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Child Development – OCR National

This qualification is for learners aged 14-16 who wish to develop applied knowledge and practical skills in child development. It is designed with both practical and theoretical elements, which will prepare students for further qualifications in Child Care, Health and Social Care, Psychology, Sociology and Biology.

Exam Board: OCR Cambridge Nationals
Specification Number: J809

What will be studied

This two year course is divided into three mandatory units:

R057: Health and wellbeing for child development

This unit provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of parenthood, from pre-conception through antenatal to postnatal care. Students develop an appreciation of the importance of creating the best conditions for a child to thrive.

Learners studying for the Certificate will be able to apply knowledge and understanding gained in this unit to help develop their skills further during the completion of units R058 and R059.

R058: Create a safe environment and understand the nutritional  nutritional needs of children from birth to five years

Students learn about the risks and dangers present in a nursery environment and how to safeguard against these. They explore the range of equipment required by children from birth to five years  and how to effectively evaluate most suitable pieces on the market. They also explore the optimal nutritional requirements and how to achieve these for children from birth to five years.

R059: Understanding the development of a child from from birth to five years

Students investigate the developmental norms of children from birth to five years and develop an understanding of the impact of play on the developmental norms. They apply and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through practical activities and learn how to evaluate and adapt these activities as required.

Learning Methods

Lessons are differentiated to provide personalised learning for students. Lessons will be a mixture of theory and practical and will use a variety of tools for learning and assessment, these include:  Group work, independent research, practical games, quizzes, practical tasks, end of unit assessment, use of video tools for information and demonstrating etc.

Expectations of Students

Each unit has a set amount of guided learning hours to support students achieve the most out of this qualification . Students are expected to attend and participate in lessons and complete all work to the best of their ability.

Lessons are personalised to student’s needs and teachers will support the learning of all students throughout.

However, coursework is expected to be independent work and students are asked to reference sources.

Each unit must be completed to gain a qualification in this course.

How is the course assessed

3 assessed units:

  • R057 – 1.5 hours written examination (OCR set and marked)
  • R058 –  Coursework (Centre assessed and OCR moderated)
  • R059 – Coursework (Centre assessed and OCR moderated)

What websites are recommended

www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/cambridge-nationals/child-development-level-1-2-j818

www.channel4.com/programmes/one-born-every-minute-the-dads/ondemand/60895-002

www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zsrg9j6

www.jofrost.com/naughty-step-technique

www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx

NHS website contains lots of useful information for each unit of this course.

What equipment is needed

Equipment for all practical elements of this course will be provided to the students

Career Paths/Next Steps

This course offers a Level 1 and 2 qualification in Child Development. Students can continue their studies of Child Development through an apprenticeship or a college placement.

A variety of career paths are available to those students wishing to pursue a career in this field, these include:

  • Nursery Nurse
  • Early years teacher
  • Teaching Assistant
  • Child Psychologist
  • Children’s Nurse
  • Education Psychologist
  • Speech and Language therapist
  • Play therapist
  • Child Minder