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 Early Childhood Education in Practice course is designed for those working or volunteering with children 0-8 years in the voluntary, private and independent early years sector or a foundation unit in a school. This course is also for nannies, child minders and those working in Children’s Centres with families of young children. 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 working with young 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 early years sector to support your professional development, as well as study modules on child development and social interactions to supplement your practical knowledge. As you go through the second year, you will study modules on inclusion, equality, and diversity, developing and supporting children, and expanding young children's thinking and learning via pedagogy and practice and reflection. You will be able to collaborate with students from other related courses who work in a variety of contexts such as schools and youth services to increase your employability by broadening your perspectives on working with children and young people. Throughout all stages of the programme, the Foundation Degree Early Childhood Education in Practice combines the full and relevant criteria of the Department for Education as well as the Graduate Competency (GC) requirements of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network and includes elements of assessed practice. This means that after successfully completing the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education in Practice, Early Childhood Education students have the opportunity to obtain this sector-recognised accreditation. Alternatively, students may consider a route in to teaching through the top up course of Primary Teaching Studies with Qualified Teacher Status.