Professional Focus Paper
Course: Care
1.
Level: National 5
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Care National 5.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the Broad General Education?
2.
What’s new, and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Care National 5 consists of three Units.
 Human Development and Behaviour
 Social Influences
 Values and Principles
To achieve Care National 5, learners must pass all of the Units as well as a course assessment.
CARE
What are the key aspects of Care National 5
Hierarchy of Units
The three Units: Human Development and Behaviour, Social Influences and Values and Principles can be
delivered an integrated course.
Unit assessment
The assessment standards for all Units have been designed in a way that evidence can be generated from a
variety of sources and presented in a variety of formats, and so that evidence can be collated holistically.
Hierarchy of Units
The hierarchy of Units allows a flexible approach to learning and teaching thus allowing learners the opportunity to
study at the most appropriate level. Careful planning would be required if learners are to move between National 4
and National 5, as there is an added value Unit at National 4. Learning and teaching approaches must ensure that
learners are fully involved in identifying assessment opportunities. Evidence can be gathered in a wide variety of
ways allowing learners personalisation and choice. Learners should be supported in evaluating their learning and
producing the supporting evidence. Learning and teaching approaches must demonstrate relevance to care
practice: it is not about teaching theory. The assessments for all Units are about real-life situations and learners
need to be familiar with this concept.
Course assessment
The course assessment is a project that will sample and integrate understanding and knowledge from across the
component units of the course. Learners will carry out an investigation into a selected brief supplied by SQA. In
preparation for the final course assessment, learning and teaching approaches should focus on developing
learners’ skills in analysing, researching, evaluating and innovative presenting. As learners are expected to carry
out two investigations it is important that they are encouraged to be innovative in the way they present their
information. An example of this could be a learner presenting their information as a leaflet rather than electronically,
or using a mind map and photographs. Learning and teaching needs to focus on the skills of analysing and
evaluating, and learners should be given opportunities throughout the course delivery to practise these skills. There
should also be guidance on how to research effectively using appropriate resources.
What are the key features of learning in Care National 5?
Learning and teaching approaches should focus on the learners’ health and wellbeing, their ability to build
relationships based on a sound value base and on citizenship. The key focus should be on demonstrating
awareness and respect for others and acting as learning resources for one another.
Active learning
Learning and teaching approaches should encourage learners to be actively involved in their learning by working
collaboratively to discuss and present ideas. Learners will then begin to develop an understanding of the
knowledge and values required for working within a care setting.
Learning and teaching approaches should encourage learners to think of their learning as a single integrated
subject area (holistically) and not just three separate Units. The Units are less prescriptive than before, which
means that learning and teaching approaches can build on existing experiences and outcomes in health and
wellbeing, and other curriculum areas, which can then be further developed through relevant contextualisation to a
care situation thus enabling learners to show creativity and initiative when demonstrating their knowledge and
understanding.
CARE
Learning independently
Learners will benefit from being active, from taking responsibility for their learning and from learning independently.
Approaches will develop a basic understanding of the needs of individuals in receipt of care services and an
awareness of care services that could meet these needs. Learners will be expected to talk to people around them
to develop their knowledge in this area. Learners are expected to gain an understanding of the importance of
values and legislation in positive care practice and to be able to apply psychological and sociological concepts to
care issues and scenarios. Learners will be expected to work together to gather information and discuss its
relevance to a particular care issue or care setting.
Skills
Learning and teaching approaches should ensure a strong focus on the development of learners’ skills for learning,
skills for life and skills for work. Learners should have opportunities to learn to understand why people need to use
care services, and to gain the knowledge and values for working in a range of care settings across health, social
and child care. Learners should have opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge and understanding to a care
context and to continue to develop and acquire the attributes of the four capacities. Learners should also have
opportunities to develop the skills of explaining, evaluating, presenting, task management, research and
investigating. At National 5 level, learners are expected to be more autonomous in their learning and therefore
learning and teaching approaches from the outset should develop this skill.
 How will you ensure that learners are developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work?
 How will you encourage learners to be more autonomous in their learning?
 What innovative ways would you suggest your learners use to develop their knowledge and skills and to
generate evidence for the Unit outcomes?
Task management skills
Learners will be expected to undertake an investigation into care services from a specified brief. This should enable
them to develop their task management skills. They will be expected to draw on their knowledge from all three
Units and relate them to the specific brief. It is important that staff contextualise the psychological and sociological
concepts in particular so that the learners can relate them to the care setting.
 How will you develop the skills learners require for successful completion of the final course assessment?
Links across the curriculum
Literacy skills are developed through learners working collaboratively and contributing to discussions as well as
listening to and considering others’ points of view. Learners develop their communication skills through
presentation of their ideas and opinions. In investigative work, learners have to independently select ideas and
relevant information, organise it into a coherent format and provide supporting detail. Skills in health and wellbeing
are developed when learners are developing an understanding of their own and others’ mental, emotional, social
and physical wellbeing.
CARE
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Care National 5: www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45732.html
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
Support materials produces have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and
further support materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-todate details available from the pages below.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/curriculumareas/healthandwellbeing/index.a
sp
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
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