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Introduction
This course is available at SA1 Swansea Waterfront and our Carmarthen campus.
BA Early Years Education and Care is an innovative, full-time three-year degree programme for those interested in discovering how young children develop and learn.
The course is delivered in a supportive, engaging environment and explores all aspects of children’s well-being and holistic development. Time to enable you to volunteer in early years settings has been planned into the course, in order to develop and enhance your professional development and future employment, should you wish to do so.
If you already have an early years qualification and wish to 'top up' to a full BA (Hons) degree, direct entry into this programme is possible and can be discussed with the admissions tutor.
PATHWAY OPTIONS
Early Years Education and Care (BA)
UCAS Code: 95X7
Early Years Education and Care (DipHE)
UCAS Code: CEY5
Early Years Education and Care (CertHE)
UCAS Code: CEY6
Why choose this course?
1. We focus on your development as early years professionals and 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 at the heart of our provision.
3. Small class sizes, innovative assignments that enhance employment skills and no exams.
4. Hands-on, practical learning, linking theory with practice.
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 special events aimed at enhancing your employability upon graduation.
Overview
Students explore 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.
There are opportunities to develop knowledge of the practice and theory of early years education and care, giving students a full and rounded understanding of the subject.
As well as academic content, students will undertake learning activities that explore the practical aspects of early years provision through hands-on learning, making links between theory and practice.
Learning takes place through group discussions, workshops, study visits as well as lectures, in order to develop a knowledge and understanding of a range of relevant topics. 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 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.
Year One - 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).
Year Two - 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).
Year Three - 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
• A typical offer for this course is 88-104 UCAS points.
• All applicants will be required to provide a satisfactorily enhanced disclosure document from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
• This degree is ideal for school-leavers studying a range of courses, including A-Level, BTEC, CACHE and Welsh Baccalaureate. These course subjects can be linked to child development and care; however, the degree is also appropriate for those with no specific childcare qualifications and who have studied subjects including language, arts, music, drama, mathematics, sciences or humanities.
• Early Years encourages and values applications from students who are returning to education.
• As part of the application process, students will be given an opportunity to attend visit days. This provides applicants with an opportunity to visit the campus, meet the lecturers, ask questions about the degree and have a tour of the site with a current student.
• During visit days, the course lecturers are always interested in the applicant’s experiences of volunteering and working with young children, for example, school/college placements. The team also likes to hear about applicants’ interests, hobbies, and responsibilities.
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
Assessment
All our programmes are assessed by 100% coursework. 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 employability skills.
Assessment provides 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.
Bilingual and Welsh-medium study is at the heart of our provision; you can choose to enrol on the Welsh-medium or English-medium programme and present your assignments in either language.
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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