Early Childhood Education and Care HTQ

HTQ courses

Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

Develop into a professional, self-reflecting individual able to meet the demands of employers in the early education and care sector and adapt to a constantly changing world.

Year of entry

2024-25

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

CUCU077

Start date

January 2025
March 2025
May 2025
June 2025

How to apply

Open days

Download a prospectus

Course overview

This course aims to equip you with the early education and care practice skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary to achieve high performance in the global early education and care environment.

Why you should study this course

Weave research and theory with day-to-day experience of working as an early year’s practitioner.
Improve your reflective practice and leadership skills.
Develop a culture of inclusion and excellence in early years settings.

Accreditation and professional recognition

The course is being delivered under the Intellectual Property License of Pearson Education Limited.

This course is approved by the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education as meeting the standards of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ).

HTQ kitemark and Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education

What you'll study

In your first year, you will be provided with a thorough grounding in early education and care principles, knowledge and behaviours to prepare you for a range of specialist progression pathways in year two.

Modules

Using Research to Promote Inclusive Early Childhood Environments - 30 credits

You will be introduced to the concept that practitioners are researchers within the field and be introduced to essential research skills. It is anticipated this will then inform your practice as well as support your academic competence through the sourcing, reading and analysis of contemporary literature. You will use critical thinking and writing skills to explore and assess a broad range of texts around your chosen research topic. You will also explore data collection methods currently used in educational research with a view to conducting your own action research later. Upon completion of this module, you should have expanded your understanding of the purposes and benefits of undertaking research and enhanced your critical reading and writing skills. You should also learn how to source and analyse relevant and academically credible literature, as well as basic research methods in education.

Compulsory

Professional Development and Protecting Children in Early Childhood Environments - 30 credits

Holistic child-centred practice is embedded into the daily roles of early childhood practitioners working with children in the age ranges of 0–8 years. Completion of this module gives you an opportunity to embed reflective practice into your everyday role. It gives insight into management, change and holistic child-centred approaches, designed to facilitate progression in, and onto, advanced practice in early childhood education and care-related careers. It should also support continuing higher education in early childhood education and other related vocational degree programmes.

Compulsory

Promoting and Supporting Children’s Development - 30 credits

You will consider how biology, neurological brain development and environmental experiences play a major role in influencing children’s development and learning through the first three years of life. You will demonstrate how you, as a practitioner, can support others in implementing best practice that leads to positive long-term impact on children’s holistic development. By applying your reflective understanding of children's development, you should be able to identify and justify innovative practices that support and enhance children's learning and development, moving beyond traditional best practices to embrace new approaches.

Compulsory

Play, Learning and Promoting Health Living - 30 credits

You will examine the complexities and challenges that play provides in early childhood practice. You will be encouraged to challenge perspectives on play and see the reasoning behind developing a deep understanding of play. Practical skill development in recording quality observations of children's self-chosen play is an essential part of this unit. Considering the differing perspectives on play through a consideration of a range of disciplines such as psychology, sociology, play work, health and social care, this module will support your understanding of how to use a range of approaches to support the learning and development of young children. You will examine the differing types of settings that children attend and the range of qualified adults, to explore how different practices in play have evolved. The module is designed to expand your knowledge of play and be able to apply this knowledge to practice in early childhood regardless of your role within the field.

Compulsory

Year 1 Placement Module (0 credits) compulsory Placement

There is a mandatory work placement or experience^2,5 element embedded within this course. You have to complete placement hours in each stage of the course in early education and/care settings in order to achieve the qualification.

There is a requirement of 575 cumulative hours’ work placement or experience in early education and/care settings over the two-year period of the course.

The mandatory elements of work placement/experience are as follows.

A minimum of two different settings is required.

A minimum of 75 practice hours with each of the following age ranges:

From birth to one year, 11 months
From two years to four years, 11 months
Five years to seven years, 11 months.

If you undertake a work placement or experience in two settings only, at least one of these settings must enable you to meet the practice requirements for at least two of the age ranges specified above.

You can undertake placements in more than the minimum requirement of different individual settings, providing that you meet the requirement for setting hours as indicated above.

You must complete all placement hours as specified above with positive assessments made by assessors and evidence placements within a Practical Reflective Portfolio to a satisfactory standard.
Within the portfolio you must provide an annotated plan of care for a child that includes evidence of working in partnership with others to facilitate the child’s holistic progress and development
You must evidence the implementation of an evidence-based strategy that supports children’s learning and reflects inclusive practice.

The age requirements are waived for students who provide evidence of occupational competence such as holding early years educator status. These students will however need to undertake a period of observation working with an age group different from the students’ area of practice.

Support will be provided and we will ensure supervision arrangements are appropriate before you enter placements. You will be allocated a workplace supervisor in the workplace setting during each placement who will monitor and contribute to the continuous assessment of your progress; you are also required to be assessed during your practice on placement by a tutor/assessor from CU Coventry.

Admission to this course is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks⁵. Please be aware that our DBS application process is managed on our behalf by a third party. By applying for this course, you are accepting that we will share limited personal data (name, gender, date of birth and contact e-mail address) with our DBS provider. Further information regarding DBS checks and the process for applying for a DBS certificate can be found on our DBS information page.

Compulsory

In your second year you will build and develop the essential skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to be a successful early childhood practitioner whilst working through several subject specialist modules.

Modules

Investigating Childhood: Action Research for Early Childhood Practitioners - 30 credits

This module aims to support you in evaluating practice and initiating a small change to practice in your settings based on the reading and research you have undertaken. You will explore what is meant by action research and what it might involve, considering a range of research methods and data collection tools before deciding upon and justifying an action research project in your setting. You will also explore the ethical implications involved in undertaking your research project, referring to your own institution’s ethical guidelines and the literature on ethics in research.

Compulsory

Managing and Leading People in Early Education and Care - 30 credits

This module will develop your understanding of the relationship between leadership and management and the methods by which these are applied in early years settings. Through examining your own role, you will use the knowledge gained to develop appropriate opportunities to effectively lead and manage people and a team in a children’s early education and care environment. This should include promoting a positive culture, clear communication, a shared vision, setting shared objectives and monitoring these. You will reflect on your own role and responsibilities when working with others and evaluate your own working relationship with colleagues. The skills and understanding gained in this module should help you to develop management skills to lead or manage a team in children’s early education and care environments.

Compulsory

Managing and Improving Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care Environments - 30 credits

This module explores the strategic relationships with key stakeholders including social services, schools, health, and inspection frameworks. You will consider the nature and purpose of curriculum with a focus on how management implements the curriculum to meet the holistic needs of the children. You should also develop an understanding of how to manage staff resources effectively to deliver high- quality provision.

The module will introduce you to a range of evidence and data to encourage the development of critical awareness of how quality information can be used and interpreted. An important aspect of this is learning to ask questions about evidence.

Compulsory

Innovative Approaches to Children’s Play and Learning in Practice - 30 credits

This module will support you to explore new initiatives in global practice and reflect on how this could impact your own practice. Practical skill development in the use of observation as a research technique and how to comply with complex ethical procedures will be supported. You will use observation in practice to create small-scale innovative change. The voice of the child is a strong focus in this module.

Compulsory

Year 2 Placement Module (0 credits) compulsory Placement

There is a mandatory work placement^2,5 element embedded within this course. You have to complete placement hours in each stage of the course in early education and/care settings in order to achieve the qualification.

There is a requirement of 575 cumulative hours’ work placement or experience in early education and/care settings over the two-year period of the course.

The mandatory elements of work placement/experience are as follows.

A minimum of two different settings is required.

A minimum of 75 practice hours with each of the following age ranges:

From birth to one year, 11 months
From two years to four years, 11 months
Five years to seven years, 11months

You can undertake placements in more than the minimum requirement of different individual settings, providing that you meet the requirement for setting hours as indicated above.

You must complete all placement hours as specified above with positive assessments made by assessors and evidence placements within a Practical Reflective Portfolio to a satisfactory standard.
Within the portfolio you must provide an annotated plan of care for a child that includes evidence of working in partnership with others to facilitate the child’s holistic progress and development
You must evidence the implementation of an evidence-based strategy that supports children’s learning and reflects inclusive practice.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

We understand that everyone learns differently, so this course will consist of structured teaching sessions which can include:

on-campus classroom instruction
practical sessions and peer interaction
online learning
placements^2,5
self-directed learning.

Placements^2,5will be mandatory in both the first year (HNC) and second year (HND) of the course. You will be responsible for sourcing your own placements, although support will be given. In order to successfully complete this HTQ you must complete the mandatory placement hours outlined below.

Within your first year of study (HNC) you will be expected to complete a minimum of 375 hours of placement to be carried out alongside your study commitments.

Within your second year of study (HND) you will be expected to complete a minimum of 200 hours of placement to be carried out alongside your study commitments.

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours vary depending on year of study and module selection. During your first year, you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may be reduced.

Placement hours

The placement hours are in addition to the teaching hours above.

Within your first year of study (HNC) you will be expected to complete a minimum of 375 hours of placement to be carried out alongside your study commitments.

Within your second year of study (HND) you will be expected to complete a minimum of 200 hours of placement to be carried out alongside your study commitments.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

essays
group work
presentations
reflective exercises
practical reflective portfolio
individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

What we're looking for
80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

We are committed to recognising achievements in the context of which they were achieved as we understand that barriers may make it more challenging for some applicants to achieve course entry requirements.

Students will be subject to satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section⁵.

We aim to reduce the barriers that may be preventing access to higher education by looking beyond the grades that applicants have achieved or expect to achieve.

Are you eligible for the CU Support Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background.

CU Support Scheme

What we're looking for
80 UCAS tariff points. Minimum 5 GCSEs graded 9-4 / A* - C including Maths and English. Minimum two A2 levels or BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you wish to continue your studies after this course and/or rely on this qualification you will need to check if it is recognised in that jurisdiction.

Students will be subject to satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section⁵.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

Applicants must possess a minimum IELTS: 6.0 overall (with no component part lower than 5.5).

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Tuition fees

We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK	TBC per year	Not available
International	TBC per year	Not available

We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our international scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities, and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing, and re-assessments should you need them.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

The modern CU Coventry Mile Lane campus has been designed to promote collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Facilities include⁴:

indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a ground floor café
a ground floor library that includes loan laptops and a silent study area
open-access IT suites
student support and careers advice teams.

CU Coventry students also have access to facilities located on the Coventry University campus. These include the Lanchester Library and The Hub.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of this course, you will have a solid grounding in early education and care practice.

You should develop a sound understanding of the principles in your field of study and learn how to apply these principles more widely.

Completion of this HND course could open up early education and care practice career pathways in:

education
leadership and management
social and community care practice.

This qualification is confirmed by the Department for Education as a full and relevant Early Years Educator qualification and gives access to a range of employment opportunities in the sector.

You could find yourself working as a:

Advanced Practitioner in Nursery and preschool settings
Classroom Assistant
Manager or Deputy Manager in Nursery and preschool settings
Nursery Owner
Childminder
Social and Community Care Support worker.

With additional training, you could find specialist roles in local authorities and community based organisations such as :

Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO)
Safeguarding Lead
Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND).

Further study

Successful completion of this course enables progression routes to the final stage of a degree in:

How to apply

View our courses on UCAS

Visit UCAS

UK students

Full-time UK undergraduate students apply through UCAS. Otherwise, you will need to apply to CU directly. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

(+44) 02477 652222

ukadmissions.cu@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
CUCU077

International students should apply directly to CU directly. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International pages or Coventry University Group's International hub.

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

(+44) 02477 652222

internationalenquiries.io@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

⁵Placements

Satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure is also required. As part of the health clearance checks, you will be required to provide information about your immunity and vaccination status. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility to go on placement(s). Placements are provided at the placement provider’s discretion. The University is, therefore, unable to guarantee the provision of placements or the location and type of placement offered.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

Your next steps

Student life

Accommodation

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