Early Childhood Education

The Foundation Degree is a blended, work-based programme that combines practical learning with live online teaching and occasional campus sessions. You will attend online classes twice a week in real time, with five in-person teaching days across the academic year, making it possible to continue working or volunteering while you study.

Over the two-year programme, you will build on your existing experience of working with young children and apply it to your studies. In your first year, you will gain an introduction to studying at university level, explore how children learn, and examine how your practice supports the needs of children. You will also reflect on your role within the early years sector to support your professional development, while studying key topics such as child development and social interactions to strengthen your practical knowledge.

In your second year, you will explore important topics such as inclusion, equality, and diversity, as well as how to support the development and learning of young children. You will also learn about different approaches to teaching (pedagogy) and how to reflect on your own practice.
During the two-year programme, you will also have opportunities to work alongside students from related courses, such as those based in schools or youth work. This collaboration will help you broaden your understanding of working with learners across a range of ages and settings and strengthen your future career prospects.

Throughout the programme, the Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Education meets the full and relevant criteria set by the Department for Education, as well as the Graduate Competency requirements of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network. This means that, after successfully completing the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education (with Graduate Practitioner), students have the opportunity to gain a recognised professional accreditation within the early years sector.

Students may also choose to progress onto the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education without the Graduate Practitioner option. This route still meets the full and relevant criteria set by the Department for Education. In addition, there are pathways into teaching, including the opportunity to complete a top-up course in Primary Teaching Studies with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).