescence and explore the changes that occur both physically and psychologically.
• Child growth and development is linked to health and wellbeing.
• Common childhood illnesses and diseases, together with immunity and how vaccination and immunisation programmes are developed and implemented.
• How a child develops language and speech through visual, audible and tactile means.
• Theories of attachment and social learning related to growth and development.

Students will be presented with the opportunity to learn about:

• Learning theories
• Behaviour related to learning processes
• Socialisations theories
• Cognitive development theories

Students will be provided with learning opportunities in:

• Looking at how children learn and develop their skills of understanding.
• Exploring theories related to social interaction, social learning and educational learning.
• Influences in relation to how children learn and develop their cognitive skill
• Sociological influences, peer influences and learning preferences.

Students will be presented with the opportunity to learn about:

• Legislation related to childcare
• Skills requirements
• Professional responsibility

Students will be provided with learning opportunities in:

• Different roles within childcare, for example play workers, nursery nurses and childcare managers.
• Skills requirements for different roles and alongside this explore the professional responsibilities that each role attracts.
• Legislative protocols, policies and strategies that need to be followed and implemented. This unit explains some of these and evaluates them in terms of setting and context.
• Examples ethical considerations will be looked at in some detail, for example that of CRB checks, consent issues and the rights of children to confidentiality.

All sixteen units are presented in learning outcome format, with specified assessment criteria

All students must be 17 years of age and above. Students should have completed a Level 3 Diploma or Professional Diploma or A level standard course (or equivalent) before the Level 5 qualification.

HE diplomas should be targeted at those learners who hav