Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction

Core content

All students will develop a general understanding of construction, including: 

  • health and safety
  • the science behind building design, surveying and planning
  • making accurate and appropriate measurements
  • construction methods
  • building regulations and standards
  • data management and information standards in construction
  • relationship management and customer service
  • how the Internet of Things (IoT) impacts construction
  • digital engineering techniques
  • mathematical techniques to solve construction problems
  • construction design principles and processes
  • the construction industry and its role in the economy
  • sustainability and the environmental impact of construction
  • business, commerce and corporate social responsibility

They will also learn about topics specific to design, surveying and planning, including:

  • project management
  • budgeting and resource allocation
  • procurement
  • risk management

Options to specialise

In addition to the core content, each student must choose one of the following specialisms:

  • surveying and design for construction and the built environment
  • civil engineering
  • building services design
  • hazardous materials analysis and surveying

Awarding Organisation resources

Pearson has developed a wide range of resources to help providers to deliver the Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level.

Approval and quality assurance

  • Support to help providers through the approval process can be here in the provider approval section

Registration, entries and results

  • Information on how to register learners for their T Level as well as how to make bookings for the correct assessment series can be found here in the key dates schedule section

Administrative support

  • Details about fees, quality assurance and assessment and support guides can be found here

Specification and specimen assessment materials

  • Specimen assessment materials for the core exams, employer set projects and occupational specialist components can be found here

Assessment guidance found here

  • Past papers mark schemes and chief examiner reports for core and occupational specialisms
  • Example Employer Set Projects, with briefs, tutor guidance and mark schemes
  • Exemplification materials can be found here

Teaching and learning materials found here

  • For both the core component and occupational specialist component, including curriculum planners, case studies, worksheets, project delivery guides and topic guides

Video Resources 

  • Overview of the T Level Technical Qualification in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level (core content). Please watch the recorded webinar delivered by Pearson here.

Other resources include:

Additional considerations for this course

Construction site card
If students require a construction site card for their industry placement, schools and colleges may need to think about delivering the health and safety content of the technical qualification early.

ETF resources

Schemes for Skills – Co-designed schemes of learning in the Construction T Level 

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) consists of material to support the planning and implementation of the Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level through the creation and development of schemes of learning mapped to elements of the core content. 

Produced by Lakes College, the schemes of learning - co-created with employer input - identify opportunities for holistic skills development and link to relevant occupational specialisms. Teaching and learning approaches outlined can also be used in the Onsite Construction T Level. 

Resources include:

  • schemes of learning along with assessment and advisory notes
  • three schemes of work (Digital Technology, Construction Mathematical Techniques, Relationship Management).

Core specialisms

The core specialisms covered include:

  • Core element 6: Digital Technologies
    • 6.1 Learners must demonstrate an understanding of the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the wider issues of its application in the construction industry.
    • 6.2 Learners must understand how digital engineering techniques are used in design, surveying and planning activities.
    • 6.3 Learners must understand the benefits of using technologies from other industries and how the construction industry is incorporating those technologies.
  • Core element 7: Construction Mathematical techniques
    • 7.1 Students must be able to select and apply mathematical techniques correctly to solve construction problems.
    • 7.2 Students must be able to select and apply basic differentiation and integration techniques correctly and understand how calculus is used to solve practical construction problems.
    • 7.3 Students must be able to use statistical methods to analyse grouped, ungrouped, continuous and discrete sets of data, and understand how they are used to solve practical construction problems.
  • Core element 11: Relationship Management
    • 11.1 Students must understand the roles, expectations and interrelationships of different stakeholders throughout construction project delivery.
    • 11.2 Students must understand the importance of a collaborative approach during a project and how it is applied in practice at different stages of a project.
    • 11.3 Students must understand the principles and importance of customer service.
    • 11.4 Students must understand the effects of team dynamics on a team’s success and the importance of teamwork for team and project performance.
    • 11.5 Students must understand team dynamics, the characteristics of an effective team, the qualities and expectations of a team member, and how these qualities are demonstrated.
    • 11.6 Students must understand the importance of equality, diversity and representation, including related legislation.
    • 11.7 Students must understand negotiation techniques and how they are used when taking part in discussions with clients, contractors and other relevant stakeholders.
    • 11.8 Students must understand conflict management techniques.

General competencies

The general competencies covered include:

  • M1 Measure with precision.
  • M2 Estimate, calculate and spot errors.
  • M3 Work with proportion.
  • M4 Use rules and formulas.
  • M5 Process data.
  • M6 Understand data and risk.
  • M7 Interpret and represent with mathematical diagrams.
  • M8 Communicate using mathematics.
  • M9 Cost a project.
  • M10 Optimise work processes.
  • D1 Use digital technology and media effectively.
  • D2 Design, create and edit documents and digital media.
  • D3 Communicate and collaborate.
  • D4 Process and analyse numerical data.
  • D5 Be safe and responsible online.
  • D6 Code and program.

 Downloadable resources

Scheme of learning 3

This TRIP can be found here.

Skills in Context – Contextualised diagnostic assessments

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) showcases material for the T Level in Construction.

Produced by Lakes College, Bolton College, Preston College, Tameside College, South Essex College, Kendal College and Southport College, this TRIP consists of resources aimed at improving teaching practice for the delivery of T Levels through the creation of high quality contextualised diagnostic assessment resources supporting further development and application of transferable skills in the construction industry.

Resources include:

  • two assignments (on sustainable materials and the importance of refurbishing disused spaces)
  • marking rubric A & B
  • tutor guidance A & B
  • learners' initial self-assessment.

Formative assessment material

This TRIP also provides a comprehensive set of formative assessment questions to support learners in initial self-assessment and exams, relating to the following core components.

  • E1 Convey technical information to different audiences: 
    • Use technical vocabulary with accuracy. 
    • Explain complicated information to others. 
    • Change my tone of voice for different people or groups.   
  • E2 Present information and ideas: 
    • Use a clear layout to structure a text, eg using headings, subheadings, bullet points and diagrams. 
    • Use paragraphs accurately.   
  • E3 Create texts for different purposes and audiences: 
    • Select the correct layout for different text types, eg letter, report, article, leaflet, blog and PowerPoint. 
    • Select an appropriate tone of voice for different people or groups. 
  • E4 Summarise information and ideas: 
    • Skim and scan texts for key words and phrases. 
    • Select key ideas to include in a summary.
    • Eliminate irrelevant and minor information.    
  • E5 Synthesise information: 
    • Find information on a topic from a variety of sources. 
    • Compare, contrast and summarise my research findings.
  • E6 Take part in and lead discussions: 
    • Speak confidently in a group. 
    • Listen to others and ask questions about what I have heard.   

Core skills

The core skills covered include:

  • CS1 – Communication. 
  • CS2 – Work with others.
  • CS3 – Applying a logical approach to solving problems, identifying issues and finding solutions. 
  • CS4 – Primary research.  

Downloadable resources

Assignments 3
Initial assessments 1
Marking rubic 3
Tutor guidance sheets 3

This TRIP can be found here.

Placement videos for the T Level in Construction

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) showcases materials to be used by T Level teachers and practitioners to gain an insight of how immersive technologies can be used in education, in particular in T Levels and some of the considerations that need to be made.

Produced by Gloucestershire College, Truro and Penrith College, Weymouth College and Halesowen College, this TRIP consists of a short online course providing practitioners with a simple introduction to using immersive technologies within an education setting. As well as videos, which can be used in the curriculum delivery of construction T Levels, either with VR headsets or in 2D.

Resources include:

  • outputs and report summary
  • an introduction to using immersive technologies
  • seven videos with the following titles:
    • Heritage Episode 1 – Plumbing
    • Heritage Episode 2 – Carpentry & Joinery
    • Commercial Episode 1 – Health & Safety
    • Construction Episode 1 – Industrial Site Overview
    • Construction Episode 02 – Health & Safety
    • Virtual Reality within T Levels
    • Honest Talks with Industry Professionals – TRIP Project 2021.

The TRIP 360 videos are intended for use by T Level teachers and practitioners for the delivery of the T Level construction curriculum.

Occupational specialisms

The occupational specialisms covered include:

  • Carpentry and joinery.
  • Plumbing and heating engineering.

Downloadable resources

Guide to using immersive tech in an education setting 1
Videos for use in curriculum delivery 7

This TRIP can be found here.

Materials to support the development of the Core Skill of Communication for the T Level in Design, surveying and planning for construction

This T Level Resource Improvement Project (TRIP) has produced a range of learning materials, developed by an experienced T Level provider. These learning materials will support learners to develop the Core Skill of Communication for the T Level in Design, surveying and planning for construction.

Produced by Shrewsbury College Group, this TRIP provides an accessible framework for learning, lesson plans and supporting learning materials that will enable learners to hone and develop their Core Skill of Communication when developing understanding of the Core Content of the T Level in Design, surveying and planning in construction.

The resources include:

  • a framework for learning to show how the development of communication skills can be scaffolded and sequenced
  • ten lesson plans which cover 30 hours of learning to support the development of the Core Skill of communication in conjunction with Core Content
  • learning materials to support each lesson which enables the delivery of the 30 hours of learning
  • guidance that can be provided to learners to demonstrate how they can use their skills as part of the Employer-set project (ESP) assessment.

At the heart of the framework for learning is a project-based approach.  Learners are provided with information related to a development in Shrewsbury and have the opportunity to relate this to similar developments in their own locality.  Through this case study approach, learners are provided with written verbal and non-verbal information to read and interpret and activities to apply techniques to written and oral communication.

The framework for learning and supporting lesson plans provided in this resource relate to:

  • Target audience in construction
  • Descriptive writing
  • Persuasive writing
  • Writing for the public
  • Visual communication
  • Adapting visual communication
  • Speaking skills
  • Persuasive speaking
  • Adapting writing and speaking
  • Presenting and reflecting.

Each lesson has a lesson plan, worksheet or set of handouts to support learning.  There is a separate slide deck that can be used to support delivery of the ten lessons.

Downloadable resources

Word document including introduction, framework for learning, ten lesson plans and associated supporting resources as well as guidance for students to prepare for the ESP using the skills that have been developed 1
PowerPoint to support lesson plans 1

This TRIP can be found here

Gatsby Resources 

The Technical Education Networks programme supports teachers bringing industry and the classroom closer together by delivering an engaging and enriched curriculum for their students in an evolving education landscape, drawing on expertise of specialist teachers, employers and professional bodies. Please find the resources page here. 

AoC resources

Please find AoC's resource depository here.  

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