About 3 million people in the UK work in health or social care, which is equivalent to 1 in every 10 people. Demand for both health and social care is likely to continue to rise due to the ageing population, our population has more than 3 million people aged over 80 years old. By 2030, this figure is estimated to almost double. The rise in the UK’s aging population has significant challenges for the future with a greater emphasis on health and social care job opportunities so that people are given support to live longer, healthier, active and independent lives. Our rationale is to provide a fluid and dynamic knowledge rich KS4 option curriculum, which gives learners, access and progress to KS5 and beyond.
Health and Social Care equips our students to discover the impact of positive and negative human development and how to critically analyse how these factors affect our day to day lives. Health and Social Care enables students to explore academically and practically areas that influence how we develop throughout life stages and in turn raise expectations of how we can live successful and healthy lives now and in our future. Pupils are taught how to deliver the best care possible for people with a wide spectrum of needs. This course aims to develop and encourage a deeper understanding of the world in which they live, their own values and those of others from differing belief systems. In Health and Social Care, learners will explore what good care might look like for localities and how we can make these aspirations a reality.
Through investigation of health and well-being and how our lifestyle choices impact our health, students access different resources and external agency advice that encourage them to discuss and raise awareness of signs and symptoms of abuse, addiction, illness and mental health. Our diverse range of students supplements learning by allowing time through class discussions to broaden students’ knowledge of cultural capital and promote a growth mindset. Health and Social Care provides opportunities for students to draw from real life experiences, case studies and opportunities to undertake research to compliment learning and transferable skills that will be used throughout their lives. Furthermore, emphasising how human relationships, physical environments and socioeconomic status may influence how they develop.
We aim to empower our students to understand that as UK Citizens we are privileged to have access to the National Health Service and other supporting services. Through reflective practice of their own actions and performance we intend to instil values in students such as empathy and respect that will encourage them to be well rounded individuals in society with the confidence to chase their career aspirations and to create, thoughtful and caring individuals who will in turn, pass these values on in the future.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill