Hello, this is a short introduction
to the New Tech Award in Animal Care.
My name is Andy Murdock and I'm the
Principle Standards Manager for
Land-based Qualifications at Pearson.
I've been involved as part of the team to
develop the new Tech Award in Animal care.
I'll update you briefly on each component
that makes up the qualification.
The Tech Award in Animal Care has a
three component structure Components
One and two are each 36 guided learning hours
and worth 30% of the qualification grade.
They are assessed using the new
Pearson set assignments or PSAs marked
internally by you, the teacher,
assessor and moderated by Pearson.
The PSAs are released in January of each
year and assessed in May and June from 2023,
so you have plenty of flexibility
within your programme to prepare for,
administer and mark the assessments.
The final component three is 48
Guided learning hours worth 40%
of the qualification grade and is
externally assessed by Pearson.
It is a two hour written examination
available twice a year in the January
February May June assessment series.
Each assessment in the qualification
is marked out of 60 available marks.
Animal Care is a new tech award for
2022 developed out of our popular
BTEC First in Animal Care.
The content will therefore be
familiar if you've previously taught
the current BTEC First.
Through the development of this award,
We've taken the opportunity to
make some minor adjustments.
To content to ensure it is fully up to
deal with sector skills and practises.
This qualification allows for practical
vocational skills to be applied
throughout all three components,
giving your learners the opportunity to
develop knowledge and technical skills
in a practical learning environment.
Let's take a look at the first two
internally assessed components. These are.
Component one: Animal Handling.
This component has been formed from
Unit 2 animal handling and Unit 5.
Animal behaviour, they've been
merged and modified from the BTEC
First award in animal care,
simplifying the delivery,
assessment,
and administration of the
qualification and allowing students
to explore in a more integrated way.
The impact of animal behaviour
on handling and restraint.
In this component learners will develop
their small animal handling skills.
They will also gain understanding of
the principles of animal behaviour,
allowing them to handle and
restrain animals safely.
Component 2
Animal housing and accommodation
is based on Unit 4 Animal Housing
Accommodation from the BTEC First Award.
Learners will develop their understanding of
the accommodation and housing requirements
of animals by carrying out the preparation,
checking and cleaning of
animal accommodation.
Through this qualification.
Your learners will also develop
key skills such as communication,
research and project management.
We have designed this award to
make it as easy as possible for
you to transition from your current
delivery of the first award
teaching with confidence,
or if you're delivering tech
awards for the first time,
you'll find the content
clear and easy to interpret.
Components,
one and two
two are assessed through non
exam internal assessments
which have been designed to demonstrate
application of the conceptual knowledge
on pending this sector through
realistic tasks and activities.
And in doing so to deepen learning by
connecting knowledge and practise.
Due to the new technical
requirements from the DfE,
there were some changes to the assessment
of these components that will be
quite different to what teachers of
the first award had been used to.
Assignment used for summative assessment.
Must now be set by the awarding organisation.
So the old Authorised Assignment
Briefs have been replaced by Pearson
Set assignments or Psas.
These will be released in January each year.
For component one,
the Pearson Set Assignment
will consist of three tasks.
Task one is researching animal behaviour
and impact on handling and restraint.
Task two is planning for the safe
handling and restraint of animals.
On task three is handling and
restraining animals safely.
For component 2.
This will consist of four tasks.
Task one considering accommodation that
meets the welfare needs of different animals.
Task two safely preparing and
checking animal accommodation. Task 3.
Simply cleaning out animal
accommodation. Task Four
Reviewing high animal accommodation
was prepared and cleaned.
For each component the assessment
activities have a similar structure
to those of the first award.
But are now timed activities of 6 hours
Ours and are formerly supervised.
The assessments are engaging on
hands on blending both practical
and theoretical elements.
Your learners will be taking part
in different types of handling and
Animal maintenance practical activities.
It will give them the opportunity
to apply their knowledge,
skills and the techniques they
learn in practical ways.
Under the new requirements,
all assessments must be marked through
numerical means using a mark scheme.
In the new Mark scheme,
students can gain up to 12 marks across
four bands ranging through limited,
adequate, good and comprehensive
knowledge and understanding.
A consistent set of descriptors
to help you understand which band
fits the quality of the evidence.
Overall,
with three marks available in each band.
While the scenario or context
will change each year.
Each pearson set assignment or PSA
will assess the same skills so that
the mark scheme remains consistent,
making it easier for teachers and
assessors to apply and standardise
grading year on year. Component 3.
Is assessed by external synoptic
assessment set and marked by Pearson and
completed under supervised conditions.
This is a written assessment.
That requires learners to demonstrate that
they can identify and use effectively
an appropriate selection of techniques,
concepts,
theories and knowledge from across the
whole qualification in an integrated way.
Students have two hours to
complete the assessment.
Based on popular feedback,
Component 3 covers all aspects of
animal health and welfare and will equip
learners with a good understanding
of the relationship between looking
after the wellbeing of the animal and
the effect this has on maintaining
Animal strength and vigour.
The component also gains an
understanding of how animals
are used in society until they
are protected by legislation.
This is the synoptic unit.
New learning aims and the content
areas now include signs of health,
animal housing and care.
Animal diseases , animal society.
Animal organisations and legislation.
The external written exam is now worth
60 marks compared to the First Award,
which is 50 marks.
An increase of 10 marks.
This is because animal health is
now assessed within this unit.
There were similar items types,
including multiple choice questions, short,
medium and extended responses to that
of the BTEC First Award in Animal Care.
Additional questions have been
included to incorporate animal health.
This is a supervised assessment period
and as a maximum of two hours there are
two assessment opportunities each year.
In January, February,
and May June assessment series.
We encourage you to look through
the draft specification,
Pearson set assignments and the SAMs which
are available on the Pearson website.
And if you have further questions or are
preparing to deliver and need further support,
please don't hesitate
to get in touch with us.
You can also attend one of our upcoming
Getting Started events early next year,
where we'll be covering the qualification
and assessments in more depth
and answering further questions.
You can book by visiting the training
from Pearson page on the Pearson website.
Thank you very much.
I hope to see you in one of
our upcoming live events.