Early Childhood Education (Graduate Practitioner) (With Foundation Year)

Our education courses rank in the UK top 5 overall in their subject field (The Guardian University Guide, 2026).

If your dream is to work with young children, this course gives you a deep understanding of early years education, preparing you for a wide range of careers or for further study to become a teacher. You will develop an inter-disciplinary knowledge of how children develop in learning and thinking in their early years (0-7 years).

Foundation Year
In the Foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years.

Course Accreditation/Industry Endorsement

• The course gives you a DfE-recognised (Department for Education) Graduate Practitioner qualification alongside your degree.

Facilities and Specialist Equipment

• Forest School where you can deepen your understanding of the long-term educational benefits of outdoor learning.

• Specialist sensory centre for practise in teaching SEND and early years pupils.

• Multi-media space for webinars and podcasting.

• 80-seat black-box theatre and 260-seat professional theatre.

• A wide range of sports facilities including the Polhill Sports Arena, an international PE venue.

Patrneships and Collaborations

• We have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations

Your Student Experience

• Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

• You learn the latest innovative practices in early childhood education and care, with the support of a highly experienced academic team, actively involved in research in their fields.

• You participate in practical workshops on campus and in early years settings, and benefit from university-organised placements (80 days over three years) in a variety of early childhood settings.

• Support from your own personal tutor, a subject and/or placement mentor, a unit and course coordinator, and the additional support of our experienced library staff, all of whom will help you throughout your student journey and with balancing study with work and personal commitments.

• You have the opportunity to go on relevant field trips to places you would be likely to take your pupils, such as theatres; museums; art galleries; and attend relevant educational conferences.

• We have regular visits by professionals from schools and academy chains including both primary and secondary head teachers; SEN schools; local education authorities; and other agencies involved in broadening students understanding such as the NHS (neurodiversity), museums, local faith leaders and sports representatives.