Animal Care

Whether you’re an aspiring veterinarian, a passionate animal lover, or simply seeking to expand your understanding of our animal companions, this course will provide you with the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to further your studies in the Animal Care sector.

Key Stage 4

Students will follow the Pearson BTEC Level1/Level 2 Tech Award in Animal Care.

Whether you’re an aspiring veterinarian, a passionate animal lover, or simply seeking to expand your understanding of our animal companions, this course will provide you with the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to further your studies in the Animal Care sector.

What will I study?
Students will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and practical skills in the following areas:

Component 1: Animal Handling.
Students will develop their animal handling skills whilst gaining an understanding of the principles of animal behaviour, enabling them to handle and restrain animals safely. This is assessed through practical and assignment based learning.

Component 2: Animal Housing and Accommodation.
Students will develop their understanding of the accommodation and housing requirements of different animal species. They will carry out the preparation, checking and cleaning out of animal accommodation, this is assessed through practical and assignment based learning.

Component 3: Animal Health and Welfare.
Students will cover all aspects of animal health and welfare; understanding the visible signs of good and ill health, common diseases and disorders, the legalities of animal welfare, animal roles in society and the moral responsibilities of the animal owner.

Knowledge, understanding and skills acquired throughout these components will be used to complete an externally assessed written exam under supervised conditions.

Students are required to submit video evidence for component 1 & 2, therefore it will be necessary for the student to be comfortable in performing handling and animal housing maintenance under recorded assessment conditions.

As part of the educational visits, this course offers the opportunity to visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which aims to promote a deeper understanding of animals in the natural world. Students can enjoy an immersive experience, allowing them to observe a large variety of wildlife species up close.

More opportunities to engage with animals, and visit various and diverse animal facilities, will be planned in alignment with your studies. 

Upon successful completion of this qualification, students can progress onto:

• A Levels as preparation for entry to higher education in a range of subjects
• Other Level 2 vocational qualifications for the land-based sector
• The study of vocational qualifications at Level 3, such as Pearson BTEC Level 3 National in Animal Management

How can learning be supported at home?

• We encourage students to regularly check in to the Animal Care Google Classroom. Additional information and activities will be uploaded for independent home learning and revision.
• Watching animal related material such documentaries and programmes can broaden the students knowledge on the animal kingdom and animal related topics.
• Visiting animal establishments, such as RSPCA, wildlife parks and community farms will give the students the opportunity to engage with animals outside of their classroom studies.

Link: Animal Care Learning Journey – Year 10

Link: Animal Care Learning Journey – Year 11