Health and Social Care

Trust Curriculum Intent

Our mission is to provide a cradle to career education that allows our children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. By the age of 18, we want every child to have the option of university or a high-quality alternative. 

Subject Curriculum Intent

“A modern health and social care system has to be completely focussed on the needs of its users.” — Patricia Hewitt

In  Health and Social Care, our aim is to cultivate a stimulating and inclusive classroom atmosphere where we champion equality and diversity through a purposeful and well-structured curriculum. Our emphasis during KS4 and KS5 is on providing appropriate challenges while integrating the cultivation of core principles essential to this field: the 6Cs in healthcare - care, compassion, courage, competence, commitment, and communication. These principles form the backbone of our vocational curriculum, intertwining with the development of skills crucial for thriving in healthcare and social care settings. Students are encouraged to augment their academic knowledge and skills through hands-on application. Additionally, work placements at KS5 offer further avenues for personal growth, bolstering prospects for future learning and employment. Given the ageing population, the demand for both healthcare and social care is projected to escalate. Thus, the pivotal role these sectors play in UK society is indisputable. Consequently, the demand for individuals to fill these indispensable roles will continue to surge. Health and Social Care stand as one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors of employment, with three million people already engaged in this industry. As our population expands and ages, the significance of this sector only amplifies. 

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”- World Health organisation 

Curriculum Principles

• Reverse Planning is approached in the Health and Social Care curriculum by carefully considering both the knowledge required by pupils to succeed at A-Level and GCSE, as well as the skills required to become successful Health and Social Care experts. Our ambitious curriculum clearly outlines the knowledge and skills pupils gain at each stage of their learning journey. 
• Powerful Knowledge is demonstrated in the Health and Social Care  curriculum by encouraging students to cultivate a comprehensive skill set encompassing communication, critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving abilities. These skills serve as the cornerstone for understanding core principles such as care, compassion, competence, and communication. The skills developed in Health and Social Care are integrated into all areas of study. Whether delving into topics related to mental health, ageing, or healthcare systems, students are empowered to apply their knowledge and skills to analyse, evaluate, and propose solutions to real-world challenges and scenarios.
• Cultural Capital  is demonstrated in the Health and Social Care  curriculum by delving into the diverse views and beliefs held by individuals within healthcare and social care settings. Students engage in understanding diverse perspectives, recognizing the influence of culture on health beliefs. This comprehensive understanding allows for the tailoring of care practices to align with cultural preferences and needs, ensuring effective communication and fostering trust and engagement between providers and patients. This approach enables students to address health disparities by identifying and addressing cultural factors that contribute to differential health outcomes among diverse populations. 

• Substantive (“Know That”) knowledge is developed in the Health and Social Care  curriculum by the systematic integration of key concepts, theories, and principles. Within Health and Social Care, formative assessment practices are implemented in day-to-day lessons to monitor students' comprehension and progress. These assessments serve to capture both current understanding and previously acquired knowledge, providing continuous feedback to students and educators alike. Furthermore, robust summative assessments, including exams and practical evaluations, are utilised to consolidate learning and encourage students to actively engage with the material, enhancing their ability to retain and apply knowledge in diverse healthcare and social care contexts.  This approach not only fosters active learning but also equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the complexities of healthcare delivery and social support effectively.

• Procedural and Disciplinary (“Know How”) Knowledge takes place in Health and Social Care in coursework and exam work. Content developed in coursework tasks are applied to case studies to complete the PSA’S. Students can access their own notes to do this. These topics are then revisited to develop understanding and application to develop independence and confidence in order to apply to exam.

• Cognitive Psychology is addressed in the Health and Social Care curriculum through the regular and planned provision of independent learning so that a deeper understanding of the curriculum can be built.  Examples of this in Health and Social Care are through reading comprehension tasks in the target language or extended writing, allowing pupils to manipulate language and grammatical concepts independently. 

There are regular opportunities for retrieval practice and revisiting themes and topics in a variety of contexts to build greater breadth, depth and complexity of language.  To develop the long term memory and build resilience, pupils in Health and Social Care are expected to study independently at specified times each lesson and to complete the majority of assessment tasks from memory. Lesson activities are carefully planned to deliver the lesson objectives efficiently and for students to meaningfully grapple with the work.  In Health and Social Care regular assessment for learning takes place through targeted questioning, circulation of the classroom and written question to assess level of understanding.

What will this look like at implementation?

Please use the links to explore how our curriculum looks, for each year group, as a result of these guiding principles.

How can you support students’ learning from home?

• At Brigshaw High School, all pupils studying Health and Social Care have access to Google classroom to support their learning and understanding of topics covered.

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