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Young Apprenticeship Science
Programme Description
The Young Apprenticeship Programme provides an opportunity for motivated and able students to study for a qualification in science that helps to develop practical skills and knowledge in a vocational context. Students are based in school and will continue to study the core National Curriculum subjects but will also study for a BTEC First Certificate in Applied Science in a university or college environment and spend time in a work based environment.
All students on the Young Apprenticeship Programme will spend time in a work based environment over the two years. This will usually consist of a combination of whole week blocks and regular days per week with the minimum disruption to core curriculum studies.
This programme is available to students interested in pursuing a career in science, at technician level, either through an Apprenticeship when they leave school, or by continuing with A-Levels and possibly University in the future. Young Apprenticeship in Science students are required to study the Double Award GCSE in Applied Science. All students are expected to achieve a total of 14 points in English, Maths and Science at Key Stage 3 SATs and are predicted to achieve at least a grade C at GCSE in the core subjects (Maths, English and Science).
The Qualification
The BTEC First Certificate in Applied Science is a Level 2 qualification and is a two year course that is equivalent to two GCSEs. Students start their Young Apprenticeship Programme in year 10 and spend an extended half day at a local university or college. During this half day they will be encouraged to develop their knowledge, understanding and practical skills as well as how these relate to the workplace. The three units studied are:
Unit 3: Chemistry Applications
Unit 4: Physical Science Applications
Unit 5: Biological Systems
Units are assessed through several assignments over the two years and are graded as a pass, merit or distinction. Students will build up a portfolio of evidence from the course and from their work experience. Regular reviews and assignment tracking sessions are undertaken to monitor their progress.
Mentoring
In order to introduce the students to the full range of skills they need to develop as they pursue a career in scienece each student is allocated a mentor from the work placement company. The mentoring sessions aim to increase the students' confidence when presenting ideas to an audience and develop their interpersonal skills. They will also develop and increase their analytical skills through learning to review their work, reflect on progress and problems encountered and benchmark outcomes against their own targets. Mentoring usually takes place at the end of year 10 and throughout year 11 as students work on their science course projects. Many students find this help extremely beneficial and often see their project grades improve as a result of recieving an industrial input to their work.