Skip navigation
You are viewing our beta course page.

Early Years: Teaching and Learning - Top-Up (Graduate Practitioner)

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 1 Years
  • Full-time
  • 21/09/2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Main Site

Course summary

Reasons to choose Kingston

  • Our commitment to high quality teaching has been recognised with a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold rating. The University has received an overall rating of Gold, as well as securing a Gold award in the framework's two new student experience and student outcomes categories.

  • The Graduate Practitioner Competencies (CPC) Pathway offers the opportunity to be assessed in practice to demonstrate you meet the nine Graduate Practitioner Competencies required by the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN).

  • This qualification is valued by employers and will be a mark of your professional excellence and expertise in the field of Early Years.

  • You’ll join our professional community of practice and combine academic study with work-based learning, attending one twilight teaching session per week at Kingston University and select evenings and/or Saturdays to complete your portfolio of evidence.

About this course

If you work in Early Years and have a foundation degree in Early Years (or equivalent) which is full and relevant, this flexible course is ideal for developing your career. Your qualification will be recognised as full and relevant by the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network and the Department for Education.

You’ll be able to balance studies with your employment and gain a full BA (Hons) degree as a Graduate Practitioner upon completion of 120 credits and an additional portfolio of evidence.

The course has been designed to enable you to develop key knowledge and skills to enhance your professional role and the quality of your learning in order to make a positive impact in Early Years settings.

By enrolling on the Graduate Practitioner route, you will have ongoing assessment against the criteria in a range of ways as prescribed in the Early Childhood Studies Subject Benchmarks (2022) and Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies which are captured within the portfolio of evidence and practical engagement in the workplace.

Key aims of this course is to:

• present a cohesive programme which builds upon a sound underpinning through a full and relevant Graduate Practitioner BA Hons Top Up Early Years route
• be secure in your working knowledge, skills, values and belief systems for Early Years;
• develop your self-awareness and critical reflection of how you interact, relate and respond to others in the environment in which you work;
• develop your ability to understand and apply the principles of evidence-based practice
• provide the opportunity and a suitable basis for the possible progression to Early Years Teacher Status and/or Qualified
Teacher Status, subject to entry requirements of the Department for Education

Modules

Year 1:
-Transition and Transformation.

  • Creativity and Critical Thinking.
  • Critical Choices for Leaders.
  • Dissertation
  • Professional Practice in the Early Years

For a full list of modules please visit the Kingston university course webpage

Assessment method

Year 1 - Coursework - 100%

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
X211
Institution code:
K84
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff

• Relevant Level 3 qualification and FdA in Early Years (sector-endorsed) mapped to the ECS QAA Benchmark Statement or other relevant qualification • 240 CATS points • Level 2 GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above • Employment in an appropriate setting (paid or voluntary) for at least 16 hours per week for the duration of the course • Normally two years' experience in an appropriate setting • Your background experience, previous education and training will be considered if you do not meet the formal entry requirements

Additional entry requirements

Interview

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

When assessing your application, we’re looking for evidence of your ability, potential, passion for your subject and the skills and experience you have to evaluate your suitability for a course.

Our course entry requirements include tariff ranges. We vary the required UCAS Tariff points in our offers as we consider each application individually and use a number of factors to build an offer that is tailored to you, this includes your personal statement and predicted grades.

Learn more on the Kingston University website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England£9790Year 1
Northern Ireland£9790Year 1
Scotland£9790Year 1
Wales£9790Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Please visit the provider’s course webpage for the most accurate details on tuition fees including Foundation Year O, international fees, and any additional course costs.

Like this page