T-Level in Laboratory Sciences

• 4 GCSEs at grade 5 or above to include Maths, English and Science

The T-Level in Health and Science has 2 components:

Core component:

• Route core elements
• Pathway core elements

Occupational specialism components:

• Technical: Laboratory sciences

The core, comprising route and pathway core components, provides a variety of knowledge and skills relevant to the health and science route as a whole, as well as the occupational specialism components within the science pathway.

Some of the core topics and ideas are broken down and contextualised in more detail within the occupational specialisms, allowing you to apply the knowledge and skills in a specific context.

Core component - the health and science sector:

• Working within the health and science sector
• The science sector
• Health, safety and environmental regulations in the health and science sector
• Application of safety, health and environmental practices in the workplace
• Managing information and data within the health and science sector
• Data handling and processing
• Ethics
• Good scientific and clinical practice
• Scientific methodology
• Experimental equipment and techniques

Core component - Science concepts:

• Core science concepts
• Further science concepts

Technical - Laboratory sciences:

1. Perform a range of appropriate scientific techniques to collect experimental data in a laboratory setting, complying with regulations and requirements

2. Plan, review, implement and suggest improvements to scientific tasks relevant to a laboratory setting

3. Identify and resolve issues with scientific equipment or data errors

Qualification structure

This combined content indicates the relevant knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories and principles relevant to all occupations within health and science: science.

The knowledge and skills are all externally assessed through 2 written examinations and an ESP.

The occupational specialisms are divided into performance outcomes, each of which indicates the knowledge and skills required to enable students to achieve threshold competence in the chosen occupational specialism. These performance outcomes are all externally assessed through synoptic assignments, in which the student will be expected to demonstrate required knowledge and skills.

The assessment consists of:

• Core component
• 2 written examinations
• Employer set project
• Occupational specialism component
• Synoptic assignments (specific to each occupational specialism)

As part of achieving the overall T-Level programme, students are required to complete a minimum of 315 hours industry placement. In order to demonstrate threshold competence in their chosen occupational specialism, the student will be observed during their industry placement.

Students who achieve this qualification could progress to the following,

• Employment
• Science technician for example, laboratory technician.
• Higher Education
• Apprenticeship (progression onto lower level apprenticeships may also be possible in some circumstances, if the content is sufficiently different)