Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status (2 Years) (BA)

The programme has been developed to provide opportunities to learn about all aspects of young children’s education and care.

Students benefit from linking 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, 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.

Guest speakers provide opportunities to hear from sector-leading experts and keep students up to date with current policy and developments within the early years’ sector.

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 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. Leadership is also a key focus, developing early years leadership skills.

Level 4 

• Children’s Play: Theory and Practice
• Human Development
• Learning in the Digital Era
• Multilingualism, Multi-thinking
• The First 1,000 Days
• The Professional Practitioner

Level 5 (Dip HE & BA)

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

Level 6 (BA)

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

All our programmes are assessed by 100% course work. 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 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.

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.
• To gain graduate practitioner competences a C level GCSE Mathematics and English or other suitable equivalent literacy and numeracy qualifications may also be required.

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 (e.g. 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 Children's, Youth and Community Services.

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 onto a number of postgraduate courses in their area of interest, a good degree classification in Early Years Education and Care meet 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 of 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.
• Mandatory study experiences and enhancement activities are organised for students studying Early Years. 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, Swansea, Carmarthen, Cardiff, London, Sweden and Canada. The costs of these optional visits are incurred by the students.

• BA Early Years Education and Care – 2 Years

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Bursaries section.

Please contact birminghamadmissions@uwtsd.ac.uk if you have any questions about the University or about this course in particular. You may also find our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page helpful.