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Construction

Who is this qualification for? - The Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Construction and the Built Environment is ideal for you if you are a pre-16 student working at level 1 or level 2 and would like to find out more about construction. This course offers a practical introduction to life and work in the construction industry. The qualification, which is 120 GLH, is the same size and level as a GCSE.


The construction industry - The construction industry is one of the UK’s most important sectors. In 2018 it employed, directly or indirectly, around 2.4 million people and accounted for £117 bn of the value to the UK economy. The range of jobs available is large, covering traditional craft trades, large civil engineering infrastructure projects, housebuilding, design and consultancy, and the professions such as architecture, management and surveying.


What does the qualification cover? - This course will give you the opportunity to develop knowledge and technical skills in a practical learning environment. You will develop your knowledge of construction methods, materials and design, applying mathematical and scientific principles to solve problems in a construction context. You will also develop key skills, such as planning work, interpreting technical information and designing to meet a client brief. you will get the opportunity to apply hand skills, safely use tools, measure and check the quality of work completed.

Everyone taking this qualification will study three components, covering the following content areas:

  1. Construction technology: Understanding common types of construction used to build low- rise buildings, material technologies and the essential maths and science that Designers and Builders use day-to-day, sustainability and how buildings’ sub-structures and superstructures are constructed.
  2. Practical craft skills: covering the principles of safe working, selecting and using materials and tools, planning work in trades in either carpentry or brickwork and evaluating the quality of work produced.
  3. Construction and design: exploring how the design of different building can meet their function, and how to practically design buildings to meet the needs of the clients and the environment, including the various constraints on the design. Learners will be able to integrate knowledge across the qualification into their response to a design brief.


Where will this take me? - Once you have completed the qualification, you will have developed a practical understanding of the construction industry. You will have built useful skills, which are not generally covered in GCSE courses, and you will have developed a good understanding of whether the construction industry is for you, and if so, which part of it you might want to study further.

If you decide to go on to further study of construction, the best option for you will depend on the grades you have achieved in this and the other qualifications you have taken, and what you enjoy doing. You could progress to a Level 2 Technical Certificate or to a Level 3 programme, such as A Levels, a T Level or a BTEC National, either on its own or in combination with A levels.


What other subjects go well with Construction? - This course builds on and uses the knowledge and skills you learn in your GCSEs, particularly in Design and Technology, Mathematics and the sciences. It can also be complementary learning for Information Technology. This course is different from studying GCSEs, as, by taking
part in different types of designing and building activities, it gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge, skills and the techniques you learn in practical ways.

Assessment Overview

Component

GLH

Qualification Weighting

Marks Available

Type of Assessment

Length of Assessment

Availability

Component 1 –

Construction

Technology

48

40%

60

External exam.

Externally

marked

1 hour 20

minutes

Twice a year in

Jan/Feb and May/Jun

(from 2024)

Component 2 –

Construction in

Practice

36

30%

60

Internal

assessment

(PSA*) with

3 tasks.

Externally

moderated

8 hours of

supervised

sessions

Twice a year:

October release for

December/January

moderation (from 2023)

February release for

May/June moderation

(from 2023)

Component 3 –

Construction and

Design

36

30%

60

Internal

synoptic

assessment

(PSA*).

Externally

moderated

2 hours of

monitored

preparation

and 6 hours

of supervised

sessions

Twice a year:

October release for

December/January

moderation (from 2023)

February release for

May/June moderation

(from 2023)

With a Tech Award you will:

  • Get a taste of what a sector is like.
  • Gain transferable skills and confidence that will help them in the world today and prepare them for their futures.
  • Receive an introduction to vocational study.
  • Have opportunities to apply learning from their GCSE subjects to every day and work contexts.
  • Build applied knowledge and skills that show an aptitude for further learning, both in the sector and more widely.

Embedding learning through application - Tech Award qualifications are designed to help learners:

  • Explore what it’s like to work in the sector and gain the underpinning knowledge and skills required to work in it.
  • Develop key knowledge, skills and behaviours, and learn about essential tools, techniques, and equipment.
  • Apply their learning to real-life contexts and vocational scenarios in both learning and assessment.

 

Key Stage 4

BTEC Tech Award in Construction and the Built Environment 2022 - How is the course structured? Click Here for further information.  

Component 1: Construction technology - This component will develop knowledge and understanding of processes, terminology and technology used in the construction of the built environment.

Component 2: Construction in practice - This component will introduce learners to commonly used hand tools, equipment and craft skills needed in the creation of the built environment and how to select and use materials in order to safely produce quality outcomes.

Component 3: Construction and design - Learners will gain an understanding of clients’ needs and develop skills in responding to building design briefs and sketches that consider construction constraints.

  • Component 3: Construction and design - Click Here

Homework: Over the course you will be given a homework assignment booklet which has your tasks and activities based on your classwork. Homework tasks are set out as assignment tasks set out as below. 

Aim: By the end of this assignment you will be able to identify a range of clients who use the construction industry.

Aim: By the end of this activity you will be able to identify the work supplied to the construction industry and the specialist skills needed to carry out the jobs.

Aim: By the end of this task you will know about two current live projects, how much they cost and how many jobs the projects have created. 

Aim: By the end of this task you will understand the different types of clients that use the construction industry and the type of work they require.

Aim: By the end of this assignment you will understand the benefits of the construction industry both socially and economically.

Staff

Mr F Botha - Department Leader

Mr P Gooch - Technician

Specification

Quick Guide to the BTEC Tech Award in Construction and the Built Environment (2022) Click Here

Specification - Construction and the Built Environment 2022 Click Here

Subject Documents Date  
CONSTRUCTION KS4 Curriculum Map 01st Sep 2022 Download
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