Children's Play, Learning and Development - Subjects

Curriculum Leader

Sam Hipkiss

Awarding Body

Entry Requirements

Minimum 5 GCSE passes at Level 4 or above including Maths and English. It would be an advantage to have studied a related subject such as Health and Social Care.

Why choose Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s Play, Learning and Development?

All BTEC courses focus on skills-based learning as well as supporting learners to develop a strong knowledge and understanding of core themes related to their chosen subject. Rather than testing everything together at the end of a two year course like most A-Level courses, BTECs are tested throughout the course through assessments based on real-life scenarios related to the subject opted to study. This applied approach to learning allows BTEC learners to develop and apply the knowledge and skills that employers and universities are looking for.

Equivalence

The Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s Play, Learning and Development is equivalent to one full A Level. It is a fully accredited Level 3 vocational qualification that does attract UCAS tarrif points. Please read the guidance document for more information about the difference between vocational and traditional A levels, university acceptance etc.

You should always check the entry requirements for specific degree programmes with higher education providers.

What I will learn and how I will be assessed

There are 4 units that are taken throughout this qualification:
• Children’s Development
• Research and Reflective Practice in an Early Childhood Setting
• Play and Learning
• Keeping Children Safe
Assessment is a mixture of external examination, coursework and controlled assessment tasks.
Learners also undertake a compulsory 50 hour work experience placement throughout the two year course in a setting with children from 0-8.

What I will learn in Year 12

You will study Unit 1 (Children’s Development) for 3 hours per week in Year 12. Learning about child development is vital for working with children in an early years setting. In this unit, you will learn about theories and models of development that explain how and why children develop and how this relates to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You will develop an understanding of a range of factors that may influence children’s development, and consider the short- and long-term effects on their development. The main areas of learning are:
• Growth and development
• Areas and patterns of development
• Physical development, cognitive and language development, and social and emotional development

In the other 2 hours a week you will be studying towards Unit 3 (Play and Learning). In this unit, you will learn about the types of play and the opportunities that should be made available to children at different ages and stages of development. You will consider why play is so important and how it supports children’s learning and development. There are a number of important theoretical perspectives, philosophies and curriculum approaches to play that have been developed over many years. You will investigate these approaches and consider how they continue to influence practice in early years settings. You will explore the skills that are essential for early years professionals and show that you can apply your own skills to support purposeful play and learning experiences. The main areas of learning are:

• Types of play and the benefit for children’s development
• Theoretical perspectives to learning and development
• Skills required by early years professionals

How I will be assessed in Year 12 Children’s Play, Learning and Development

Unit 1(Children’s Development) – Written exam taken in the summer of Year 12. The paper is 1 hour 45 minutes and there are 80 marks available. There is the opportunity to re-sit this exam in Year 13 if needed. This exam is worth approximately 25% of the final grade.

Unit 3 (Play and Learning) – internal assessment (classroom base coursework). This is a written task which will involve evaluating play and play provision seen whilst on placement. This work is worth approximately 25% of the final grade.

What I will learn in Year 13 Children’s Play, Learning and Development

You will study Unit 2 (Research and Reflective Practice in an Early Childhood Setting) for 3 hours per week.

In this unit you will review the research carried out into issues in the sector and consider how the research findings may benefit children’s care and education (0-8 years) and improve practice for professionals.

In the other 2 hours a week you will be studying towards Unit 5 (Keeping Children Safe).

Unit 5 (Keeping Children Safe) - In this unit, you will look at the legislation, regulations and guidance relevant to health, safety and safeguarding. You will investigate approaches to creating safe and secure environments and policies and procedures to control and prevent the spread of infection. You will learn about types of abuse and how to recognise the signs that a child is at risk. It is important that you know how to safeguard children, including ways to empower them so that they become confident in protecting themselves. You also need to know correct procedure for responding to concerns about abuse. You will learn how to recognise hazards, assess health and safety risks and respond to emergency situations in your own work placement setting. The main areas of learning are:

• Legal responsibilities and approaches to health and safety
• Procedures for infection prevention and control
• Safeguarding children and how to respond to concerns
• Recognise and assess hazards and risks

How I will be assessed in Children’s Play, Learning and Development

Unit 2 (Research and Reflective Practice in an Early Childhood Setting) – task set and marked by Pearson under supervised conditions within the classroom. This will be taken in the January of Year 13 and there is the opportunity to re-sit this assessment in the summer of Year 13 if needed. This unit is worth approximately 25% of the final grade.

In part A, learners will be provided with a case study of a centre two days before a supervised assessment period in order to carry out research. In part B, the supervised assessment period is three hours in a period timetabled by Pearson. There are 68 marks available.

Unit 5 (Keeping Children Safe) – internal assessment (classroom base coursework). This is a written task which will involve evaluating health and safety using documents from your placement. This work is worth approximately 16% of the final grade.

Interesting ways in which I will learn in Children’s Play, Learning and Development

You will learn through opportunities such as:
• Taking part in regular play opportunities (especially for Unit 3) such as sensory play sessions, salt dough making and cooking.
• Practical opportunities to support the theory from this course such as playing hide and seek (very popular!), parachute games and bug hunts.
• Making a flour baby and taking the baby out on activities such as mindfulness safari.
• The placement in a local nursery or school which helps learners to apply the theory from the classroom into a real workplace setting.
• Planning play sessions to deliver to a local primary school

Together with other relevant qualifications at Level 3, such as AS and A Levels in Biology, Physical Education, English, Sociology and Psychology, you will gain the required knowledge to be able to use the qualification to support entry to higher education courses such as:
• BSc (Hons) Paediatric Nursing
• BA (Hons) Childhood Studies
• BA (Hons) Primary Education
• BA (Hons) Working with Children, Families and Communities
• BA (Hons) Education with Psychology
• BA (Hons) Social Work
• Early Years Educator Apprenticeships

Youth work, social work, family support officer, nursery worker, teaching assistant, early years teacher, special education needs, education mental health, play specialist, play therapy, nursing, midwifery, counsellor, community development worker, speech and language therapist, child psychotherapy.

Further Course Information:

The list below shows the rough grade conversions to help you understand the grades. Course grade/A-G equivalent/ UCAS points

Distinction* A* 56
Distinction A 48
Merit C 32
Pass E 16

It is important to note that this is a pass or fail qualification – you MUST meet the pass criteria for every unit throughout the course to be able to achieve a qualification (including a pass in the exam). Please also note that there is no grade ‘B’ or ‘D’ equivalent.