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Introduction
This course can be studied at our SA1 Swansea Waterfront campus, our Carmarthen campus or our Cardiff community campus.
Early Years Education and Care (2 years) is designed for students already working in the childcare and education sector and offers the opportunity to study flexibly around work commitments.
Lectures are delivered in the evening, and on occasional Saturdays, in order to enable students to carry on working while completing their degree.
On this course, you will develop your understanding of the practice and theory of early years education and care, giving you a full and rounded understanding of the subject.
Why choose this course?
1. We focus on your development as early years professionals. This course will prepare you for a fulfilling and exciting career across a range of disciplines, including teaching and social work.
2. Bilingual and Welsh-medium study is at the heart of our provision.
3. Our unique, two-year fast track degree is delivered in the evening for those already working in the early years' education and care sector.
4. Small class sizes, innovative assignments that enhance employment skills and no exams.
5. Student experience - widening horizons through visits, guest speakers, and extra training opportunities. We offer a range of additional qualifications to enhance your skills and knowledge; we also have additional events aimed at enhancing your employability upon graduation.
Overview
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.
Modules
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).
Entry Criteria
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.
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Career Opportunities
Career Opportunities
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
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