Technical Awards
TECHNICAL AWARDS & VOCATIONAL COURSES
Intent
“Our aim is to provide an education and curriculum which achieves outstanding outcomes and opportunities for all"
At Key Stage 4, pupils work towards predominantly GCSE qualifications. At Broughton we recognise that KS4 option choices made at the end of Year 9, that only include GCSE qualifications is not appropriate for all our pupils. As a consequence, we also offer a range of other approved high value 14-16 qualifications, Technical Awards and Vocational Courses, that meet the destination profiles of our pupils, and broaden the curriculum and pathways available.
Our curriculum is broad, balanced, exciting, challenging and relevant, allowing all pupils to acquire the knowledge, skills and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. It is necessarily ambitious, reflecting the interests, aspirations and destination profiles of our pupils.
We aim to ‘achieve together’, so our pupils are ready for the demands of the 21st century and can be the ‘best person they can be’.
Implementation
Technical Awards
Technical Awards are designed to be taught alongside GCSEs and can give pupils a valuable insight into a professional sector of interest whilst teaching them transferable life skills. They
- are specifically designed for 14-16 year olds in schools
- are graded across Level 1 and Level 2 to recognise the achievements of all pupils
- are assessed using assignments and practical tasks to suit vocational pupils
Currently we offer a range of Technical Awards; it is dependent on demand, established during the Y9 options process, whether these courses are subsequently delivered in Y10/11.
OCR CREATIVE iMEDIA
The UK is a world leader in the creative digital industries, such as in the creation of visual effects for films and computer games. OCR Creative iMedia is designed to build on and improve the UK’s capability and capacity for technical innovation and creativity in this area. The course will equip pupils with the wide range of knowledge and skills needed to work in the creative digital media sector. Starting at pre-production and developing skills through practical assignments, pupils create final multimedia products such as digital graphics, interactive digital products and comic strips.
Staff
Miss M Patel - Specialist Teacher of Computing
Year 10/11 GCSE 2/3 or 3/2 hours per week ... approx. 170 hours
Click here to see the curriculum plan/map and assessment outline for OCR Creative iMedia
NCFE V Cert ENGINEERING
Engineering is designed for pupils who want an introduction to engineering that includes a project-based element. The qualification will appeal to pupils who wish to pursue a career in the engineering sector or progress onto further study. The award consists of two elements.
Unit 1 'Understanding the Engineering World' - examination
Unit 2 'Skills and Techniques in Engineering' - synoptic project
This qualification shows learners how to
- understand how science and maths are applied in engineering
• understand how to read engineering drawings
• understand properties and characteristics of engineering material
• understand engineering tools, equipment and machines
• produce hand-drawn engineering drawings
• produce Computer Aided Design (CAD) engineering drawings
• demonstrate production planning techniques
• understand how to create, present and review art and design work
Staff
Mr M Lowe - Specialist Teacher of DT/Engineering
Year 10/11 GCSE 2/3 or 3/2 hours per week ... approx. 170 hours
Click here to see the curriculum plan/map for NCFE Engineering
Vocational Courses
At Broughton we appreciate some pupils require a personalised curriculum to meet their needs and alternative/college courses may be appropriate. For a small number of our pupils, the opportunity to follow some Level 1 qualifications is appropriate and although not all these are included in progress data, they are invaluable in supporting the talents, aspirations and needs of these particular pupils and enables them to choose courses they will enjoy and succeed in. It is anticipated that pupils will achieve a Level 1 qualification (equivalent to GCSE grade 1-3) and then be able to move, if they so wish, on to a higher level post-16.
The delivery of these courses is provided by some of our long-standing partners, namely Myerscough College, Preston College and Preston Vocational Centre (PVC). Although delivery of these courses is predominantly offsite, regular visits, by SLT to monitor and quality assure this alternative provision ensures the quality of the courses and their delivery. Currently, a small number of our pupils are engaged in the following courses:
PVC (Preston Vocational Centre) - Delivered offsite
Level 1 Construction Skills ... click here to find out about the Level 1 City & guilds course in Construction Skills (6219)
Year 10 2 hours per week ... approx. 78 hours ... Wednesday pm
Year 11 2 hours per week ... approx. 62 hours ... Tuesday pm
Myerscough College - Delivered offsite
Year 10/11 ... 1 full day per week ... Wednesday
Level 1 Agriculture
Level 1 Equine Studies
Level 1 Landscape & Horticulture
Level 1 Motorsports
Click here to find out more about the 14-16 provision at Myerscough College
IMPACT
The success of each Technical Awards & Vocational Course is measured primarily but not exclusively by pupils’ performance across a range of measures. These include the headline measures of progress and attainment, progress against pupils nationally from similar starting points and their destinations post-Broughton.
It is important to acknowledge other ways we measure the impact of these courses. We measure pupils’ enjoyment and engagement of their curriculum through attendance, participation and attitude to learning. Feedback from our partner providers and stakeholders is also a key way we can measure the impact. Pupil voice, parental questionnaires, parent consultation evenings and regular professional conversations within our partner providers, are all vital in evaluating the impact of our formal and informal curriculum.
To ensure the quality of this external provision is in line with “our aim is to provide an education and curriculum which achieves outstanding outcomes and opportunities for all", regular quality assurance visits take place each half-term by senior members of our staff here at Broughton. These visits, together with termly feedback from our providers, helps to ensure our pupils are experiencing a high level of engagement and achievement, giving them the best opportunities for life beyond Broughton.
By using a variety of sources, we can judge the effectiveness and success of our endeavours and make the necessary adjustments to ensure we ‘achieve together’ our ‘best at Broughton’.