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Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 1 (SCQF level 4)

Contact the Qualifications Manager for this subject area
Mary Hainey

Structure of the Course

• Mandatory Units
• Optional Units
• Summary of Course content
• Summary of content by each Unit
• Assessment approaches
• Learning and teaching materials
• Experience of the workplace
• Resource requirements
• Progression
• Conditions and Arrangements
• Transition Guidance
• Arrangements documents

This Course is at Intermediate 1 level and consists of four 40 hour Units. Three of the Units are mandatory and the remaining Unit is chosen from three optional 40 hour Units.

Mandatory Units

Optional Units:

Candidates also study one optional Unit from a choice of three:

Summary of Course content

The emphasis of this Course is to help candidates begin to prepare for working in the early education and childcare sector and to develop employability skills. They will develop the basic knowledge and skills required in this vocational area. The Course is designed as an introduction to early education and childcare at Intermediate 1 level and helps candidates begin to understand some of the demands and responsibilities of working in this sector.

Since the Intermediate 1 Course is designed with progression to Intermediate 2 in mind, the majority of the Units at the two levels have common titles and address similar content areas. At Intermediate 1 candidates will cover basic issues in each area and begin to develop relevant skills such as team working skills, helping to plan play experiences and self evaluation skills.

The development of children is influenced by many factors which are studied across the Units of this Course. The Units should therefore be delivered in an integrated way as wherever opportunities arise.

Summary of content by each Unit

• Child Development
  Candidates will study the development of children from birth to young adulthood and study a range of factors affecting this development.
• Play in Early Education and Childcare
  This Unit will help candidates understand play and what it means for children in its broader sense. Candidates will become aware of the way in which the different types of play can affect the development of children and will experience play in many forms as they role play or take part in simulation exercises.
• Working in Early Education and Childcare
  This Unit will give candidates an insight into the early education and childcare provision available for children and give them an understanding of the requirements placed on the sector from the registration bodies that providers are responsible to. It also gives an introduction to the professional skills of the workplace.
• Parenting
  Candidates will learn about the responsibilities involved in becoming parents and the issues at each stage of development of the child e.g. baby, toddler, pre-school, school age and adolescence. They will also learn about sources of support available for parents.
• Care of Children
  This Unit will help the candidate to understand how the needs of children can be met. Candidates will have the opportunity to demonstrate a range of practical skills needed when caring for children, eg preparing food for children, planning bath time and encouraging safe hygienic practices with children.
• Maintenance of a Safe Environment
  Candidates will gain an understanding of the health and safety legislation and the potential risks and hazards relevant to working in an early education and childcare environment.

Assessment approaches

• Child Development
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a restricted response test covering the principles of child development from 0-12 years and an investigation of an aspect of child development.
• Play in Early Education and Childcare
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a folio of evidence gathered throughout the study of the Unit. The folio will contain evidence of the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of different types of play and the importance of play. It will also contain evidence of the candidate’s contribution to planning a play experience.
• Working in Early Education and Childcare
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a folio of evidence which will be gathered throughout the Unit. The folio will contain evidence that the candidate has contributed to a group investigation of childcare provision and has knowledge and understanding of the skills and qualities needed in the early education and childcare sector.
• Parenting
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a case study with a number of related questions and a folio. The case study will cover knowledge and understanding of the personal and practical skills and qualities needed by parents of children 0-12 years. The folio will contain evidence of the candidate’s contribution to a group investigation into the support available to parents.
• Care of Children
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a closed book test and a folio. The test will contain questions on the care needs of children from 0-12 years and the skills required to meet those needs. The folio will contain evidence of the candidate’s contribution to a group investigation into a specific need.
• Maintenance of a Safe Environment
  Assessment of this Unit will be by means of a closed book test and a folio. The test will cover knowledge and understanding of health and safety. The folio will contain evidence of the candidate’s practical work which will include a brief plan for carrying out a risk assessment, a completed risk assessment report, a summary of the strategies used for minimising risk and a review of those strategies.

  Each Unit will be supported by a National Assessment Bank (NAB) item which will provide an assessment package and will exemplify the national standard.

Learning and teaching materials

Learning and teaching support packs have been produced by the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU) to support this Course. These can be accessed via the SFEU website.

Experience of the workplace

While there is no mandatory work placement in the Course, centres are encouraged to make use of any existing work experience and placement arrangements. The design of the Course will ensure that candidates are as active as possible with visits to a range of suitable organisations such as nurseries and after school clubs. Visiting speakers from the sector will also add to the candidate’s understanding of the workplace. Experience in a simulated workplace environment along with role play could also contribute to the range of learning experiences for the candidate. In order to provide this range of learning environments it is expected that this Course will in most cases be delivered by means of a partnership arrangement between school and college or other training partner.

Resource requirements

Centres will need to have suitably qualified staff to deliver early education and childcare qualifications. As indicated above, centres should also have the facilities and resources to offer opportunities for a range of simulated activities relevant to this Course.

Progression

This Course may provide candidates with opportunities to progress to:

• Early Education and Childcare Course at Intermediate 2
• Care Issues for Society Course at Intermediate 2
• Further Education
• training/employment

Conditions and Arrangements

• Conditions and Arrangements for Early Education and Childcare

Transition Guidance for pilot centres
Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 1

• Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 1 - transition guidance (25 KB)

Revised Arrangement documents valid from 2007/8

Lead Verifier Reports

• 2009 Internal Assessment Report (76 KB)
• 2007 Early Education and Childcare Intermediate 1 and 2 (40 KB)

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