As a full-time student, you will attend campus for up to 3 days per week which will include a mixture of classroom and online based learning. Classroom sessions provide you with an opportunity to learn alongside your fellow students and are based in activity and discussion. Online materials are used to prepare you for the classroom sessions and to provide follow-on work/research for you to complete in your own time.
As a part-time student, you can use our flexible study mode to choose the right pathway through your studies for you. You may choose to study one day per week in the classroom alongside our full-time students, you may choose to study online using our Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle), or you can choose a combination of both. If you choose to study 100% online with us you will receive regular on-campus or online meetings with your tutors outside of work hours.
A range of assessment methods will be used throughout your studies and could include: case studies; handouts, posters, observations; portfolios; presentations, essays, reports and a dissertation at level 6. Our assignments are chosen to help you develop the skills and writing techniques you will need for future employment or study.
Placement in practice forms an important part of your degree studies. During your studies you will undertake 3 placements:
Level 4 - Professional Practice for Childhood and Education (40 credits). You will attend placement for 2 days per week for 6 weeks (84 hrs). At level 4 the purpose of the placement is for you to explore and experience professional competencies in practice.
Level 5 - Practice Informed Research (60 credits). You will attend placement 3 days a week for 8 weeks (168 hrs). At level 5 the purpose of the placement is for you to engage with authentic research ideas and to collect primary research data.
Level 6 - Leadership and Professional Development (40 credits). You will attend placement 3 days a week for 3 weeks (63 hrs). At level 6 the purpose of the placement is for you to observe leadership skills and to consider your own professional development in relation to future employment.
Our placements include (but are not limited to) schools; nursery settings; local authority settings, for example the Child Prevention and Support Service and Flying Start; third sector organisations, for example Home Start, Action for Children and Save the Family; and the private sector, for example Residential Homeless Support for Families and Residential Family Assessment Centres.
Part-time students will use their normal place of work to complete their placement hours.