Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Status

This three-year BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree offers a comprehensive and inspiring exploration of early childhood, designed for those already working – or aspiring to work – within early years care, education settings, and primary schools.

You’ll explore key areas including child development, play, inclusion, safeguarding, SEND, health, leadership, and advocacy, as well as global and contemporary perspectives on early education. Through reflective practice, research, and collaboration, you’ll develop strong skills in critical thinking, communication, and leadership – growing in confidence, resilience, and professional identity.

The course is aligned with the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) Graduate Practitioner Competencies and meets the Department for Education’s (DfE) ‘Full and Relevant’ criteria, meaning graduates are fully recognised as skilled, qualified professionals within the early years workforce.

Alongside your studies, you’ll also work towards Graduate Practitioner Status, a professional award that demonstrates advanced knowledge and practice in the early years sector. The degree provides an excellent foundation for progression into primary teacher training or further postgraduate study, preparing you to lead, inspire, and make a meaningful impact in the lives of young children and their families.

The degree is studied one day a week over three years, making it ideal for those balancing work, study, and personal commitments. The programme is delivered across three semesters each year, with students typically completing two modules per semester, each assessed through written assignments, presentations, or projects. Your studies will culminate in a final undergraduate dissertation on a topic of personal interest.

Work-based learning is at the heart of the course, allowing you to apply theory directly within your professional or placement setting. This approach helps you connect academic study with real-world practice, building confidence, competence, and a deeper understanding of how children learn and develop.

The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Most modules count for 20 academic credits, with each credit taken equating to a total study time of around 10 hours, which includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity. Full-time students take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. A total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits are needed for an honours degree as a whole. Overall grades for the course and degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6. Our teaching is informed by research, professional practice and industry engagement and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. Further information on current module content can be found on the University Centre Colchester website.

Assessment: The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are incorporated into several modules per level to support students theoretical application in the workplace. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and your final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark. Feedback: You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS