BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Law
What IS Law?
· Ever wondered what the difference is between murder and manslaughter? Ever wondered what society hopes to achieve by sending someone to prison for ten years? What about the difference between theft, robbery and burglary? Or the difference between juries and magistrates, or a solicitor and a barrister, or a crown court and a county court or any kind of court? These and many other questions will be answered during the course.
· You may be interested in becoming a solicitor or barrister? Or may just be interested in Law? There is an (unfounded) rumour that if you want to study Law at University you should not take Law at Sixth Form College. In fact, studying Law at Sixth Form will provide you with a head start on your Law Degree, making the English Legal System and Criminal Law modules at university much easier.
· Studying Law helps develop specific skills, notably analytical thinking, persuading, expressing yourself succinctly in spoken and written forms of communication.
· The teaching style uses different techniques to keep studying as interesting as possible. Law at BTEC Level is hard work like any other A Level but we try to ensure that the hard work is directed towards interesting studying and excellent grades.
Why should I take a BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Applied Law?
In this day and age more and more students are succeeding with a BTEC qualification. Did you know that:
· 62% of large companies have recruited employees with a BTEC qualification
o Source: YouGov research (Large Businesses, Feb 2011)
· The percentage of students entering university holding a BTEC has risen. In 2015, 1 in 4 students who got into UK universities did so with a BTEC
o Source: UCAS Progression Pathways – Jan 2016
· Employers believe in BTEC Nationals. Statistics show that 4 out of 5 BTEC students now in full time employment consider their BTEC as an important step towards their desired job
o Source: Further independent research from London Economics, 2010
BTEC qualifications are highly regarded by both universities and employers. This programme of study will provide you with an insight into the world of legal work and would help prepare you for a career in the Police Force, Local Government, Business and areas of legal practice and provide you with the skills needed to meet industry requirements. It will also allow you to develop the transferable and higher order skills so highly regarded by HE and employers. It would provide a basis for future professional qualifications and a rewarding career. This BTEC course is studied over two years and is equivalent to one A level.
USEFUL SKILLS AND INTERESTS
· An enthusiasm for the subject and a commitment to study
· An interest in contemporary society and how law operates in the real world
· The ability to interpret and evaluate a variety of sources and write effectively
· The capability to research material independently and meet tight deadlines
Course Structure & CONTENT
There are three mandatory units that learners must complete:
Unit 1 - Dispute Solving in Civil Law
Unit 2 - Investigating Aspects of Criminal Law and the Legal System
Unit 3 - Applying the law
Unit 4 - Aspects of the Law of Tort
How will it be assessed?
You will be required to complete all units over the course of two years. There will be a mixture of internal and external assessments including a Synoptic assessment which will require you to apply learning from across the qualification to the completion of a defined vocational task. You will be expected to meet deadlines as set, both internally and externally.
Course Commitment
You will have about four and a half hours of contact time with the teacher, together with a commitment to attend learning workshops, and you are expected to study for the same amount of time on your own. You must be able to manage your time in order to meet deadlines that are set.
COURSE COSTS
Students are expected to contribute to transport costs for some optional enrichment activities.
Entrance requirements
You do not need to have studied Law before however the college requires 5 GCSE passes (old grades A* - C, new grades 4 - 9) for entrance onto this course including English.
Progression routes
Law can be a challenging and highly rewarding career. You may wish to apply for a range of occupations related to Law and legal practice or consider studying Law at University. The BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Law will provide you with an insight into possible career options.
Some of the students who studied this course at Prior Pursglove College progressed to or been offered places to do the following at:
· University of Durham - Criminology
· Edinburgh Napier University – Law
· Huddersfield University – Criminology / Sociology & Criminology / Law
· Leeds Trinity University – Criminology/ Forensic Psychology
· Manchester Met University – Fashion Buying & Merchandising
· Northumbria University – Business with Economics / Law / Social Work
· Teesside University – Accounting & Finance / Law
· Liverpool / Manchester / Durham / Liverpool JM – Criminology / Law
· York – Psychology/ Law
· Sunderland – Law
STUDENT COMMENTS
What our Law students say:
“Law is a very interesting subject where you gain a lot of good skills and enjoy the different lessons” – Emily Metcalfe (ex-Bydales School)
“I enjoy Law and gain a variety of skills whilst learning about interesting subjects” – Chloe Williams (ex – Bydales School)
“A controversially interesting subject, unlike other traditional subjects” – Luke Marshall (ex – Sacred Heart School)
Further information
The full course specification can be found at:
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/nat/business-serv/app-law/Pages/default.aspx
If you require further information please contact the Course subject leader, Suzanne Taylor.
Please note that the information in this leaflet is correct at the time of publication, but circumstances may arise which cause us to
revise our provision. June 2017