Introduction

The central focus of home economics education is the health and well being of people in their everyday living. This involves enabling students to address increasingly complex challenges related to human needs and the management of resources to meet these needs.

Home Economics is concerned with the management of human and non human resources and with making informed decisions about nutrition and consumer issues.

People need the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in a study of Home Economics to understand and challenge the way society impacts on their health and well being.

Specification At A Glance

Students are required to complete two units for the AS course and a further two units for the full A-Level course. An outline of these is included below:

AS 1: Nutrition for Optimal Health

This unit requires the study of macro and micro nutrients and other dietary constituents. Nutritional requirements and current dietary recommendations across the life span are also studied in depth.

AS 2: Priority Health Issues

This unit requires the study of current research in relation to diet and health, for example, cardiovascular disease and cancer, mental health and sexual health. Targets, strategies, initiatives and campaigns for optimising health for each issue are also studied.

A2 1: Consumer Issues

This unit requires the study of consumer issues prevalent in today’s society. It involves
consideration of factors which affect the ability of consumers to make informed decisions and manage available resources e.g. money management.

A2 2: Research-based Assignment

This unit requires the submission of a report on a research-based activity which should not exceed 4,000 words. The chosen research area should come from AS 1, AS 2 or A2 1. The assignment should provide opportunities for students to demonstrate appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills demanded by the research process.

In the assignment, the process of research involves:

• identifying and discussing issues associated with the chosen research area;
• selecting and interpreting appropriate and relevant information;
• analysing information and judging its relevance to the chosen research area;
• planning and conducting primary research;
• presenting and interpreting findings from research undertaken;
• drawing conclusions using reasoned arguments;
• reflecting on and evaluating the research process.

Detailed information on each module may be obtained from Mrs McFarland or on the CCEA website: www.ccea.org.uk

Entry Requirements

Grade C (higher tier) in GCSE Home Economics or related subject.