SUE MCHARDY
Curriculum Head of Education and Care Studies, Adam Smith College
- What is a Curriculum Head?
- What does your job involve?
- What sort of subjects can you study within Education and Care?
- What different qualifications are available? Do any of them allow you to move on to further study?
- How can I find out what these subjects are like if I can’t do them at school?
- What qualities do you look for in people who apply for an Education and Care course?
- What happens if I start a course then decide I don’t like it?
- What sort of jobs do people who complete a course in one of these subjects go on to do?
- In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
1. What is a Curriculum Head?
The curriculum is another word to describe all the subjects and courses that are taught at the College, and I am in charge of those under the heading of Education and Care Studies. There are several other Curriculum Heads who are responsible for all the other areas of study that are available at the College. To get a very rough idea, you could compare it to a Principal Teacher in a department of a secondary school, but that doesn’t help explain all the many different parts that make up my job!
2. What does your job involve?
Lots of things! On a week to week basis, a lot of my time is taken up with teaching but I am also constantly producing course materials, reviewing what is being taught in our courses and how it is being taught, in order to make sure our students are getting the best possible learning experience. I attend events to promote our courses and develop links with employers who are interested in our graduates and who can also provide placements as part of students’ courses. I am heavily involved in dealing with guidance issues for our students, and liaise closely with the guidance team here at the College. I am also involved with interviewing potential students, when this is an entry requirement. Meetings and administration duties are never far away either!
3. What sort of subjects can you study within Education and Care?
There are loads of different subjects that we offer within Education and Care – these include community work, social care, childcare, healthcare, nursing, learning difficulties/disabilities, social sciences and pre-teaching courses. We also offer introductory courses which give students a taste of different subjects that provide them with a strong foundation to then move on to other courses. Most of our courses involve students going on placement – it’s really important that practical experience is offered alongside classes. As well as a variety of courses on offer, there are different ways to study them – full-time, part-time, evening classes and short courses are available in a number of subjects to give our students as much flexibility as possible!
4. What different qualifications are available? Do any of them allow you to move on to further study?
Courses are available at Introductory level and Intermediate 1 and 2 and Higher level (the same as you can do at school!), then there are NQ (National Qualification), NC (National Certificate), HNC (Higher National Certificate) and HND (Higher National Diploma) courses.
There is definitely the possibility to move on to further study as many of our students progress through college and some then move onto university. There are often agreements between colleges and universities for students with HNC/D qualifications to enter a degree course, often straight into second year. Another route into further study is through something called an Access course. This is a one year course designed to give students the requirements to then enter a university course in the same subject. The Access courses we offer are in Nursing and Primary Teaching. Also, at Adam Smith we offer a degree called a BA (Batchelor of Art) in Learning Difficulties/Disabilities where we work alongside Abertay University – this is the only degree of its kind in Scotland and it’s really popular. So this means it’s possible to complete a degree while staying at the College, it’s also really easy to move between college and university.
5. How can I find out what these subjects are like if I can’t do them at school?
If you think you’d be interested in a course in Education and Care and would like to find out more about it, I would recommend coming to one of our Open Day events where you can chat to staff members (or alternatively just come in and see us!), checking out our website and prospectus, and speaking to careers and guidance staff at your school. Another excellent way of finding out more about the subjects on offer is to get some practical experience, either through the work experience opportunities at school or through a part-time job or volunteering position – this will really help you find out what working in a certain job will actually be like. We also deliver some Intermediate 1 and 2 courses in some local schools so you might be able to find out about our courses this way too!
6. What qualities do you look for in people who apply for an Education and Care course?
Working in a job where you are helping people and making a difference to their lives is hugely important, so there are many skills we look for in people who want to study with us. First of all, it’s important that they are committed to working with people and have good communication and interpersonal skills to help them engage with people of different ages and backgrounds. They will also potentially be working with vulnerable people so they must have a caring and patient outlook. I would always say that having some form of experience of working with people before applying to a course is very helpful e.g. working in a nursery or playgroup - but even looking after younger brothers or sisters shows that you are developing skills without really thinking about it (or even recognising it!) Interviews are part of the application process for many of our courses – this is a great chance for people to show us that they have the qualities we look for in our education and care students.
7. What happens if I start a course then decide I don’t like it?
If you’re not happy in your course, you must talk to me as soon as possible. We would work with the College guidance team to help identify an alternative course for you, or the careers staff would help you look for a job if you think this would be more appropriate. You should never stick to a course just because you feel you should – you have to enjoy what you are studying. However, at the same time it can take a while to settle into a course so I would urge students not to give up straightaway! We appreciate that students can become more aware of all the various courses and options on offer at college once they’ve actually started and that sometimes they can change their minds. It’s definitely not a disaster if you decide you want to change course!
8. What sort of jobs do people who complete a course in one of these subjects go on to do?
There are a whole range of different employment opportunities for students! People have gone on to become nursery nurses, play workers, social care workers, youth workers, mental health workers and teaching auxiliaries to name but a few jobs. Students who successfully complete a college course who then move onto a university degree can end up doing as huge variety of jobs. Interestingly, quite a few of the teaching staff here are ex students of Adam Smith College - they must have enjoyed themselves enough to want to come back!
9. In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
1. The opportunities that being a student gives you – meeting people from out with your local area, broadening your horizons and getting the chance to develop your interests and skills to help you get to where you want to be.
2. Becoming a student brings a greater sense of independence and this helps build confidence and self-esteem, which definitely benefits people as they progress into employment or further study.
3. College and university offers a different approach to learning than what you get at school – I find that young people can often underestimate themselves but greater flexibility, independence and choice can really help them see what they are capable of doing.
