Course summary

Overview The Early Childhood in Society (Graduate Practitioner) course is designed for people who want to work with children aged 0-8, and their families, to make a difference in their lives. This course offers the opportunity to gain an early years qualification that is approved by DfE (previously known as 'Full and Relevant'), which will enable you to be counted in ratios in early years settings. Practice is assessed against the Early Years Educator (EYE) criteria. The University of Worcester is a member of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN). On this course there is the option to have your practice assessed against the level 6 ECSDN Graduate Practitioner Competencies, which will enhance your employability as a highly skilled graduate. The Graduate practitioner pathway is the ideal foundation for leadership in early years setting or for further study, for example, a PGCE with QTS. This degree is superb preparation for employment in a range of occupations such as child and family support work, leadership in an early years setting, fostering and adoption services, play therapy facilitation, advocacy roles in charities such as UNICEF, Action for Children, and Barnardo’s, family assessment, or work in nurture hubs in schools, to name a few. Join in your first year or contact us to see about transferring as a direct entry into the second or third year. There is an alternative pathway on this course at The University of Worcester, Early Childhood in Society (Graduate Social Pedagogue Practitioner), this pathway may appeal to you if you would prefer to work with children and families beyond the classroom. Key features Choose modules and placements that fit with your interests, for example:

• Select the ‘therapeutic approaches’ module and undertake a placement in a setting that uses a ‘trauma informed approach’ if you’d like to work with children who have experienced trauma.

• Interested in speech and language work? Choose ‘Children’s communication and language’ as an optional module and try a placement in a speech and language unit.

• Would you like to work as an education welfare officer or family support worker? Choose the ‘Safeguarding for advanced practice’ module and do a placement with the Local Authority.

• Hoping to work with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities? Choose the ‘Inclusive approach to working with children with additional needs’ module.

• This course gained 100% student satisfaction in the NSS 2022

• The opportunity to gain an early years qualification that is approved by DfE (previously known as 'Full and Relevant'), which will enable you to be counted in ratios in early years settings.

• Shortlisted for Times Higher Education’s University of the Year in 2016, 2019 and 2020

• Top 5 in the UK for Quality Education in Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022

• Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards 2019

• Top 10 for Sustained Employment - Longitudinal Educational Outcomes survey (2017)