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Early Childhood Education and Care BA(Hons)

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    Overview

    Giving you a grounding in child development and early education, our Early Childhood Education and Care.

    After all, events and the environment which make up a child’s early years can have a lasting impact on their development; it’s important, therefore, that children have the best possible start in life.

    Why study Early Childhood Education and Care BA(Hons)

    You’ll explore key issues that impact children’s lives. Focusing on birth to seven years old, you’ll look at:

    • child development
    • holistic and reflective practice
    • education and care
    • health and wellbeing
    • safeguarding
    • the impact of society on children’s learning and welfare.

    Work placements form a key part of the course, with your placement giving you the chance to gain real, practical experience in a professional environment. You’ll undertake 240 hours in year 1 and 216 hours in year 2.  

    These practical experiences, combined with your academic studies, will help you develop the skills that employers are looking for; some of our past students are now employed as primary and early years teachers, early years practitioners, social care, or NHS workers. Others are employed in special educational needs support, as teaching assistants, learning mentors and in early training services roles.

    During this early childhood course, you’ll have the option to be assessed against the Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPCs) of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN). Successful demonstration of these competencies will mean you’ll be awarded Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS) alongside your degree. Gaining GPCs could increase your career prospects when looking for employment in the education and care of young children.

    You might decide to further your education, developing more skills as an early years practitioner by enhancing your early years studies and boosting your confidence. You could enrol onto a postgraduate degree, for instance, before heading into the world of work.

    This course offers a great starting point for a range of career opportunities too.

    Entry requirements

    BBC-BCC at A Level or equivalent.

    112-104 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.

    Merit in T Level .

    DMM-MMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, D*D* BTEC National Diploma or CACHE Diploma grade B relevant to working with children.

    • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
    • 112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.

    In addition you must also:

    • Have GCSE English Language at grade 4 or above (or equivalent, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme).
    • Provide a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and health clearances.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

    Course Detail

    Core modules:

    Theories and Strategies for Learning

    This module introduces you to a variety of key skills intended to support your transition into higher education. The module encourages the development of academic study and communication skills necessary for success on your course along with academic tenacity and resilience. It encourages you to harness your organisation skills, have aspirations and develop self-efficacy.

    Perspectives in Learning and Development

    This module introduces significant theories and research which underpin development and learning for children, young people and adults. It considers a range of key concepts to explain the basis of development and learning. It identifies the different dimensions of development (cognitive, linguistic, social, moral) and locates these aspects of development in their cultural and social context and in an international context. It focuses on different transitions that children and young people must make as they develop into adulthood and introduces students to different perspectives on the processes involved in learning and development.

    Professional Practice 1

    On this module you'll be introduced to practice in supporting young children's development. You'll develop a holistic approach to enhancing your own professionalism and practice. Assessment typically involves a written case study detailing an individual child's learning and development. Students will be required to complete a placement with 0-7 year olds.

    Self, Society and Welfare

    This module develops your understanding of society. Firstly, it examines social policy issues in society, such as poverty and inequality, and how the state responds to them through ‘welfare’, as well as through ‘rights’ and ‘citizenship’. You will then investigate the formation of identity and social differentiation by examining key sociological concepts such as social class, gender, the family, ethnic identity and disability.

    Core modules:

    Safeguarding Children and Young People

    Raise your awareness of current legislation, policies and procedures which exist to promote children and young people’s rights and to keep them safe. Knowledge, skills and qualities required to work with children, young people, their families and carers and other professionals in safeguarding contexts. Critically explores broader safeguarding concepts (such as CSE and PREVENT).

    Professional Practice 2

    On this module you'll focus on developing your employability as a graduate through enhancing your professionalism and practice through structured workplace learning. Assessment typically includes a written assignment and a portfolio demonstrating your developing practice in an ECEC setting. Students will be required to complete a placement with 0-7 year olds.

    Developing Language and Communication for Learning

    This module develops your understanding of language acquisition in children and young people. You will learn about why speech, language and communication (SLC) skills are important to children and young people’s development and how this potentially impacts on their life. You will also explore curriculum and pedagogical strategies that underpin educational resources to support speech, and communication needs, producing two activities.

    The Unique Child

    On this module you'll consider the latest research in neurological and brain development and pre-natal and maternal health to explore how these can influence a child's development. Assessment on this module typically includes a written assignment and a group presentation.

    Core modules:

    Health and Wellbeing

    Through this module you’ll explore different aspects of the health and well-being of children and young people and become equipped to evaluate the wider public health agenda, national trends and supporting legislation. Assessment is typically via research, presentation, discussion and written evaluation.

    Planning Your Final Year Project

    This module will help you to learn how to design and conduct a final year project. It does this by exploring a range of research and design approaches, strategies and methods. The module helps you to design a project that utilises your knowledge and abilities, carry it out and evaluate its outcomes. Your final year project will focus on an empirical research, policy or practice development, documentary research, policy analysis, entrepreneurship activity, or other options in negotiation with your tutor. The module guides you towards gaining a thorough, critical understanding of project planning and evaluation, research protocols, methods, ethics and ways of doing data analysis. By the end of the module you’ll be confident and capable of designing your own rigorous and valid project.

    Final Year Project

    This module allows you to pursue your academic and work-related interests and to demonstrate the breadth of knowledge, understanding, and strengths that you have developed during your degree studies. You will review critical understanding of project planning and evaluation, research protocols, methods, ethics, and analysis. You will be supported in the selection of a focus for your final project, in the development of an application for ethical approval, and at each stage of your study. Your final year project will focus on an empirical research, policy or practice development, documentary research, policy analysis, entrepreneurship activity, or other options in negotiation with your tutor. This module is your opportunity to work together with a supervisor to confidently and rigorously undertake a valid project.

    Option modules:

    Choose one from a list which may include:

    Leadership and Management in Professional Contexts

    This module seeks to develop your understanding of theories of leadership, management and the organisation of professional practice. You’ll have the opportunity to explore relevant theory and practical factors such as mentoring arrangements, group structures, staff development and the leadership of change in professional practice. Assessment typically involves the development of an annotated bibliography and a poster presentation.

    Supporting Social, Emotional and Mental Health in Education

    This module explores the context of and responses to a range of social, emotional and mental health needs in educational settings. Your understanding of different techniques that can be used to promote positive social, emotional and mental health plus behaviours for learning will be developed. You will explore causes of social, emotional and mental health needs, and look at how these can lead to dysregulated behaviour as well as the way that emotional and other difficulties can be recognised in one-to-one, small group encounters and whole class contexts. You will also consider theoretical aspects of supporting positive social, emotional and mental health, alongside behaviour management.

    Critical Approaches to Inclusive Education

    You will examine definitions and different understandings of inclusion and models of disability, considering a national and global context. You will explore the impact these different definitions and models have on educational policy and practice. You will critically analyse current approaches to inclusion in a range of settings. You will develop your understanding of approaches to inclusive planning, teaching and assessment that ensures accessibility, challenge and achievability for all pupils.

    You will be supported throughout the course to develop your academic and professional skills, and to achieve the Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS) competencies through your assessed work.

    You study four modules each year. These place an emphasis on work-based practice. Module content gives you the opportunity to gain the underpinning knowledge in a range of essential early years subjects. We’ll help you to develop your skills as a reflective practitioner and to improve your academic ability. You’ll be encouraged to develop your own particular interests by choosing some option modules in Year 3.

    You’ll be taught through a series of lectures, seminars, tutorials and interactive workshops. On average, 15% of the study time on the course is spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) in lectures, seminars, tutorials etc. You’ll also have a personal tutor who’ll be assigned to you throughout your degree to support your ongoing wellbeing and ensure that you have a positive learning experience.

    *based on 2022/2023 timetables

    Assessments vary and include essays, developing creative and teaching resources to support children’s learning, student-led seminars, presentations and timed tests.

    Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the academic year in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

    Please note:

    • Working towards graduating with Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS) is an optional route. You will be observed in practice and assessed against the nine Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC) through your academic work and placements. In order to undertake a placement in Year 3 and gain Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS), you must have passed all required modules by the start of Year 3 and your practice must have been assessed as meeting the required standard.
    • On completion of the degree you can graduate without gaining Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS) and still count as an Early Years Educator at level 3 in the Department for Education's staff:child ratios (Department for Education, 2019),

    1. The University of Huddersfield has been rated Gold in all three aspects of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. We were the only university in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West to achieve Gold ratings in all three aspects of the TEF among those announced in September 2023. In fact only 13 Universities, out of the 96 that were announced in September 2023, were Gold in all three ratings.

    2. Further proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    3. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    4. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

    At Huddersfield, you'll study the Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. On completion of the Award, you'll receive a GPA certificate from the University of Huddersfield, alongside the specialist subject skills and knowledge you gain as part of your degree, which may help to set you apart from other graduates.

    Giving students access to the Global Professional Award is one of the reasons the University won ‘Best University Employability Strategy’ award at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2021. Find out more on the Global Professional Award webpage.

    *full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees.

    Placements

    Placement experience is highly regarded by employers and enables you to understand practice alongside experienced mentors and practitioners. Placements are a key part of the course and are managed and supported by an experienced team of tutors, who work closely with mentors in the placement settings.

    You will undertake 240 hours in a work placement in Year 1 and 216 hours in Year 2. There will be opportunities to work with children 0-7 and this will be in the Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) and school settings, so that you gain experience in planning and observing children, learning how to enhance the environment to support children's development and learning.

    The assessment for placements in the first two years is mapped to the Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC), alongside your outcomes in the two Professional Practice modules. If you successfully meet all criteria you will be given the opportunity to do a further placement in Year 3. This involves 125 hours working with children aged from birth to seven. Students who complete placements in all three years of the course will have the opportunity to evidence the assessed practice requirements for gaining Graduate Practitioner Status (GPS) alongside their degree.

    Everyone was so welcoming and pushed me to develop as a future professional. I learnt how to lead my own practice and follow my instincts; and it was not long before I had gained valuable relationships with the staff and the children. It was definitely my home from home.

    Paul Baker

    Abbie Fletcher, graduated from Early Years BA(Hons) in 2017, completed a placement at Bridgend House Nursery in Brighouse.

    Real-world experience

    Sally Booth, Early Years BA(Hons)

    Sally studied Early Year BA(Hons). Find out how her placement at Scholes Junior and Infants School helped to develop her experience and skills whilst she studied.

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    Research Excellence

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    Equal opportunities

    The University of Huddersfield is an equal opportunities institution. We aim to create conditions where staff and students are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, age, race, caste, class, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, family responsibility, trade union activity, political or religious belief, or age. Please visit our website to see our Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy

    Data protection

    The University holds personal data on all enquirers, applicants and enrolled students. All such data is kept and processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Legislation. The University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices are available on the University website.

    Students’ Union membership

    Under the 1994 Education Act, students at all UK universities have the right to join, or not to join, the Students’ Union. There is no membership fee. If you choose not to join you have the right not to be disadvantaged; however, you are not entitled to vote, take part in elections, or hold any office. The following arrangements apply in order that non-Union members are not disadvantaged: Non-members are welcome to take part in the activities of Affiliated Clubs and Societies on payment of the appropriate subscription. However, they may not vote or hold office in the society or club. Union members may be offered a discounted subscription. Non-members are free to use Union facilities on the same basis as members. Welfare, catering and shops are available to non-members as well as members. Union members may be offered a discounted price.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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