Starting 01/09/2025
King's Lynn
Full-Time
Duration 2 Year
Health Services
School Leaver / 16 - 18 yr Old Vocational CoursesHealth & Social Care Academy - Level 3
With the population living longer in the UK the health and social care sector is experiencing huge growth and is one of the biggest industries in East Anglia. Our courses cover a wide range of topics and skills and prepare you for work, further study in the sector or university.
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Course Description
The topics covered offer an insight into how knowledge and skills are applied to health and social care settings. Teaching methods are varied and include practical role plays, visiting speakers, case studies based on real people, independent study and, use of professional resources designed to train care workers.
Areas that you will study include:
- Human Lifespan Development
- Working in Health and Social Care
- Anatomy and Physiology for Health and Social Care
- Current Research in Health and Social Care
- Meeting Individual Care and Support Needs
- Work Experience in Health and Social Care
- Principles of Safe Practice in Health and Social Care
- Promoting Public Health
Additional units across the 2 years will include subjects such as Psychology, Supporting individuals with additional needs, Understanding mental wellbeing, Caring for individuals with dementia, Nutritional Health.
During the first year of study you will complete nine units, six of which will be submitted for the Extended Certificate which is an A-level equivalent with UCAS points. Units are assessed through a mix of external exams, and coursework assessment.
Progression to year 2 is dependent upon achieving an overall Merit from the first year units, and the completion of all required units. The qualifications that you achieve all carry appropriate UCAS tariff points, and individuals wishing to progress to University are encouraged to look in advance at the course entry requirements, to ensure that they will meet these from both a GCSE and Tariff point perspective.
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Entry Requirements
You will need:
- 5 or more GCSEs at grade 4 or higher, including English (preferably Language) or maths
- A satisfactory DBS check
Or:
- A relevant Level 2 qualification at Merit grade or higher
- Good grades at English and maths
- A satisfactory DBS check
If you are aged 19 or older, relevant industry experience may be accepted. However, you might also wish to look at courses such the Access programmes, which might be more suitable.
You will be invited to an information session to help us ensure the course is right for you.
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Course Length
How long is this course?
2 Year
When does this course start?
01/09/2025
How many hours / days per week is this course?
Full-time courses at CWA are generally 3 - 4 days per week (though you may be in for an extra day if you are resitting English and / or Maths). The college day is typically longer than a day at school and students will need to plan their individual study in their free time (including individual study hours which are recorded at college in the Learning Resource Centre or other study areas). Work experience will be a key component of your course and most students will complete a minimum of 60 hours per academic year (on top of their college hours), depending on the course they are studying. CWA has a dedicated team of work placement co-ordinators to support you with this.
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Progression Opportunities
What can I do after this course at CWA?
Students can progress on to Higher Education, into employment, or on to an Apprenticeship. Subject areas at Higher Education typically include:
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Criminology
- Psychology
- Psychosocial Studies
- Midwifery
- Adult Nursing
- Paediatric Nursing
- Mental Health Nursing
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Course Fees
Age Cost 16-18 Free* 19+ £7,350 * Some of our courses may have additional costs to cover trips, unform and equipment. These costs will be confirmed to you at enrolment.
Fee information
Though this course is free for those aged 16-18, there may be additional costs related to the programme, such as additional equipment and uniform, educational trips and work placement costs. Full details will be sent to applicants before enrolment.
If you are aged 19 and over, you may be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the cost of this course. For more information on the Advanced Learner Loan, please click here. Alternatively, if you are aged 19-23 and have not yet completed a level 3 or above qualification, you may be able to receive this course for free. For further information and to complete our fee calculator, click here.
Find all the information you need about course fees and financial help below.
Information on Fees and Financial Help
Adult (19+) learners
Depending on your age, course, educational history and personal circumstances, there may be options available for you to receive a course fully-funded by the government. Our fee calculator will help give you an idea on whether you'll be able to have your course fee waived or covered by an Advanced Learner Loan.
Learners with an active Education, Health & Care Plan
If you are aged 19 - 24 at the start of your course and have an active Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP), any course up to and including level 3 will be fully-funded by the government. This means you will not have a course fee to pay and any equipment considered essential to complete your course will be provided by the college.
Please note the information on this page was correct at the time of publication but is subject to change due to factors beyond our control. -
Additional Information
What qualification will I achieve?
- Year 1 BTEC L3 Extended Certificate
- Year 2 BTEC L3 Extended Diploma
How is my course assessed?
This course is continually assessed by a combination of:
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Exams
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Project and assignment work
- Demonstration of competence in a range of practical skills
All students are expected to complete study hours in the Learning Resource Centre, and complete 120hrs of work experience in each year of the course.
How many UCAS points will I achieve on this course?
Our level 3 vocational courses qualify for UCAS tariff points to apply for university in the same way as A-Levels. This course is an extended diploma which is delivered over two years and you could achieve up to 168 UCAS points (which is equivalent to three A* grades at A-Level).
BTEC extended diplomas are graded as a pass, merit, distinction or distinction star (with distinction star being the highest grade) with the overall grade being a combination of three grades which represent an aggregation of your performance on mandatory and optional units on the course.
The following table gives some examples on the amount of UCAS points you can achieve on a BTEC extended diploma:
BTEC grade UCAS Points 3x D* 168 2x D*, D 160 D*DD 152 DDD 144 DDM 128 DMM 112 MMM 96 MMP 80 MPP 64 PPP 48 Depending on your circumstances, you may study a smaller qualification, such as a subsidiary diploma (for example, if you only complete one year) or general diploma which may carry less UCAS tariff points.
You can find more details and examples on the UCAS tariff points calculator here.