Early Years Studies (with Early Years Educator)

If you work with young children in a setting such as pre-school, childminding, day nursery or children’s centre, this Foundation degree has been designed to fit around your work commitments. It combines academic study with your work experience, preparing you to work in multi-disciplinary teams in early years settings. On completion, you also have direct entry to one of our one year top-up pathways (Early Years, SEND or Education), enabling you to gain a full BA (Hons) degree.

Course Accreditation/Industry Endorsement

• The Early Years Educator qualification has Department for Education accreditation

Facilities and Specialist Equipment

• Designated online classroom and learning space

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

• Specialist Early Years and Sensory Centre to support your understanding of how teachers teach and children learn, within early years and SEND contexts

• Multi-media space for webinars and podcasting.

• Designated study space and activity agenda for all Saturday study days

Partnerships and Collaborations

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

• Work-based learners also have a unique opportunity to be a purposeful and active part of the Students’ Union-affiliated Work-based Learning Student Society.

Your Student Experience

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

• Support from your own personal tutor, 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 attend weekly sessions online that are enhanced and supported by the independent tasks your unit tutors allocate to you.

• The weekly sessions are extended during your Saturday study days, of which there are six across the academic year; these offer a unique mix of group work, tutor-led sessions and cross-course collaboration.

• If you choose the Foundation degree with Early Years Educator, you are supported by a designated University mentor and workplace observation tutor who works with you to arrange and support work-based observations of your practice.