Full Time Animal Studies Certificate Level 1

Course Code:
N5003

Study Type:
Full Time

Academic Level:
Level 1

Course Length:
This is a full time one year course, 19 hrs per week. See Other Information for more details.

Course Summary:
Animal Care NVQ level 1 is a full-time, one-year course which will give you a general introduction to the care and management of a range of commonly kept companion animals and agricultural species that are found on smallholdings.

Course Details:
You will cover a range of animal related topics. In addition, according to your current level of achievement, you will take appropriate courses in Numeracy, Literacy and Information Technology.

How will I be assessed?
Your practical skills will be assessed as they develop throughout the course and your tutors will watch what you do, ask you questions and set pieces of written work to make sure that your knowledge is growing as well as your practical skills. You will also be expected to develop a collection of pieces of coursework and assessment sheets, known as a portfolio.

How much practical work is there?
This course involves a maximum of 7 hours of practical work on the farm a week. You will also be expected to participate in classroom-based sessions throughout the week.

Modules/units:
Basic animal biology
Nutrition
Animal welfare
NVQ portfolio building
Health and safety
Practical work on Nescot's animal care unit, with a range of companion and agricultural species
Animal livestock

Career Progression:

• Extend your knowledge and care for animals into a qualification and start your progression into the Animal Care profession.
• You could go on to do the BTEC First Diploma in Animal Care, or further training in more specialist areas of animal care.
• Former students have gone on to work in pet shops, kennels, city farms, etc.

Other Information:
You are required to attend college on four days a week (Monday to Thursday). On Fridays you are expected to arrange opportunities for yourself to provide more material for your practical portfolio. Former students have progressed into animal care related work such as kennel and stables. Sometimes they have progressed onto further programmes of study in animal care.

You are required to provide steel toe capped boots, overalls and waterproof clothing for practical work and we will tell you more about this at your interview.

Requirement
Entry Level 3 in Literacy and Numeracy. We will give you an intial assessment to identify your literacy and numeracy level. You may be progressing from Entry Level 3 in Skills for Working Life. You must be able to show that you have the ability and motivation to work as part of a team and to spend periods of time outside in all weathers You need to have relevant experience of working with animals.