Access Keys:

 
 
St John the Baptist’s College, Portadown

OS Childcare/ GCSE Child Development

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SJBC provides a broad, coherent course on the development of babies and small children. It encourages students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills, including practical skills, within the following areas:

  • Caring for a newborn baby
  • The responsibilities involved in parenting
  • The social, physical, intellectual, communication and emotional development of small children, including their dietary, health and educational needs.
 

Overview

Occupational Studies Childcare

Learners complete two units from the Business and Services Occupational Studies pathway which include: The Physical Care of Babies and The Play Environment.  Both units weigh 50% of the overall marks and are completed by compiling a portfolio of evidence including both written and practical based tasks. 

Year 11 - The Physical Care of Babies

The Physical Care of Babies

Section 1 – Hygiene Requirements of Babies

·         Learners understand the implications of the Health and Safety at Work Act

·         Discuss the role of the childcare worker

·         Describe various career opportunities

·         Demonstrate how to top and tail a baby

·         Demonstrate how to change a baby’s nappy

·         Demonstrate how to bath a baby

·         Demonstrate how to care for babies’ teeth, feet and skin

Section 2 – Equipment and Clothing for Babies

·         Safety symbols and labels on baby clothing

·         Appropriate clothing and footwear for a baby

·         Demonstrate how to dress a baby safely and correctly

·         Demonstrate how to put a baby safely to sleep in a cot

Section 3 – Feeding Babies

·         Analyse feeding options for babies

·         Methods of sterilising babies’ bottles

·         Weaning

·         Nutritional requirements of babies

·         Allergies and intolerances

·         Evaluate performance in practical tasks

 

Year 12 – The Play Environment

The Play Environment

Section 1 – Play and Language Development

·         Children’s development

·         Language development

·         Communication difficulties

·         Stages of play

 

Section 2 – Reading with Children

·         Books, toys and games suitable for each stages of development

·         Set up a book area

·         Visual aids to complement stories, poem and rhymes

 

Section 3 – Children learning through play

·         Suitable games for different stages of development

·         How games encourage learning

·         Demonstrate how to adapt games for children with particular needs

·         Evaluate practical performance

 

GCSE Child Development

The CCEA GCSE Child Development specification is a broad, coherent course on the development of babies and small children (0–5 years).

It encourages students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills, including practical skills, by focusing on these key areas:

  • pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for a newborn baby;

  • the responsibilities involved in parenting and other family roles; and

  • the social, physical, intellectual, communication and emotional development of small children, including their dietary, health and educational needs.

 

GCSE Child Development is exam based - There are two written exams, each worth 30% of the overall mark, and one Controlled Assessment task, worth 40%. 

 

Year 11

Unit 1: Parenthood, Pregnancy, and the Newborn Baby - Written exam worth 30%

 

Year 12

Unit 2: The Development of the Child (0-5 Years) - Written exam worth 30%

Unit 3: Investigation Task - Controlled Assessment worth 40%

 

Careers in Childcare

Learners will acquire transferable skills for many career options and gain a solid foundation for a range of further or higher education courses.

Possible career options may include nursing, midwifery, health visiting, teaching, childcare, play therapist, child psychology.