Early Childhood Studies

Study options

Award

BA (Hons)

Key facts

UCAS code:
L590
Location:
Stoke-on-Trent campus
Study option:
Full-time
Duration:
3 Years
Start date:
13 September 2021
School:
School of Life Sciences and Education

7th for Student Satisfaction for Education

Complete University Guide 2021

SEND pathway availble

Tailor your course to Special Education Needs and Disabilities in Year 2

15th in the UK for Education degrees

Guardian League Tables 2021

A degree from our Early Childhood Studies programme is ideal if you want to gain a graduate-level qualification that will enable you to work with children aged from birth to 8 years old.

You'll have a holistic approach to understanding early childhood, relating appropriate educational theory to practice. You'll look critically at the role of play, considering differing curriculum models and examining the impact of early childhood researchers and theorists on current government perspectives and practices.

This degree will prepare you for many types of employment and is supported by employers within the industry. Graduates from our Early Childhood Studies degree have progressed into primary Teacher Training, early years teaching, social work, further education, charity work and management. You'll gain placement opportunities across the birth to 8 years old age range and you'll establish lifelong networks that you can use throughout your career.

This course is designed using our brand-new pathways structure. This means, if you're studying a 3-year degree, you'll have the opportunity to tailor your course towards Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) during the second year, exploring the education of young children with complex learning needs and disabilities.

We also offer part-time foundation and Top-up degrees in education studies, so whatever your working commitments and academic background, there's a path into education for you.

On successful completion of study, depending on your choice of specialism pathway,  we will issue you with one of the following awards:

  • BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
  • BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Special Education Needs and Disabilities)

Work placements

Our placement staff will work with you to identify a suitable location for your work placement. Please also note that you are responsible for any costs incurred in travelling to and from your work placement, and for any accommodation costs.

 Students on our Early Childhood Studies degrees have worked with:

  • Schools
  • Colleges
  • Early years settings
  • SEND settings
  • NGOs
  • Private training organisations
  • Local Councils
  • Armed Forces
  • Prison Service
  • Local Authorities

The Education Department works with local, regional and national employers alongside international university partners to provide students with placement and work experience opportunities both in the UK and abroad. Previous locations have included Italy, Spain and China. We are currently planning this years’ student visit to Tübingen, Germany.

All students will attend work placements in early years settings throughout the programme, they will be expected to undertake work based activities in preparation for their teaching and learning sessions. These may include information exercises such as locating relevant policies and resource audits for review and discussion. Observations of children or work processes in the placement/work setting may be used to inform discussion, such as analysing children's needs, involvement in the planning process or the preparation of work focused learning materials. Placement records will provide support for learners on placement and all students will be supported by a work-based supervisor within the setting.

Course content

You’ll be taught by sector professionals with direct experience of children in a variety of education and early years settings. Specialist guest speakers will discuss different roles in employment.

To enhance your understanding of contemporary issues, there will also be opportunities to attend research conferences and seminars that are supported by education and early years speakers. 

The programme is supported by employers within the industry. You’ll gain placement opportunities across the 0-8 age range something that will enable you to establish lifelong networks. Your placements will provide real world experience so you can make informed decisions about your career direction. 

Academic year

The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Typically the majority of modules are 30 academic credits with a smaller number of 15 credit modules. Each credit taken equates to a total study time of around 10 hours. Total study time includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity. Full-time students take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. All students take a total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits for the degree as a whole. Your overall grade for the course and your degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6.  The full-time course has one start point in September.

Placements on our Education degrees

Placements on our Education degrees

Video

Senior Lecturer Ruth Hudson-Gill explains how useful placements are for Education students.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 2 compulsory modules
Collaborative Working 30 credits
Play Therapy 30 credits
Professional Development: Reflecting On Practice 30 credits
Safeguarding And Child Protection 30 credits

Entry requirements

  • Typical UCAS offer: 96 UCAS points 
  • A levels: CCC
  • BTEC: MMM
  • A minimum of GCSE in English and Maths, at Grade C or grade 4

All applicants are individually assessed on their qualifications, skills and experience.

We welcome applications from candidates with a CACHE level 3 Diploma.

You may be required to attend an interview.

We understand that you might have experienced a challenging run up to higher education and may have not met the entry requirements as listed. If this is the case don’t worry, contact us and our team of expert advisors can guide you through the next stages of application, or help you find the perfect course for your needs.

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

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Facilities

Outreach

You'll have access to a range of high quality placements. We work with 50 plus high performing early years settings and schools within the local area and in Birmingham, the Black Country, Shropshire, Manchester, Derbyshire and beyond.

School Setting

Students see a broad picture of early years settings and schools that is not limited to a single place, giving you a vast range of experience in different settings.

Careers

You will be provided with opportunities to prepare you for employment.

Many graduates from our Early Childhood Studies degrees work as education welfare assistants, nursery managers or within social work teams, supporting vulnerable children and their families.

Others have progressed into primary and early years teacher training. Some have entered postgraduate study.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Students learn in different ways. To help everyone get the most out of their studies, we teach through a combination of lectures, workshops, small group and practical sessions. Small group sessions enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor at least twice a year. You will be taught in first-class learning spaces throughout your course. Many of our courses are accredited or recognised by professional, statutory or regulatory bodies.

Students will also receive guest lectures from external bodies, such as the Makaton Charity, to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to teach students with a range of educational needs. 

Assessment

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills); written English (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy); academic writing (including how to reference); research skills; critical thinking and understanding arguments; and revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management).

Additional support

Our AccessAbility Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment, or learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

Feedback

You will normally receive feedback on coursework assessments within 20 working days following the date of submission. Examination feedback may take a variety of formats. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.

Your study time will consist of class contact hours, self-directed learning, assessment and placements where appropriate. Your actual contact hours will depend on the subject area, on the option modules you select and professional body requirements. A typical composition of study time for this course is:

Year 1

21% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
79% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Year 2

6% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
44% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Year 3

6% of time in lectures, seminars or similar
69% of time in independent study
0% of time in placements

Independent learning

When not attending lectures, seminars, laboratory or other timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve utilising a range of digital resources including our virtual learning environment; reading journals, articles and books; working on individual and group projects; undertaking research in the library; preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations. Your independent learning will be supported by a range of excellent facilities. These include the library, open access computer facilities, informal learning zones, a range of laboratories and specialist teaching areas.

Year 1

19% practical exams
63% coursework
19% written exams

Year 2

18% practical exams
83% coursework
0% written exams

Year 3

0% practical exams
100% coursework
0% written exams

Staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teaching training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is research-informed and 80% of our full-time staff in Life Sciences and Education are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

Ruth Hudson

Course Director

Ruth's research interests explore parental bereavement in childhood, professionalisation of the Early Years workforce and technology to enhance teaching and learning. She is a member of Staffordshire Early Years Professional Network.

Ruth's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 13 September 2021 the tuition fees are:

Study option UK / Channel Islands International
Full-time £9,250 per year of study £14,000 per year of study

UK and Channel Island students: This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation. If the UK government passes appropriate legislation, the fee for subsequent years of study may increase in each academic year. But this increase will not exceed the rate of inflation as measured by RPIX**. Any change in fees will apply to both new and continuing students. The University will notify students of any change as early as possible. Further information about fee changes would be posted on the University’s website once this becomes available.

**RPIX is a measure of inflation equivalent to all the items in the Retail Price Index (RPI) excluding mortgage interest payments.

International students: Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course, as long as you complete it in the normal time-frame (i.e. no repeat years or breaks in study).

Included in the fees:
  • DBS checks where required for assessed modules
  • Loan of subject related requirement where required for modules
Not included in the fees:
  • Text books are available from the library, but some students chose to purchase their own copies
  • Printing
  • Travel costs to and from placements. We will have available placements within travel distance from the campus, or within proximity of your address.
  • Clothing suitable for placements
  • Any optional field trips
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained by visiting: www.gov.uk

Scholarships and additional funding

As an undergraduate student at Staffordshire, you may be eligible for additional financial support through one of our scholarships and bursaries. You can visit our funding page to find out more and check your eligibility.

Our students

Every year we had to take part in one placement. Every placement experience was wonderful, I gained so much knowledge that will help me in the future.

My first placement was in a nursery and I loved every second of it. The age range is the not the age I want to work with, but the children were all so lovely and they were all such a lovely age. The staff at the nursery were all so helpful and kind, nothing was ever too much trouble for them.

My next two placements were in schools. The schools had diverse cultures and were in different areas of Stoke-on-Trent, which was interesting to see, as one school was more financially stable than the other. I was able to work alongside the teachers and TAs within these placements to help children’s development.

All of the placements treated me as a part of their team - I never felt like I was a student on work experience.

Courtney Taylor

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies

Apply

Location Award Study option Start date
Stoke-on-Trent campus BA (Hons) Full-time 13 September 2021 Apply now

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at Staffordshire University, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of Staffordshire University enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.

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