Course summary

Have you ever thought about working towards a degree, but decided against it as you are already in employment or volunteering and don’t want to give that up? Our FdA Education in Practice course is designed for you if you are working and supporting children in primary, secondary, special schools or learners in a further education college. This work-based Foundation Degree programme is a combination of practice-based learning and campus-based teaching sessions that take place once a week, allowing you to continue working or volunteering throughout the course. Throughout the two-year programme, you will integrate your previous experience of working with children into your studies. In your first year, you will study learning principles as an introduction to higher education and analyse the complex link between practice and meeting the needs of children. You will investigate your role in the education sector to support your professional development. As you go through the second year, you will study concepts of inclusion, equality, and diversity, as well as studying modules on learning and assessment. You will be able to collaborate with students from other related courses who work in a variety of contexts such as early childhood and youth services to increase your employability by broadening your perspectives on working with children and young people. Many of the students on this course are employed as Teaching Assistants in schools, working alongside a qualified teacher. They support formal learning opportunities for children and young people and may often take whole classes for sessions, or work with children who have a particular need. This Foundation Degree qualification is often seen as a step towards becoming a teacher, progressing in your role as a Teaching Assistant and extending your opportunities to become more senior within this sector. This course has a number of progression routes to enable you to achieve your goals.