You will then specialise in Laboratory Sciences understanding how to design and perform experiments, keep good records and problem solve when things go wrong.
Finally, you will be able to put everything you learn into practice, with a substantial industry placement of around 45 days. Giving you an amazing opportunity to work with an employer while you study, such as a chemical, pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, and gain invaluable experience as well as key skills that employers are looking for.
Entry requirements
5 GCSEs (at grade 4-9) including Sciences (5), Maths (5) and English Language (4).
Course content
In Years 12 and 13 the students follow the NCFE specification.
There are 3 components to the T Level course: The Core Content, Occupational Specialism; and Industry placement.
Core content covers:
- Project management
- Being able to engage with and produce scientific literature (both written and oral).
- Be able to identify your role within a wider team and understand what your responsibilities are.
- Be able to create experiments and look at existing experiments to improve them by innovation and evaluation.
- To be able to solve problems in a scientific context.
- Be able to perform a range of scientific techniques to collect experimental data in a laboratory setting, complying with regulations and requirements and then analyse and evaluate results.
- Core scientific knowledge.
In addition to the knowledge above the students must also learn and be able to perform a wide range of scientific techniques and use a wide range of scientific equipment from all disciplines.
Core A: The Health and Science Sector
- Working within the health and science sector
- The science sector and its diversity
- Health, safety and environmental regulations
- Application of safety, health and environmental practices
- Managing information and data
- Data handling and processing
- Ethics in science
- Good scientific and clinical practice
- Scientific methodology
- Experimental equipment and techniques
Core B: Science Concepts
- Core biology, chemistry and physics concepts
- Further science concepts including:
- Biochemistry and biomolecules
- Enzymes and protein synthesis
- Cell cycle and respiration
- Pathogens and immunology
- Analytical techniques and gas laws
- Pressure, fluid dynamics and viscosity
- SI units, conversions and scientific notation
Employer Set Project (Core Skills)
- Project management
- Research and literature review
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Creativity and innovation
- Problem solving
- Communication of results
- Reflective evaluation
Occupational Specialism :
Performance Outcomes
- Perform Scientific Techniques
- Chromatography, titration, staining, aseptic culture, solution preparation, and more
- Safe handling of chemicals and biological materials
- Compliance with regulations (e.g. COSHH, biosafety)
- Plan, Review and Improve Scientific Tasks
- Design experiments and manage resources
- Analyse data using statistical tools
- Evaluate and improve methods and equipment
- Identify and Resolve Equipment or Data Issues
- Maintain and calibrate lab equipment
- Troubleshoot faults and data errors
- Follow documentation and reporting protocols
Mandatory Practical Techniques
- Chromatography (paper and TLC)
- Distillation and refluxing
- Acid-base and redox titration
- Filtration and solution preparation
- Differential staining and aseptic culture
- Serial dilution and colorimetry
- Measurement of pressure, temperature, conductivity, radioactivity
Calibration of pH meters, balances, and pipettes
Will enable you to perform the following techniques, plan experiments with them, analyse data generated and evaluate the results:
- paper and thin layer chromatography (TLC)
- distillation
- acid-base and redox titration
- refluxing
- filtration
- differential staining (microorganisms)
- aseptic culture of microorganisms
- preparation of serial dilution
- prepare a solution of defined molar concentration
- colorimetry
- pressure using a U-tube manometer
- temperature using a probe and data logger
- radioactive count rate using Geiger counter
- conductivity meter to measure conductivity of a solution
- electrical polarity using ammeter and voltmeter
- calibrating a pH Meter, balance and a mechanical (variable volume) pipette
- Understand safety, health and environmental practices in laboratory science.
You will understand how laboratory equipment should be maintained and calibrated to generate valid results and be able to recognise errors and identify faults.
You will know how laboratory records should be kept.
Be able to apply the principles of the ‘Universal Ethical Code for Scientists 2007’ and know how it affects ethical practices in a laboratory setting.
In addition to the core content you will also have knowledge of the following areas:
Biology
- Metabolic pathways and bioenergetics
- Genotyping and phenotyping
- Ecosystems
Chemistry
- Atomic structure
- Amounts of substances
- Molecular structure and bonding
- Equations
- Oxidation and reduction
- Organic and inorganic chemical techniques
- Electrochemistry
- Enthalpy and entropy
- Properties of materials
Physics
- Nanoscience
- Electronics
- Nuclear physics
- Application of maths to science
Industry Placement:
All T Level students will complete a 3 month placement working in the laboratories of one of our partner organisations, such as Addenbrooke's Hospital or the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
Assessments
Core Component Autumn year 13
Core A: 1 x 2 .5hr exam paper covering health and safety, ethics, scientific methodology, experimental equipment and techniques.
Core B: 1 x 2.5hr exam paper covering biology, chemistry, and physics concepts, mathematical and analytical skills
Employer Set Project: 18 hours
Format: An extended project based on a real-world brief from industry which is externally marked.
Skills Assessed:
Project management, Research and analysis, Teamwork and communication, Creativity and innovation, Problem solving, Reflective evaluation
Grading: A* to E
Assessment Weighting:
Written exams: 70% (Paper A: 34%, Paper B: 36%)
ESP: 30%