BTEC LEVEL 3 NATIONAL EXTENDED CERTIFICATE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Applications Open: 14th November 2025

Applications Close: 13th March 2026

Entry Requirements: - Five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English, and the individual subject entry requirements.

How to Apply: Please apply via the Kent Choices website.

How many subjects can you choose: - You MUST choose 3 subjects (these can be mixture of A-level or BTEC's). Please DO NOT choose anymore than 5 subjects.

Please note that if you are intending to study a course at Invicta Grammar School as part of your course choices, you can only study one Invicta course (maximum) alongside two Valley Park courses.

If you wish to make any changes, you can do so via your application page or send us a message.

Your application will be acknowledged and conditional offer letters will be sent out after the closing date.

A BTEC in Health and Social Care is a practical, work-related course. We aim to introduce you to the range of employment opportunities that are available in the Health, Social Care or Early Years work environment. This is the biggest growing employment sector in the UK, and the BTEC Nationals are designed to relate to the National Occupancy Standards for the Care Sector. During the course you will study a range of issues related to working in the caring industries and you will develop the ability to communicate your understanding in assessments. This is achieved by completing projects and assignments that are based on realistic workplace situations. In addition you should have a desire to work with people and an understanding of the needs of others. Sensitivity and confidentiality are essential qualities of a care provider. Throughout the course you will be given the responsibility to work independently and the opportunity to gain skills in teamwork, problem solving and effective communication. The course provides a good basis to go on to a more advanced work-related qualification either at college, university or in the work place. By the end of the course you will obtain a qualification which is equivalent to an A-level. Points are awarded at the same level as A-level and are accepted for entry to higher education (university). The course requires a good understanding of biological sciences, psychology, sociology and ethics and is ideally suited to study with advanced level courses (BTECs or GCEs) in Science, Psychology or Sport.

The course is unit based and each unit is given a credit value depending on the guided learning hours. Assessment is through external examination and the building of portfolios. All units which are internally assessed are also externally verified by Edexcel. For internally assessed units you will receive an assignment brief detailing the tasks and criteria to be met. At the end of each unit you will be given a grade of pass, merit or distinction with written feedback about how to progress to the next level. Portfolios can be tailored towards different care providers based on the student’s personal area of choice. Before the production of each portfolio we will give you all the necessary information, but the grade you obtain will be dependent on the quality of work you produce.

GCSE English Language at Grade 4 or above, due to the high level of coursework.