Health and Social Care
Examination Board OCR

What will I learn?
This flexibly structured qualification is made up of an extremely wide range of units that will enable you to gain a qualification that meets your individual interests, ambitions and aptitudes. This subject will be offered at AS Level as a single award in Year 12 completing A2 as a single award in Year 13. The three AS units include: Promoting Quality Care, Communication in Care Settings and Promoting Good Health. In A2 there is one mandatory unit entitled Care Practice and Provision with two further units which include Child Development and Understanding Human Behaviour and Development. Assessment is through a combination of portfolio work and examination.
If you:
- Are interested in developing your knowledge of health, early years care and education as well as social care
- Are interested in issues that affect the care sector
- Wish to develop skills that will enable you to make an effective contribution to the care sector including skills of research, evaluation and problem solving in a work related context
- Prepare for further study and training in one of the care sectors
Then this could be the course for you!!
What are the entry requirements?
5 A* - C in any subjects at GCSE. It is helpful if you have studied Health and Social Care or Child Care though not essential. Coursework is a major component so you will have to be prepared to do a great deal of work at home.
How will I be assessed?
- AS Unit 1 – This is a written examination testing your knowledge of materials and component (33% of total AS level mark)
- AS Unit 2 – This is a portfolio of coursework. (33% of total AS level mark)
- AS Unit 3 – This is a portfolio of coursework. (33% of total AS level mark)
- A2 Unit 10 – This is a written and examination based (33% of total A level mark)
The two Optional Units that are both pieces of coursework (66% of the total A level marks)
Future opportunities
This subject is valuable if you are considering taking a degree or diploma in a subject such as nursing or if you wish to study a paramedical subject or an area of social sciences. Alternatively the subject forms a good basis for work in residential care or community care and can lead to the more specialised NVQs in care related areas. In fact this fascinating subject is related to all aspects of life experiences and is relevant for any career that involves working with people.