Aims
We aim to guide students to become independent learners who can make use of, and apply, their learning to working with children. We help students to fulfill their potential through supportive, effective relationships.
The main aims of Child Development are:
- To stimulate and maintain student curiosity, interest and enjoyment of Child Development
- To enable students to become familiar with the knowledge, principles and vocabulary related to Child Development
- To enable students to apply their learning to different contexts
- To engage students in work-related learning
- To enable students to work independently and as part of a team
- To promote the child care sector for employment
Staff
Miss E McKay (Teacher in charge of Social Sciences)
Mrs N Kearney
GCSE
GCSE Child Development (Exam Board CCEA)
This is a two year course.
Year 11
Unit 1: Parenthood, Pregnancy and the Newborn Baby (exam) 30%
Year 12
Unit 2: The Development of the Child (exam) 30%
Unit 3: Investigation Task (controlled assessment) 40%
Current title- ‘Research breastfeeding as an option for feeding a baby’
Post-16
BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development (EDEXCEL)
This qualification offers an engaging programme for those who are clear about wishing to enter into the child care profession, either straight after Year 14 or at University. In addition, this course is widely accepted for entrance into University courses such as Nursing, Early Years Education and more as it is broadly equivalent to 3 A Levels
The course provides an exciting mixture of both practical work in child care and learning settings with children up to 8 years, and academic study of children, their learning, development, health and care up to 16 years of age. Students will be in school for 3 days per week and in placement 2 days.
The Diploma consists of 7 core units plus specialist units that provide for a combined total of 1080 guided learning hours (GLH) over two years for the completed qualification. In total students will complete 18 units of work.
Extracurricular
Child Development students in Cross and Passion College get lots of opportunities to see how vast the children’s sector in Northern Ireland is, and all the services that are provided for children. We invite speakers in to talk to the students, for example:
- Midwife
- Health Visitor
- Primary School Principal
- Sure Start worker
- Child Protection Officer
In addition, we organise trips to settings related to the course content being taught, for example:
- Crèches and nurseries
- Soft play centres
- Complementary therapist
