Description
Our new Level 3 Advanced National in Mental Health (AAQ) Student Textbook will support your students throughout their Cambridge OCR Level 3 course. It covers ALL of the mandatory AND optional units in the new specification, so whatever you choose you know you are covered.
Units Covered within the Student Textbook
Mandatory Units for Extended Certificate:
F400 Fundamentals of mental health and the individual (90GLH) – externally assessed
F401 Mental health, wellbeing and society (60GLH) – externally assessed
F402 Supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing in organisations (90GLH) – non externally assessed (NEA)
F403 Community-based support for mental health and wellbeing (60GLH) – NEA
Optional Units for the Extended Certificate:
F404 Supporting mental health and wellbeing with physical activity (60GLH) – NEA
F405 Supporting mental health and wellbeing with outdoor and creative activities (60GLH) – NEA
For those doing the Certificate (180 GLH) there are two mandatory units: F400 and F402.
Authors for Cambridge Level 3 Advanced National Mental Health AAQ
Our authors are all expert teachers who are currently delivering level 3 qualifications.
Purvi Gandhi
Purvi Gandhi, also known as Vi Gandhi, is a practitioner psychologist with over twenty years’ experience teaching subjects such as Psychology and Health and Social Care in schools and sixth‑form colleges. She is the author of The Little Guide for Teachers: Student Mental Health and is dedicated to strengthening psychological literacy and wellbeing across education. Her work centres on mental health, inclusive practice, and creating environments where individuals can thrive.
Amy Johnson
Amy has been teaching since 2005 and is an experienced secondary school teacher specialising in Psychology, Criminology, and Photography, with experience in the UK and internationally. She is currently Second in Department and a Teaching and Learning lead. She has a particular interest in memory and learning strategies, alongside promoting mental health and wellbeing.
Lynne Fountain
Lynne has been teaching Health and Social Care and social science subjects in further education colleges and secondary schools since 2014. Her interest in this field stems from experience in the charity sector, youth justice, and a large children’s hospital. She also has experience in health service management and child protection. In recent years, Lynne has worked as a trainer, examiner, moderator, and qualification developer across a range of qualifications, as well as producing educational content for textbooks and teaching resources.
Marie McNally
Marie is Head of Applied Psychology at Hereford Sixth Form College. Her work focuses on the relationship between the current mental health crisis among young people and reduced access to arts education. She is particularly interested in exploring the connections between music, education, and psychology.
About the Cambridge Level 3 Advanced National Mental Health AAQ
Cambridge OCR’s Level 3 Advanced National in Mental Health: Individuals and Society is a new qualification designed for students aged 16 to 19, for first teaching in September 2026. This qualification aims to equip students with essential knowledge and understanding about mental health and wellbeing, including the factors that impact people’s mental health and strategies that can be used to improve it. As well as providing a deeper insight into an increasingly important subject, this qualification carries UCAS points and can lead to further study at undergraduate level in a range of degrees in counselling, mental health and wellbeing.
Qualification Structure:
The qualification is offered in two sizes:
- Certificate (180 Guided Learning Hours – GLH): Equivalent to one AS Level.
- Extended Certificate (360 GLH): Equivalent to one A Level.
These can be taken alongside complementary A Levels to create a balanced programme of study.
You can check out the specification for the new qualification here:
https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/cambridge-advanced-nationals/mental-health-level-3-H098-H198/
