A-levels
A-Level Programme - BTEC in Children's Play, Learning & Development
This course is for you if you are interested in learning about the Early Years Sector which involves working with children aged from birth to 8 years old. It is designed to be taken as part of a programme of study that includes other appropriate BTEC course or A Levels.
On our A-Level programme, you will take three A-Levels. Please apply for three subjects and use our course selector here to check what options you can do.
Course Video - A-Levels
If you want help with choosing your A-level subjects, visit the page below and use our A-level course selector.
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Course Description
What will I study?
During this course you will learn about:
- Child development
- Development of children's communication, literacy and numeracy skills
- Play and learning
- Keeping children safe
You will also undertake a minimum of 50 hours work experience where you will work in a Nursery, Pre-school or School setting with children aged 0-8 years old.
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Entry Requirements
You will need:
For the generic A-Level Programme you will need:
- GCSE grade 4 or above in English language and maths, plus at least 3 more GCSEs at grade 5 or above
For this specific BTEC subject you will need:
- GCSE grade 4 or higher in English language and maths
(If you are looking to become a teacher in the future, you will also need to hold a grade 4 in combined science)
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Course Length
How long is this course?
2 years
When does this course start?
02/09/2024
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?
- BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Examples of other HE opportunities?
- BSC (Hons) in Paediatric Nursing, when taken alongside, for example A Levels in Science and Psychology
- BA (Hons) in Childhood Studies, when taken alongside, for example, A levels in in English and Psychology
- BA (Hons) in Primary Education, when taken alongside, for example, A levels in English and History
Career opportunities:
- Teacher (nursery, primary, special educational needs)
- Social Worker
- Speech Therapist
- Nursing
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Course Fees
* 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.
Find all the information you need about course fees and financial help below.
Information on Fees and Financial Help
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?
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Childrens Play, Learning and Development
How is my course assessed?
- 2 formal written external examinations
- 2 modules assessed by assignments
How many UCAS points will I achieve on this course?
The following table gives some examples on the amount of UCAS points you can achieve on this National Extended Certificate:
BTEC Grade UCAS Points D* 56 D 48 M 32 P 16