Early Childhood Studies BA Honours

In your first year you are provided with resources and opportunities to begin to critically reflect and debate on theoretical perspectives on child development and wellbeing and early childhood policies across a range of disciplines including psychology, sociology, health and law. You are encouraged to develop academic and professional skills, conduct an audit of your professional skills, and to reflect on your learning experiences so far. 

This module gives you the opportunity to prepare and plan for work placement, learning about expectations and responsibilities of the professional working with babies and young children in practice. You will be introduced to the skills and knowledge necessary for successful work placement and supported to enrich your professional and academic progression with critical reflection on your experiences. You will learn the core responsibilities and the expectations of the reflective, professional practitioners working with babies and young children, and begin to develop your professional identity. You will prepare how to ethically and effectively work with children to become advocates for children's rights and interests. You will learn how to ensure inclusive and equitable quality care and education, contributing with your practice to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, "Quality"

This module encourages you to consider how the historical, social, and global context of the child within the family, the community and wider social influences impact on young children’s childhoods, identity and learning. Through the module, you will explore different concepts and perspectives of childhoods across history and cultures leading to evaluation of their impact on pedagogy.  You are encouraged to critically discuss, debate and explore key issues regarding contextualised childhoods, and the role of early years professionals in promoting children’s rights, anti-discriminatory practices, and equality.

This module extends your knowledge and understanding of a range of factors contributing to infant mental and physical health and well-being during pregnancy, birth and early development. It also examines theories of attachment and consider cross-cultural practices aimed at promoting attachment relationships. Furthermore, it evaluates the impact of multi-agency early intervention strategies in supporting families to meet the health and wellbeing needs of babies.  

This module aims to present a holistic and culturally sensitive approach to childhood and child development including an overview of the stages of development in the prime areas. Factors influencing child growth and development will be analysed and a broad knowledge of some key theoretical perspectives in child development will be gained (including new constructivist theorists and post developmental theorists). A range of methods, techniques and ethical considerations involved in using child observation as a research tool will be explored.

Year two provides you with an inclusive, flexible, responsive and adaptable curriculum experience. It offers a wide range of personalized opportunities to gain insight into current and emerging research issues, methods of enquiry and debates in early childhood education policy, through a social justice lens. Your placement experiences enable you to develop as an early years practitioner and identify priority areas for professional development to achieve career goals.

The driving force behind this module is the idea that knowledge and skills of social research are today of fundamental importance in virtually all professions, but especially within the fields of education and early childhood. Therefore, the module encourages and trains students to go beyond simply learning research skills and to engage with research critically and reflectively in their daily lives.

This module enables you to prepare a research proposal underpinned by a thorough consideration of ethical implications, particularly when researching with children.  Skills developed throughout this module prepare for Year 3 and beyond: the preparation of an ethically sound research proposal is underpinned by transferable knowledge and skills to apply in future impactful practice and research leadership. Practitioner research is at the forefront of Early Years developments in practice and policy in the third decade of 21st Century: this module thus fulfils an essential task by developing graduates who can lead, develop and advocate for research-led innovative quality provision.

This module gives you an understanding of the value of play for children’s development, learning and wellbeing between the ages of 0-8 years. It supports you as you explore the pedagogic role of the adult in children’s play. You will be able to take a sociocultural approach in your understanding of play, exploring the importance of cultural factors influencing how and why children play. Following from this, it introduces you to principles of inclusive play and how this can be supported by adults working with children

This module enables you to use your placement experience to explore what sustainable pedagogical practice is, how it looks and feels, and how it impacts on learning, well-being and the rights and voices of babies and young children. Central to this module is placement reflections, self-assessment, dialogues and observation of (i) planning and assessment towards inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice (ii) children-adults communication (iii) educational sustainable development (ESD).

This module builds on themes within the Professional Expectations and Responsibilities module (EDU1217) utilising your capacity to apply theories developed within the discipline of Early Childhood Studies to reflect on professional expectations, responsibilities and identities.  

This module enables you to explore and evaluate a range of sociological perspectives around early childhood. Central to the module are debates about equality and inclusion. The module applies these ideas around equality and inclusion and theoretical perspectives of the sociology of childhood and education to contemporary UK legislation, policy and contemporary issues in childcare and education. You will engage in critical reflection on professional approaches to the delivery of equality and inclusion in early years settings. These debates will also draw upon sociological perspectives on global childhood and children’s rights

In year three you will build upon the previous two years' study to develop your abilities to participate in reasoned arguments relating to educational policy. You will be able to justify different positions on a wide range of current and contemporary issues in early years, and to offer recommendations to improve early childhood educational policy and practice. These experiences increase your competence to become autonomous, reflective early years graduate practitioners who can successfully lead in early years settings.

This module supports you to develop and apply the skills of practitioner research and particularly action research, needed to demonstrate leadership in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Through the module, you will explore how ethical research plays a fundamental role in shaping the changes that leaders choose to make to ECEC practice, as well as in monitoring and evaluating the impact of changes that leaders make. You will apply their understanding in research that employs various methods and engages diverse stakeholders, including children, families and practitioners. The module will ensure that our graduate practitioners complete their final year of study with a clear commitment to using practitioner research as a vital tool in their work and learning for the future.

This module develops your knowledge and understanding of professionalism within the early years. It aims to develop the critical skills required to reflect and evaluate your personal and professional development and further develop your critical thinking skills, emotional literacy, communication and interpersonal skills and collaboration skills. You will be required to reflect on your developing transferable/ employability skills and graduate attributes essential for your own graduate identity and future employment. On the placement you will be able to apply the theoretical aspects of the taught programme into your practice; develop effective pedagogical approaches and a strong leadership identity. The opportunities offered will allow you to become and active agent of change, responsive to the needs of children and their families within the early years which is key to the development of a highly skilled reflective workforce of the future.

This module engages you with the value of the creativity and the arts in the learning and wellbeing of children and adults. Through the module, you will explore what creativity is and how it flourishes through the arts in formal and informal educational processes. You will consider the role of creativity and the arts in various educational philosophies and approaches, and through this, will critically examine the place of creativity and the arts in current mainstream education.

This module provides you with an understanding of the historical evolution of policy and practice relating to special educational needs, disability and inclusion. You will build knowledge of the legislative framework within which inclusive provision for special educational needs and disability is made.  You will examine various theoretical perspectives and discourses within which the debate about SEND and inclusion have taken place.  You will explore in depth the implications for children, young people, parents and other relevant stakeholders on access and provision.

The module extends your understanding of the media landscape and children's relationship and response to it. A key focus will be on engagement with recent theories and research on contemporary issues and debates relating to stress, brain development, violence, advertising and positive interactivity will be explored. The module engages you in cross cultural analysis and will cultivate an appreciation of the ways in which children's media is socially and culturally negotiated within the context of safeguarding procedures, policy regulation and commercial initiatives.

This module encourages you to evaluate social and emotional support for promoting learning and well-being in early years and educational contexts. It explores the child’s social and emotional developmental needs, and the strategies used by early years settings and schools in attempting to meet these needs. It considers the many social and emotional influences on the child’s well-being and mental health, and how these affect their learning and educational experience.   

You’ll have the opportunity to reflect on, and evaluate your own emotions and interpersonal skills, helping you to explore the social and emotional aspects of children and young people’s learning and well-being. A range of theories, strategies, approaches and skills used by those working with children in early years settings and education, such as teachers, counsellors, and therapists are studied. 

You’ll be learning and sharing experiences in groups of up to 25. These will form your peers who you will study with throughout your three years, enabling you to develop effective group working practices and to make lifelong friendships and professional associations.

The course offers experiential, hands-on learning, through placement and through a range of engaging classroom activities, which support creative and critical thinking, reflection and professional development.

Our teaching and learning methods are inclusive, supporting you in developing your academic voice, and communicating ideas with integrity that celebrate your background or characteristics, with a commitment to decolonising curricula.  

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams.

Here is an indication of how you will split your time.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Whether you are studying full or part-time - your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.
We aim to make timetables available to students at least 2 weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Students will be on campus for two days a week, with the expectation that students will be on placement (or undertaking relevant voluntary experience) for one day per week.

During your first year, your weekly timetable will look something like this:

• 8-10 hours of seminars
• 1 hour per month of one-to-one meetings
• 1 hour of group work
• 1 hour of support from a Student Learning Advisor
• Additional support as offered

The academic staff on the course are leading researchers in the field, highly experienced and well connected within the sector giving students the vision and insightful knowledge to excel in the programme.

Your learning is supplemented by a range of additional supportive interactions with staff, through individual tutorials and academic tutoring which support your learning. You will also be supported by individual, and group guided independent study, including key concept videos provided in advance, directed reading and online activities, including EduCare professional short online courses (widely recognised across the Education sector and by Ofsted).

You’ll also have access to our Learning Enhancement Team to help you develop your academic skills, and a specialist librarian is available to help you find literature. Your placement will be supported by your placement lead and your academic mentor.

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. Our Sheppard Library is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Sunday during term time. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.

This degree is 100% coursework. There are no examinations in this course.

The knowledge, understanding and skills you develop on the programme are assessed by a wide variety of formative and summative authentic assessment methods that include essays, reports, digital media, designing classroom resources, case studies, book reviews, portfolios, reflective journals, posters, presentations, placement reflections and research projects.

Choice is often built into assessments, allowing a wide range of personalised opportunities for study and flexible learning.  
  
You’ll receive continual formative feedback through the year in a range of formats (tutor led, peer review), which monitor learning, focus teaching, and feed directly into the limited number of summative assessments. These enable you to gain knowledge, produce reasoned arguments, hold justifiable points of view, make effective decisions and solve problems in relation to the learning objectives and outcomes of each module.

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.
 

You are required to participate and pass a placement module at year 1, 2 and 3. You can identify your own early years placement setting, which will be verified by the module tutor as suitable. 

Tutors, in conjunction with the University careers and employability service and sector relationships, will provide opportunity to attend a compliant and suitable placement that will enable you to obtain skills and to apply your knowledge to relevant practice. You will be expected to go through the DBS clearance process upon joining the University. 

You will be offered support with completing applications, and references where necessary. The timetable is arranged to permit you to participate in a work setting for at least 1 day a week during the University academic year.  Additionally, there may be the opportunity to complete a block placement at certain points during the three years, including during Semester 3 and the summer recess. The number of hours and type of placements required for the Graduate Competencies will be clarified to those participating.