Early Childhood (W50)

Ready to deepen your understanding of young children’s lives and experiences? This diploma is ideal if you work with children from birth to seven years or want to build on your knowledge in this important area. You’ll investigate early childhood from national and international perspectives with a focus on the central importance of children’s voices and the participatory nature of young children’s experiences. You'll enhance your understanding of policy and practice in early childhood, preparing you for further study. This diploma also provides a strong foundation for careers working with young children and their families across all sectors.

Key features of the course

• Takes a holistic approach to understanding early childhood in diverse contexts

• Covers young children’s play and creativity within the context of the family and early childhood settings

• Encourages critical understanding and reflection on contemporary issues and debates in early childhood

• Enhances employability and provides a solid foundation for further study

Course Modules

This early years diploma has two stages, each comprising 120 credits.

In Stage 1, you’ll study two 60-credit modules that develop your understanding of early childhood from a range of perspectives. Drawing on theory and research, you’ll examine how children grow, develop and learn, with a specific focus on young children’s play and creativity within the context of the family and early childhood settings.

In Stage 2, you’ll study a 60-credit module that examines critical issues in early childhood, focusing on listening to children and reflecting on practice. You’ll also choose one further 60 credit module from a range of options that broaden your perspective into areas such as development, education, youth and wellbeing.