Child Development
Aims
Students will:
- Develop the knowledge, understanding and skills (including practical skills) required for working in the area of child development.
- Understand pregnancy, parental responsibilities and young children’s overall needs.
- Understand how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Develop a critical and analytical approach to decision making and problem solving.
- Make informed decisions about further learning opportunities and career choices.
- Engage actively in studying child development to develop as effective and independent students.
Staffing
Mrs McCready (Co-Ordinator)
Mrs Spence
Miss Totten
Subject Overview
Key Stage 4
Child Development is only offered to students studying at Key Stage 4 level.
Students study three units of which two are externally assessed and one is internally assessed.
The specification allows students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills relating to:
- family, pregnancy and the responsibilities of being a parent
- birth and caring for a newborn baby
- diet and lifestyle choices and their impact
- the dietary and developmental needs of young children
- the health and well-being of young children.
We follow the CCEA Child Development Specification:
Unit 1: Parenthood, Pregnancy and the Newborn Baby
External exam, 1 hour 15 minutes, includes multiple-choice, short and structured questions and extended writing questions (30%).
Topics Studied:
- The Family and Parental Responsibilities
- Reproduction
- Pregnancy
- Diet and Lifestyle During Pregnancy
- Birth
- The Newborn Baby
- Feeding the Newborn baby
Unit 2: The Development of the Child (0–5 Years)
External exam, 1 hour 15 minutes, includes multiple-choice, short and structured questions and extended writing questions (30%)
Topics Studied:
- Dietary Needs of a Child (0-5 years)
- Child Health and Education
- Child Development
- Social Development
- Physical Development
- Intellectual Development
- Communication Development
- Emotional Development
Unit 3: Investigation Task
Controlled assessment, 3000 words (40%).
Students carry out a task that develops unique transferable skills.
They plan and carry out activities to produce an outcome and must evaluate all aspects of the task.
Career Opportunities
This course will help develop the knowledge, understanding and skills (including practical skills) required for working in the area of child development. The course also prepares you for progression to further study of child development or other related qualifications.
