Program Overview

If you have an interest in childhood this course will develop your skills and knowledge required for a range of careers working with children, their families and the services that support them. The course will draw on a range of disciplines such as history, psychology, education, sociology, welfare and social policy.

Whether you are new to this area or you have experience and you are looking for career development then this course will suit you. The course takes account of the ecology of children’s lives in studying the complexities of family life and of children’s development from conception onwards and the significance of childhood across cultures and societies.

What happens on the course?
During this course, you will undertake University-based learning at Walsall Campus.

You will be required to attend an appropriate registered setting (0-8) in order to experience, participate in and develop competence in a range of tasks associated with practice in an early years setting. They will be expected to reflect on and develop their practice during these modules during the course.

• 150 hours at level 4 (with a named professional partner) linking to the module 'Developing Professionals'
• 150 hours at level 5 (with a named professional partner) linking to the module 'Professional Studies'
• 50 hours at level 6 (with professional partner) linking to the module 'Leading Quality'

Included in this degree is a practice award.  Upon successful completion of the degree and the assessment placement modules, you will be awarded practitioner status which meets which meets the DfE full and relevant criteria meaning that students on completion of their course can be counted in the ratios at levels 2 and 3. http://www.education.gov.uk/eypqd/level6.shtml

During the 2nd year of study students are invited to a ‘transition’ event designed to aid and smooth their progression from level 5 to level 6. Participants were given advice about how to prepare for their level 6 studies and module leaders were able to provide reading and other summer work to those eager to make a start.  Examples of this included:

• Academic staff offering support on refining your research title and questions
• Literature review searching
• Where can I get help over the summer?