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Placement and License to Practice

teacher with a group of kids

The Early Years team recognises the importance of students having opportunities to gain vocational and practical experiences during their studies. Therefore, time is provided within the weekly timetable for you to attend early years settings for your placement experience.

Not only does this enable you to link theory to practice, attending placements can also provide you with opportunities to discover different career paths within the early years sector.

Attending placements in early years settings is a fundamental part of the BA (Honours) Early Years Education and Care: Early Years Practitioner Status degree programme. You are required to attend placement experience for at least 100 days (equivalent to 700 hours). This in the main, will take place during your Level 4 and Level 5 study. This is a requirement specified by Social Care Wales to enable you to achieve both academic and practical skills, providing you with a recognised qualification for working with young children. This degree programme is included in the Social Care Wales’ list of required qualifications to work within the early years and childcare sector in Wales. For further information, please see the Social Care Wales website.

You are encouraged to undertake placement experience in a variety of settings: this will enable you to experience many different early years contexts. Such experiences enhance your confidence, performance, knowledge and understanding of issues related to early years, such as additional learning need, global citizenship, inclusive practice, safeguarding, children’s health and well-being, as well as the importance of play.

Typical examples of settings can include:

  • Maintained nurseries
  • Non-maintained nurseries
  • Crèches
  • Cylch Ti a Fi
  • Primary schools, Foundation Phase
  • Assessment centres for Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
  • Flying Start
  • Family centres
  • Breakfast clubs (registered)
  • After school clubs (registered)
  • Playschemes
  • Forest schools
  • Community-based projects (related to young children)
  • Voluntary organisations (related to young children)

Completing the required hours and practical competencies in placements can enable you to achieve Early Years Practitioner Status (EYPS) whilst also gaining an academic qualification.