Health and Social Care
Qualification: Pearson BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care
Head of Department: Robyn Holt - Head of Science

Health and Social Care at Reading Girl’s School provides students with a strong foundation in understanding how health and social care services support individuals and communities. The course equips students with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to explore careers in the health, care and early years sectors while developing valuable transferable skills such as communication, empathy, organisation and evaluation.

Students learn about human development, health and wellbeing and how professionals work together to meet the needs of individuals. The qualification combines practical coursework with an externally assessed exam, reflecting real-life working practices within health and social care settings.

Years 9, 10 and 11

Students begin studying Health and Social Care in Year 9, building core knowledge of development, care needs and service provision.

In Year 10, students complete both coursework components and continue to develop their understanding of health and wellbeing.

In Year 11, students sit the external exam, applying their knowledge to realistic health and social care scenarios.

Component delivery:

• Component 1 & 2: Taught across Years 9 and 10
  Component 3: Taught from the end of Year 10 into Year 11

Key areas of study include:

• Human growth and development across life stages
  Factors that affect physical, intellectual, emotional and social development
  Health and wellbeing and how it is supported
  Health and social care services and providers
  Barriers to accessing care and how they are overcome
  Person-centred care and support
  Practical research, planning and evaluation skills
  Communication and professional working practices

Exam Board and Qualification Code

Pearson – BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award in Health and Social Care

Further course details can be found here, on the Pearson website, including a link to the specification.

Structure of the Course

The course is assessed through two internally assessed coursework components and one external exam.

Component 1 – Human Lifespan Development
Internal Assessment (30%) in Year 10
Students study:

• Life stages from infancy to older adulthood
  Physical, intellectual, emotional and social development
  Factors affecting growth and development
  How individuals are supported through life events

Component 2 – Health and Social Care Services and Values
Internal Assessment (30%) in Year 10
Students learn about:

• Different health and social care services
  Roles and responsibilities of care professionals
  Care values such as dignity, respect and safeguarding
  How services meet individual needs
  Practical coursework tasks responding to real-life scenarios

Component 3 – Health and Wellbeing
Externally Assessed Exam (40%) in Year 11
Written exam – 2 hours
Students apply their knowledge to:

• Understand factors affecting health and wellbeing
  Interpret health indicators
  Design a health and wellbeing improvement plan
  Evaluate how services support individuals

Homework

Students receive regular homework to support progress, including:

• Research tasks linked to coursework
  Revision of key terminology and concepts
  Exam-style questions for Component 3

How parents and carers can support at home

• Encourage regular revision of key vocabulary and concepts
  Support organisation and meeting coursework deadlines
  Discuss health, wellbeing and care topics in real-life contexts
  Help students prepare for the external exam in Year 11

Why choose Health and Social Care?

Health and Social Care is ideal for students who are interested in people, wellbeing and careers that make a positive difference. The course provides an excellent foundation for post-16 study and careers in:

• Health and social care
  Nursing and midwifery
  Childcare and early years
  Social work
  Psychology
  Public services
  Education and teaching

The qualification develops essential transferable skills including communication, empathy, analysis, organisation and evaluation, supporting students in a wide range of future pathways.