Early Years Education and Care (2 Years) (BA)

The BA Early Years Education and Care (2 Years) programme has been developed to provide opportunities for learning about all aspects of young children’s education and care.

The programme provides opportunities to link practical activities and experiences in the work environment to theories relating to children’s education and care.

Learning takes place through group discussions, workshops and study visits, as well as lectures, in order to develop a knowledge and understanding of a range of relevant topics.

There is an emphasis on hands-on learning in order to support understanding of the links between theory and practice within the early years. There are also optional residential visits to other parts of the UK and abroad.

The programme is taught in an innovative block teaching method, allowing students to focus in-depth on one topic at a time. We have found that this method is successful in supporting students to gain a better understanding of the topic's content.

Students study six topics on each level of the programme, each based on essential knowledge and understanding of specific aspects of early years education and care.

Students study a wide variety of subjects relating to early years education and care, with a focus on aspects of childhood such as holistic development, well-being, play, literacy, safeguarding, outdoor learning and inclusion.

Level 4 (Cert HE, Dip HE & BA)

• Children’s Play: Theory and Practice (20 credits; compulsory)
• Human Development (20 credits; compulsory)
• Learning in the Digital Era (20 credits; compulsory; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
• Multilingualism, Multi-thinking (20 credits; compulsory)
• The First 1,000 Days (20 credits; compulsory)
• The Professional Practitioner (20 credits; compulsory).

Level 5 (Dip HE & BA)

• Awe and Wonder - Mathematics, Science and the Outdoors (20 credits; compulsory)
• Language and Literacy in the Digital Age (20 credits; compulsory)
• Leadership and Teamwork in the Early Years (20 credits; compulsory)
• Research for Learning (20 credits; compulsory)
• Safeguarding: Practice, Legislation and the Multi-disciplinary Team (20 credits; compulsory)
• Well-being, Care and Healthy Living (20 credits; compulsory).

Level 6 (BA)

• Catalytic Leadership - Rights, Resilience and Social Change (20 credits; compulsory)
• Early Years Curricula (20 credits; compulsory)
• Inclusive Leadership: Working Together to Support Families (20 credits; compulsory)
• Leadership and Management for Systems of Quality (20 credits; compulsory)
• Regaining Paradise? Sustainability in the Early Years (20 credits; compulsory)
• Supporting Children with Additional Learning Needs (20 credits; compulsory).

The programme is assessed by 100% coursework. There are no exams.

We have found that using a varied range of assessment methods increases employability skills.

Employers seek graduates who are problem-solvers and who have a range of transferable employability skills. Assessment gives opportunities to develop skills such as the ability to work in a team, have effective oral and written communication while using a range of information-sharing methods including briefing papers, academic posters, group debates and professional discussions.

There are also opportunities for practical work experiences, supporting employability, professional development and careers.

Bilingual and Welsh-medium study is at the heart of our provision; you can choose to enrol on the Welsh-medium or English-medium programme and can present your assignments in either language. 

• Alison Rees Edwards
• Ann Davies
• Dawn Jones
• Glenda Tinney
• Gwyneth Davies
• Natalie Macdonald
• Paul Darby
• Sioned Saer

This programme is delivered in the evening and on occasional Saturdays. 

Entry criteria:

• Early Years encourages and values applications from students who are returning to education, as they will have experiences and life skills that could support their entry onto the degree.
• Generally, students will have attained or will be working towards, a relevant level 3 childcare/education qualification such as NNEB, CACHE, BTEC, NVQ, A-levels. However, other experience is also valuable. They will also be working or volunteering regularly in an early years setting or a workplace that provides services for young children and families.
• All applicants will be required to provide a satisfactory enhanced disclosure document from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
• As part of the application process, students will be given an opportunity to attend meetings with the tutors. This provides applicants with the chance to visit the campus, meet the lecturers and ask questions about the degree. During visit days, the course lecturers are always interested in applicants' experiences of volunteering and working with young children.

Careers in Early Years

Graduates go on to careers in a variety of fields including:

• Additional learning needs support
• Afterschool Leader
• Childminder
• Children’s charity roles (eg Barnardo’s)
• Community Support Officer
• Family Facilitator
• Family Support Officer
• Parenting Officer
• Pastoral support
• Play Workers
• Room Leaders
• Setting Managers
• Youth Workers

Further Study

Some of our graduates progress to other further studies. Some students have progressed on to our own MA programmes, including our MA Early Literacy and MA Early Years Education and Care.

Postgraduate programmes such as these offer opportunities for students to up-skill and deepen their understanding of young children and their families. Such studies have enabled postgraduate students to progress in their existing field of work and for others to move to new careers.

Route into teaching

As a UWTSD Early Years student, you will be guaranteed an interview for the PGCE Primary programme subject to meeting entry qualification requirements. When applying for the PGCE Primary programme we, in conjunction with Initial Teacher Education, will support you through a mock application and interview process.

Postgraduate study and alternative routes

Graduates will also be able to progress on to a number of postgraduate courses in their area of interest; a good degree classification in Early Years Education and Care meets the entry requirements for many postgraduate routes.

Below are a few examples of routes previous graduates have taken:

• Family and Communities
• Nursing
• Play Therapy
• Policy and Government
• Research
• Social Work
• Speech and Language Therapy

• Students are required to apply for, and obtain, a UWTSD Enhanced Disclosure Barring Check (DBS). The fee for this is dependent on the DBS and is approximately £44.
• Students are required to gain the equivalent of 700 hours' practical experience in places such as early years settings. This will incur travelling costs and refreshment costs. (Only applies to Early Years Practitioner Status programmes)
• Students may incur additional costs as they are required to attend some module lectures with appropriate clothing for study outdoors.
• In the Early Years, mandatory study experiences and enhancement activities for students are organised. The cost of travelling and the study on offer is covered by the Early Years discipline. However, students, for some visits, would need to supply their own refreshments.
• Additionally, Early Years organises optional opportunities for students to gain additional qualifications during the latter part of their programme, for example, Health and Safety, Safeguarding. These incur costs for the students; the cost is determined by the provider.
• The School also offers students optional opportunities to partake in visits beyond the campus, for example, Cardiff, London, Sweden and Canada. The student incurs the costs of these optional visits.

• BA Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status
• BA Early Years Education and Care
• BA Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status - 2 Years

Kirsty Goff, level 6, graduated 2018
“I am so glad I came here, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing any other course.”

Emma Blofield, graduated 2017
“Studying the degree as helped me immensely, not only to build on my knowledge and skills but also to enable me to believe in myself.  With the support of the University, friends old and new, my supportive family and my own determination to succeed, I successfully completed the degree graduating with a first!”

Anna Latham, Level 6 student, graduated 2018
“I feel so privileged and blessed to be studying at UWTSD where I believe the Early Years is second to none! Thank you so much for your incredible commitment and hard work in providing such an excellent course, including these extracurricular activities, and for offering us students so much support and encouragement.”

Aimee Cousins | Early Years
"The lecturers are studying themselves and are very passionate about the subject. They big you up! I now understand why we do what we do, theory wise. We know the mathematical and scientific theory, for example, behind wooden blocks (Froebel)."
What's Next: I am now working for 'Action for Children' the course has helped me to make a difference to young children using 'Flying Start' initiatives. 

Scholarships and Bursaries

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