The Health and Care Department offers a broad curriculum to ensure there is a course available to suit any learner interested in the sector.  The department prides itself on its results and excellent student satisfaction rates, with 100% of learners rating their subject as good or excellent in 2022.   

Our curriculum offer can support learners to be aspirational and progress to university on completion of their Level 3 studies, with popular choices being nursing, midwifery, social work or primary education.  Some learners will choose to go onto an apprenticeship or go straight into employment – the curriculum provides students with choices and offers so much more than a qualification.

Work experience is a primary element of our Post 16 offer, giving students chances to boost their social capital and make connections with employers.  The benefits can be wide reaching such as enhancing future prospects for work, providing feedback to enhance job or university applications, and boosting confidence and communication skills.  The department has an excellent working relationship with the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, enabling students to complete work experience in a variety of wards and theatres.

The curriculum is tailored towards the needs of ECC students and experiences, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and students whose experiences of childhood and parenting may not be entirely positive. Topics in Key Stage 4 include positive relationships, security, attachments, the impact of bullying and substance misuse amongst lots more through to anti-discriminatory practice, empathy, ethical care and factors that affect children’s healthy growth and brain development in Key Stage 5.  The curriculum prepares learners for life and can support learners to become more thoughtful of their actions, such as the impact of kindness, compassion, and empathy towards others. Direct quotes from students when talking about the curriculum include 

• “You understand more about people’s context in the light of their life-events.”
• “It brings things to reality.”
• “It helps you understand society as a whole.”
• “It will help you in life – in a career and as a parent.”
• “if you have a passion for learning, understanding more about the people around you and caring for others, then go for it,”

High aspirations for all students mean that the most able learners will be stretched and challenged whilst personalised support will be provided to learners with special educational needs to ensure they have equal opportunities to engage with the curriculum and reach their full potential. 

The impact of the department curriculum will enable its learners to make good progress and gain the skills they need to move onto their next step in life.  The learning experience will be underpinned by the teaching of experienced staff with a broad range of vocational experience and subject knowledge to support learners to progress from key stage 4 to key stage 5 and from key stage 5 to either Higher Education, employment, or training.

Seeing every student grow into independent thinkers and confident young people lie at the heart of the department. We want our learners to come to their lessons feeling inspired, happy, and confident to try new things.  We want learners to make the connections between the theory they learn in the classroom and the wider world so that learning makes sense to them and has a clear purpose. 

The Department prides itself on its involvement with outside agencies and guest speakers.  This keeps the vocational element of all courses up to date and enhances the student experience.

Our overall aim is for every learner to leave their health and care course eager to continue with their learning, feel proud of their achievements, be kind and caring citizens, demonstrate good communication skills, know about their career options and have the qualifications needed to compete in a competitive workforce.