In the Vocational department, we aim to cultivate students by supporting them to make moral, safe and ethical choices in an ever changing and diverse society and develop the skills they require such as research, ability to process data, identify change over time which are all vital for students wishing to pursue a career in further, higher education or employment in the 21^st century.

Our rationale is to provide a fluid and dynamic knowledge rich Key Stage 4 option curriculum, which gives learners, access and progress to further and higher education by providing opportunities for all students in providing, knowledge, skills and experiences including cultural capital that they need to succeed within life as successful citizens.

We believe raising student aspirations is key, by developing strong links with real life businesses and their context through the curriculum to give students the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to everyday work contexts, for example we utilise local entrepreneurs from the local area like Jenx and Jiraffe to share their experiences of the business sector. Vocational subjects do not limit progression options, because the skills acquired are applicable to a range of future pathways and supports the trust context of providing students with life chances and dreams. We provide students with skills that will be required of them in the world of work which will enable them to achieve economic well-being in the wide range of sectors that value the qualifications we offer. Furthermore, we aim to deliver challenging and progressive programmes of study with appropriate levels of success criteria, which equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to assess and adapt to issues that may arise in the ever-changing world in which they live.

We would like to inspire future health professionals, entrepreneurs, child care specialists and media developers, etc where we will engage, motivate and prepare students through a logical engaging curriculum that is systematically revisited to enhance progression. We will promote the importance of a healthy work lifestyle, where students fully understand how to be effective in their chosen vocation, remain safe and as a result they will have the skills, knowledge and understanding to develop a healthy mind-set. We will work together with our students to promote respect and equality at all times.

The BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise is a course designed for students who wish to acquire knowledge and skills through vocational contexts by studying the knowledge, behaviours and skills related to researching, planning, pitching and reviewing an enterprise idea. Enterprise is an important part of the business sector and play’s a major role in the UK’s global economic status.  Demand for employment in these areas is likely to continue to rise and expand, playing a key role in UK society.  It is important that our learners develop the key transferable skills to fill these careers.  The role of entrepreneurs is to help create wealth for the nation and its citizens through the creation of enterprises that innovate and grow the economy.  There are nearly 5 million such businesses in the UK, employing about 14.4 million people.  In 2015, small and medium enterprises contributed to £24 billion in the UK economy. 

Enterprise is a thoroughly interactive learning experience, and students learn by researching and taking part in enterprise activities.   Learners will be given the opportunity to develop an idea for a small enterprise activity and plan how best to set it up and fund it.  Learners will work together, developing their key important skills which are useful in any industry, such as problem-solving, decision-making, innovation, project management, team working and communication.  Our learners are also given the opportunity to plan their finances, including cash flows and how to take a product to market. 

The course is divided into the following three components;

Component 1 – Exploring Enterprises (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Investigate the characteristics of two local enterprises.
• Exploring how market research helps enterprises to meet customer needs and understand competitor behaviour.
• Investigating the internal and external factors that contribute to the success of a local enterprise.

Component 2 – Planning for and pitching an enterprise activity (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Exploring ideas for a local micro-enterprise activity.
• Planning for a local micro-enterprise activity.
• Pitching for a micro-enterprise activity.
• Reviewing the success of the pitch for the micro-enterprise activity.

Component 3 – Promotion and finance for enterprise (Externally assessed - 40% weighting)

• Demonstrating knowledge of the elements of promotion and financial records.
• Using promotional and financial information in relation to a given enterprise.
• Making connections between different factors influencing enterprises.
• Giving recommendations to enterprises on ways to improve its performance.

Component 1

Students have the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of how the activities undertaken by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), along with the characteristics and skills of the entrepreneurs who run them, support the aims of the enterprise.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Understanding how and why enterprises and entrepreneurs are successful.
• Understanding customer needs and competitor behaviour through market research.
• Understanding how the outcomes of situational analyses may affect enterprises.

Component 2

Students use the knowledge gained from Component 1 and undertake some further research to generate two ideas before choosing one realistic idea to plan for a micro-enterprise.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Choose an idea and produce a plan for a micro-enterprise idea.
• Present a plan for the micro-enterprise idea to meet specific requirements.
• Review the presentation of the micro-enterprise idea to meet specific requirements.

Component 3

Students explore how marketing is used by enterprises and the factors that influence how enterprises identify and target their market. Students complete financial documents and statements and explore how to use them to monitor and improve the performance of an enterprise in order to make decisions and recommend strategies for success.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Demonstrating knowledge of marketing terms and principles and financial information in relation to a given enterprise.
• Demonstrating understanding of marketing terms and principles and financial information in relation to a given enterprise.
• Analysing and interpret marketing information and financial data, making connections to inform solutions.
• Evaluating marketing and financial information in context to make reasoned judgements and decisions.
• Performing procedures.

The BTEC Tech Award in Health and Social Care is a course designed for students who wish to acquire knowledge and skills through vocational contexts. The curriculum will develop students’ knowledge and skills to prepare them for Health and Social Care professions. Students will enhance transferable skills used within the sector to support their development in other subject areas and future careers.  

We value the importance of equipping our students with work related knowledge, skills and understanding.  Therefore, this is a fundamental part of our curriculum and as a department, our ambition is to ensure that learning is brought to life for our students by engaging with employers and external agencies wherever possible. These opportunities range from working with Universities on taster days, masterclasses and projects, guest speakers from the NHS to visit classes and outline their job roles, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and the Volunteering Service for work placements and local nurseries and residential homes. 

For our aspiring health and social care professionals we aim to provide them with a clear pathway enabling them successful and informed progression into these careers. Students who choose a different career path at the end of their time with us, will have developed and refined important vocational skills in our subject area, which will assist them in making a success of whatever their chosen career maybe. 

The course is divided in to the following three components;

Component 1 - Human Lifespan Development (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Understanding human growth and development across life stages and the factors that affect it
• Investigating how individuals deal with life events.

Component 2 - Health and Social Care Services and Values (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Understanding the different types of health and social care services and barriers to accessing them.
• Demonstrating care values and review own practice.

Component 3 - Health and Wellbeing (Externally assessed - 40% weighting)

• Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of factors that affect health and wellbeing.
• Interpreting health indicators.
• Designing a person-centred health and wellbeing improvement plan.
• Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of how to overcome obstacles relating to health and wellbeing improvement plans.

Component 1

Students explore the different aspects of growth and development and the factors that can affect this across the life stages. Students explore the different events that can impact on individuals’ physical, intellectual, emotional and social (PIES) development and how individuals cope with and are supported through changes caused by life events.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Understanding human growth and development across life stages and the factors that affect it.
• Understanding how individuals deal with life events.

Component 2

Students explore health and social care services and how they meet the needs of service users. They also study the skills, attributes and values required when giving care.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Understanding the different types of health and social care services and barriers to accessing them.
• Understanding the skills, attributes and values required to give care.

Component 3

Students explore the factors that affect health and wellbeing, learning about physiological and lifestyle indicators, and person-centred approaches to make recommendations to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.

The key knowledge and skills are -

• Knowledge of health and wellbeing.
• Understanding of health and wellbeing.
• Applying knowledge and understanding of health and wellbeing.
• Making connections between aspects of health and wellbeing.

The BTEC Tech Award in Creative Media Production is a course designed for students who wish to acquire knowledge and skills through vocational contexts. The qualification focuses on students applying the learned knowledge and processes related to investigating, exploring and creating media products.

The course is divided in to the following three components;

Component 1 - Exploring Media Products (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Investigating media products.
• Exploring how media products are created to provide meaning and engage audiences.

Component 2 - Developing Digital Media Production Skills (Internally assessed - 30% weighting)

• Developing media production skills and techniques.
• Applying media production skills and techniques.
• Reviewing own progress and development of skills and practices.

Component 3 - Create a Media Product in Response to a Brief (Externally assessed - 40% weighting)

• Understanding how to develop ideas in response to a brief.
• Developing planning materials in response to a brief.
• Applying media production skills and techniques to the creation of a media product.
• Creating and refining a media product to meet the requirements of a brief.

The OCR Child Development is a course designed for students who wish to develop applied knowledge and practical skills in child development. It is designed with both practical and theoretical elements.

The course is divided in to the following units;

R018: Health and well-being for child development (Externally assessed)

• Understanding reproduction and the roles and responsibilities of parenthood.
• Understanding antenatal care and preparation for birth.
• Understanding postnatal checks, postnatal provision and conditions for development.
• Understanding how to recognise, manage and prevent childhood illnesses.
• Knowledge about child safety.

R019: Understand the equipment and nutritional needs of children from birth to five years (Internally assessed)

• Understand the key factors when choosing equipment for babies from birth to 12 months.
• Understand the key factors when choosing equipment for children from one to five years.
• Know the nutritional guidelines and requirements for children from birth to five years.
• Be able to investigate and develop feeding solutions for children from birth to five years.

R020: Understand the development of a child from birth to five years (Internally assessed)

• Understand the physical, intellectual and social developmental norms from birth to five years.
• Understand the benefits of learning through play.
• Be able to plan different play activities for a chosen developmental area with a child from birth to five years.
• Be able to carry out and evaluate different play activities for a chosen developmental area with a child from birth to five years.

OCR Cambridge Nationals in Child Development

R057/R018 - Health and well-being for child development.

Students learn about the importance of both pre-conception health and creating conditions in which a child can thrive, including the prevention and management of childhood illnesses and creating a safe environment.

Key knowledge and skills for this unit is -

• Pre-conception health and reproduction.
• Antenatal care and preparation for birth.
• Postnatal checks, postnatal care and the conditions for development.
• Childhood illnesses and a child safe environment.

R058/R019 - Create a safe environment and understand the nutritional needs of children from birth to five years

Students learn how to create a safe environment for children from birth to five years in childcare settings. They investigate and choose equipment that is both suitable and safe for use and learn about their nutrition and dietary needs.

Key knowledge and skills for this unit is-

• Creating a safe environment in a childcare setting.
• Choosing suitable equipment for a childcare setting.
• Nutritional needs of children from birth to five years.

R059/R020 - Understand the development of a child from one to five years

Students learn the expected developmental norms for children from one to five years. They use observations and research techniques and skills to investigate these development norms and explore their findings. They learn the importance of creating plans and providing different play activities to support children in their development.

Key knowledge and skills for this unit is-

• Physical, intellectual and social developmental norms from one to five years.
• Stages and types of play and how play benefits development.
• Observe the development of a child aged one to five years.
• Plan and evaluate play activities for a child aged one to five years for a chosen area of development.