Early Years Education - University of Greenwich Foundation Degree

You will study various areas relevant to the support and development of children in Early Years settings. You will be able to critically reflect and analyse these issues from an academic perspective, whilst the ongoing placement will allow you to link theory and practice together.

You will study 120 credits in each year, making a total of 240 credits; 120 credits at Level 4 in Year 1 and 120 credits at Level 5 in Year 2.

Entry requirements

• 1 A Level in a relevant subject or equivalent such as Level 3 Childcare qualification
• GCSEs - grades A* - C / 9 - 4 in English and maths
• We will accept T Levels for entry onto our higher education courses, providing they meet our entry requirements If you do not have the above UCAS/GCSE requirements, but you are a mature student, and have appropriate experience, specific knowledge or industry-based qualifications, your application will be welcomed and still considered on case to case basis.

Additional entry requirements

• Two years placement (employed or voluntary) in early years setting for two days per week throughout the two years of the programme. Childminding and nanny roles are not suitable placements for this programme.
• Enhanced DBS clearance is needed for your work/placement when undertaking the course.
• An interview, including a written English test
• You may need to have GCSE Maths at A*-C or level 2 equivalent for further study or employment, and so we recommend you take one of these alongside the course if you cannot evidence it already.

Assessment methods are varied and include practical work, assignments, essays, reports, case studies, presentations and direct observation of your practice in an early years setting

• You will need to be able to write at Level 3 (A Level) standard

• Most essays and reports have a word count of minimum 2500 words

• You will be observed in your work setting as part of the programme.

Upon successful completion of the foundation degree, students will be awarded the FdA Early Years Education

• Progression onto a relevant ‘top up’ programme such as the BA (Hons) Childhood Studies

• Top up programmes may have a grade point average requirement minimum therefore progression is not automatic

• You can also apply to complete your final year studies at another university, usually in a related subject area. You would need check that they will recognise your Level 4 and Level 5 credits.

• Employment in education sectors

2 Years

Apply now via UCAS.com UCAS Code X310 The institution code for Bromley College is B97 For further information, please email HE@lsec.ac.uk

** You will study 120 credits in each year, making a total of 240 credits.

Level 4 - Year 1

Children and Families (30 credits)**

You will develop the underpinning knowledge and skills to support the holistic development for young children aged 0-8. This will be achieved by exploring the effects of positive relationships with parents and adults in developing children’s confidence, self-esteem and increasing independence. You will investigate the importance of family and child participation and ways of listening to children. There will be opportunities to review current legislation, policy and practice in the light of current theory and research regarding children’s personal, social and emotional development and differing approaches to parenting.

This module is assessed through a 2500 word essay and an assessed presentation

Learning and development through play (30 credits)

The module considers and explores play based learning in early childhood from a psychological, sociological and philosophical theoretical perspective. The role of an Early Years Educator will be discussed focusing on the promotion of sustained shared thinking with children and when, why and how to lead and follow in a play based pedagogical approach to promote learning and development in early childhood.

This module is assessed through a 2500 word essay and an assessed presentation

Working in Multi Agency & Multi Professional Teams (30 credits)

Multi-agency working is fundamental to Early Years Policy and Practice. The range of professionals that Early Years educators need to be able to work with is vast including: social workers, health visitors, educational psychologists, family support workers, police, dental nurses, and Speech & language therapists to name a few. On this course you will explore the different circumstances where multi-agency working may be required and critically think about what makes this successful. You will develop skills and expertise that will help you to facilitate effective collaborations with professionals from different disciplines.

This module is assessed through a group presentation and a 1500 word report.

Professional Pedagogic Practice 1 (30 credits)

This modules gives you the asks you to critically reflect on your own professional needs and experiences during your studies at Level 4. It is designed to support personal transformation, developing academic skills and professional practice for working within an Early Years Context 0-8 yrs. You will learn how to relate theoretical explanations to experiences you have had in the workplace, identifying “best “practice to support holistic learning and reflect upon how to fulfil contemporary curricula principles and expectations.

This module is assessed through a creation of a portfolio of tasks equivalent to 3500 words and a 1500 word written reflection.

** Level 5 - Year 2 

Professional Pedagogic Practice 2 (30 credits)**

This modules builds on the year 1 course and asks you to reflection on your professional needs and experiences at level 5 and is designed to support personal transformation. Professional knowledge, skills and strategies required to support and mange quality provision within an Early Years Context is the focus of the course. You will learn how to critique and apply theoretical explanations to experiences they have had in the work place and to be advocates of evidence based practice. Skills of resource management and strategies to create an enabling environment and fulfil contemporary policy requirements will be identified and developed.

This module is assessed through a portfolio of tasks equivalent to 3500 words and a 1500 word equivalent presentation

Impact project (30 credits)

In this module you will identify an area in your setting or practice that you would like to develop. Using problem-solving skills and those of self-reflection a research project is developed to fill a particular need/gap within the context of Early Years. This involves planning a solution through practitioner research which is evaluated and shared with colleagues to develop best practice. You will negotiate a research question through discussion with peers and your tutor and this will need to be approved by setting. You will then carry out the project.

This module is assessed through a written project report of 3500 words and a poster presentation related to your project.

Safeguarding children’s welfare (30 credits)

Safeguarding children and promoting child welfare is fundamental to working with young children. On this course you will develop knowledge and expertise around safeguarding policy and procedures. You will consider constructions of childhood and how children are viewed by society and cultures. Children’s rights will be explored as notions of welfare and well-being are interpreted through Early Years Policies, frameworks and practices. An ecological view of the risks and circumstances that threaten children’s well-being is considered beyond child abuse and neglect, including mental illness, family break-down and economic pressures on the home.

This module is evidenced through a 2500 word essay and course work relating to contemporary knowledge and practice in safeguarding equivalent to 2500 words.

Early Childhood Development 0-8 Years (30 credits)

In this module you will explore theories and practices that support high quality early education and care from birth to eight years of age. The course will start by looking how babies develop within the context of social relationships, and how the learning relationship continues to be central to children’s construction of knowledge. The course includes a broad foundation of theoretical understanding of the growing child from the foetus to the young infant that is able to display sophisticated advances in language use, cognition and social competence. The course encourages reflection on how young children develop a sense of self and how practitioners can help them to establish positive views of themselves as learners with a passion for education.

This module is assessed through a 3500 word case study and a reflective journal

You can apply for a student loan for this course

Although we aim to minimise any additional costs to students over and above the course tuition fee, there will be some additional costs which students are expected to meet.

You will be required to cover the cost of:

• Text books

• Travel to other sites - Where travel to other sites is required, this will be payable by the student

• Library Fees and Fines - Where students fail to return loaned items within the required time they will be responsible for the cost of any Library Fees and Fines applicable

• Printing and photocopying - The cost of printing and photocopying undertaken by students to support their individual learning are payable by the student

• Graduation ceremonies - It is free for the student to attend the ceremony itself. Guest tickets and robe hire / photography are additional costs payable by the student

The days are made up of taught lectures, independent study time and tutorials

The course is delivered 1 day per week. 

You will be introduced to key topics and concepts during the modules but are required to engage with additional wider reading and research to enhance your chance of success.R222

In addition to attending your taught sessions you are expected to engage with wider reading and research in your own time. This will involve further exploring the topics introduced in lectures and preparing your module assignments.

• It is a course requirement that you are in a work-based setting for 300 hours per year during the course. This works out as around 2 days or approximately 15 hrs per week. This allows you to link theory and practice throughout the each module and you will draw directly upon your work based experiences for most of your assignments.

Each 15 credit module is made up of 30 hours teaching normally over a 13-15 week period. You will be studying more than one module at once so will need to be quite organised in your study skills and file management.

This is a work-based course so your placement means you are continuously linking theory to industry-based practice throughout. Most assignments require you to specifically draw upon, and use, the experience gained from your work-setting.

You will be taught by an academic team that consists of highly qualified academics with a range of expertise and experience. All our team members hold teaching qualifications and some hold Masters qualifications. All have experience in delivering research-informed teaching.