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Early Childhood Studies with Foundation

Entry requirements


32-48 pts, including General Studies

Pass an Access to HE Diploma, preference to Education/ Social Science/ Health and Social Care, but all subjects can be considered.

Accepted in combination.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

Preference is given for Arts/ Drama/ Social Sciences/ Early Years/ English/ Humanities/ Media, however all subjects are considered. English accepted within; Advanced Level 4 or Standard Level 5.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

PPP

Preference is given for Arts/ Drama/ Social Sciences/ Early Years/ English/ Humanities/ Media, however all subjects are considered.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PP-MP

Preference is given for Arts/ Drama/ Social Sciences/ Early Years/ English/ Humanities/ Media, however all subjects are considered.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PPP

Preference is given for Arts/ Drama/ Social Sciences/ Early Years/ English/ Humanities/ Media, however all subjects are considered.

32-48 points. Preference is given for Arts/ Drama/ Social Sciences/ Early Years/ English/ Humanities/ Media, however all subjects are considered.

T Level

P

Pass = D or E on the core, (preference to education/ social science/ health and social care, but all considered)

UCAS Tariff

32-48

Including General Studies

Accepted in combination.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Early childhood studies

Take a fresh look at childhood. Explore the theory and reality of children's early years through a variety of perspectives including sociology, social psychology, history, and philosophy. You will engage with young children and families through course activities and placements having the option of gaining professional recognition of your practice. If your qualifications don’t allow direct entry to degree level or you have been out of formal education for some time, this course is for you.

We offer high-quality teaching in a stimulating learning environment where you'll feel supported and ready for degree study. In your first year, you'll develop your knowledge of the ways children and adults come to know what they know. You’ll acquire a toolkit of skills and the confidence to apply them effectively. Upon successful completion, advance to the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies programme, where you'll delve deeper into understanding children's lives and gain hands-on experience.

This four-year course is designed to give you the grounding necessary to progress through your undergraduate programme in BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies giving you a broader view of children’s development by studying the subject in practical, historical and international contexts.

Your first year will:

- enable you to enter University from non-traditional entry routes, whether you are returning to education after a break or if you come with qualifications other than A levels

- introduce you to supportive and accessible academic staff in a welcoming community with personal tutor support

- prepare you for level 4 study in a research-rich environment, establishing relationships with the University, support services, teaching staff and other education students

- provide research-informed teaching opportunities which build on your prior learning, encouraging you to draw on your work/professional/personal experiences

- provide you learning experiences which offer small group work, problem-solving and interactive approaches through a wide range of diverse and innovative teaching methods

- support you in developing essential study skills through a variety of coursework-based inclusive assessments – from essays and presentations to creative projects, personal development plans and written projects.

This course is an integrated part of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree at the University of Plymouth. Successful completion of the foundation year (Year 0) will not lead to a separate award or qualification its own right but provides progression onto Year 1 of BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies or BA (Hons) Education.
When you join the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Foundation, you will:

- explore the relationships between play and learning in your own studies as well as in child development

- see for yourself how theories and policies are applied in practice by visiting a wide range of provision for children and families

- expand your options beyond traditional teaching and open up further career opportunities in education, social care, community work, psychology, management and research

- learn from experienced lecturers and tutors who are actively engaged in national and international research projects.

Modules

In your Foundation Year (year 0), you’ll acquire the knowledge and skills you’ll need to progress through your studies and become a confident, independent learner. You’ll take four 30 credit modules which will introduce you to a range of education-related topics whilst preparing you for degree-level study at the University of Plymouth.

Please note that BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with Foundation and BA (Hons) Education with Foundation will be combined for the foundation year only.

In your first year of your extended degree, you’ll get an overview of the factors that affect children’s lives and begin considering your own professional identity within the sector. You’ll explore how children grow and develop, drawing on the latest research around thinking, playing and learning. You’ll also gain an understanding of different approaches to observing children. Modules on social policy and equality and diversity will introduce you to key contemporary issues.

Your second year of the extended degree focuses on developing your analytical and reflective skills and expands your hands-on experience of early years roles. You will develop your understanding of research while studying children’s development and communication. You’ll choose two modules from a range of options including outdoor learning, the developing world and working with professionals. You’ll work directly with young children and families, learning both academically and practically from these experiences.

In the final stage of the course, you will be helped to make the transition from ‘knowledge consumer’ to ‘knowledge producer’. You will use your developing knowledge and experience to challenge, extend and critique other people’s ideas and your own. You will plan and carry out a research project to develop and disseminate understanding of what you have identified as an area of interest and you will continue to develop your capacity to act as a strong advocate for young children and families. If you are joining the final stage from a partner college you may choose to study on our FLECS (Flexible Learning in Early Childhood Studies) route.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website

Assessment methods

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

Plymouth Institute of Education

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What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Childhood and youth studies

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
4%
Male students
96%
Female students
57%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Childhood and youth studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

79%
Welfare professionals
13%
Welfare and housing associate professionals
3%
Teaching and educational professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Childhood and youth studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£29k

£29k

£25k

£25k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Edge Hill University | Ormskirk
Children’s Learning and Development
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 104-112
Same University
University of Plymouth | Plymouth
Early Childhood Studies
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 96-112
Lower entry requirements
West Thames College | Isleworth
Early Years Care and Education - Foundation Degree
BA (Hons) 2 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 16
Nearby University
Cornwall College | St Austell
Children, Schools and Families (Level 6 only)
BA (Hons) 1 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: -

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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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