The BTEC Level 3 qualification is a modern and stimulating course which is designed for learners who are interested in an introduction to the study of creating IT systems to manage and share information, alongside other fields of study with a view to progressing to a wide range of higher education courses. The course has been designed

in collaboration with employers and representatives from higher education and relevant professional bodies, ensuring that content is up to date and that it includes the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes required in the sector.

You will complete four units over the two years:

Year 12

Unit 2 – Creating Systems to Manage Information In order to produce information to support many business processes as well as our social lives, relational databases are widely used to manage and process data.

You will examine the structure of data and its origins, and how an efficient data design follows through to an effective and useful database. You will examine

a given scenario and develop an effective design solution to produce a database system. You will then test your solution to ensure that it works correctly. Unit 3 – Using Social Media in Business

You will explore different social media websites, the ways in which they can be used and the potential pitfalls when using them for business purposes. You will develop a plan to use social media strategies for business purposes to achieve specific aims

and objectives. You will then implement the plan, developing and posting content and interacting with others. Finally, you will collect data on the business use of social media and review the effectiveness of your efforts.

Year 13

Unit 1 – Information Technology Systems You will explore the relationships between the

hardware and software that form an IT system, and the way that systems work individually and together, as well as the relationship between the user and

the system. You will examine issues related to the use of IT systems and the impact that they have on organisations and individuals. In this unit you will draw on your learning from across your programme to complete assessment tasks.

Unit 6 – Website Development

In this unit, you will review existing websites

– commenting on their overall design and effectiveness. You will use scripting languages such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style

Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript and a simple text editor, or rapid application development tools. Finally,

you will reflect on website design and functionality using a testing and review process. Many software developers, database experts and systems managers need web-client development skills as an integral part of their overall portfolio of expertise. This unit will prepare you for employment as a website developer or as a website development apprenticeship. The unit will benefit you if you want to go on to Higher Education to develop your studies.

Extending Your Experience

We plan to arrange visits to external organisations in support of this course.