Overview
Working with children on educational and personal development can be an extremely rewarding career. Focusing on ages 0 to 8, this course aims to produce graduates who can contribute to the early years provision.
Success in this field demands creativity, empathy, logic and a great deal of knowledge alongside the ability to draw upon life experiences. As no two days are the same in this industry, this course focuses on policies, processes, best practices and practical learning to help you understand the key fundamentals of child development.
Alongside international opportunities, you will also get the chance to conduct critical research with our highly-experienced staff, learn from guest visitors and take part in invaluable practical placements.
Why CU Coventry
We offer a style of education which is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We aim to provide career-focused courses, wherever possible, coupled with placement opportunities to help prepare you for the world of work. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable to everyone, so we keep our fees low and made it a policy to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.
Employability
Dedicated Careers & Employability department who will assist you in finding employmentTop Quality Courses
Taught by industry professionals, awarded by Coventry UniversityNo End of Year Exams
Our modern teaching techniques mean no last-minute cramming and less stressProfessional Recognition
Specific courses contain additional industry recognised qualifications from awarding bodies
What our students say
I can’t believe how much individual attention we receive from the lecturers – the smaller groups mean we get as much help and support as we could ever need. The interpersonal time with the lecturers has helped my development.
Course information
The Early Childhood Development & Learning degree has been designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills required by the industry to develop a career in the early years sector, or undertake postgraduate specialist study.
The course focuses on modern teaching practices with you receiving multi-disciplinary learning to develop key skills such as empathy, interpersonal skills and authoritative expertise.
As you progress through the course, you will become confident and competent practitioners supporting learning and development of children aged 0 to 8. Establishing creativity, resilience and strategic thinking, you will be equipped with the skills and support necessary for successful entry into the early years sector.
Course Specification
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Modules
Coventry University is ranked 15th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2020. CU Coventry is part of the Coventry University Group.
In more detail...
If you are excited at the prospect of making a positive difference to young children and their development, our degree will enable you to learn all about the personal, analytical and management skills needed to have a successful career within the early years sector and beyond.
Facilities
Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library & Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and impressive IT suites. Plus, you can take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU).
Staff
This course has been developed and is taught by practising professionals and industry experts. Our academics bring a wealth of expertise to the classroom with many continuing to undertake research and other projects alongside teaching, meaning our students gain a well-rounded and relevant teaching experience.
Practical Experience
Throughout your studies, you will find that the course is underpinned with practical elements. Previous placements and trips have been to nurseries, primary schools and children’s centres.
- Upon completion of this course, you will receive a qualification awarded by Coventry University.
- You will receive support with applying for short and long-term placements, to gain the experience employers desire, with our in-house Careers & Employability department.
- You will have the opportunity for multi-campus learning in Coventry, London and Scarborough.
- In order to make higher education accessible to as many people as possible, we keep our tuition fees competitively priced.
- Small tutorial group sessions ensure that you receive the mentoring help and support you need.
- We deliver one module at a time during each block. This means you can dedicate your time to specialise in each subject without the distraction of numerous modules and multiple deadlines.
- Hands-on experience of organising and working with young children ages 0-8.
Your main study themes are:
Working in early years settings
You will examine the legislation, safeguarding, health and safety, team working and management involved in childhood development. You will also develop an understanding of managing and leading in an early years setting.
Collaborative working and positive relationships with children
You will look at the role of multi-agency working and positive supportive relationships with children. You will also develop a critical appreciation of the range of education, health and welfare provision to promote children’s health and wellbeing and continue to develop their awareness of the role of team and partnership working.
Values and principles working with children and families
You will develop an understanding of the effective practice with children and families. You will also explore researching children and families and ethical considerations.
The social context of the child
You will cover the historical, national and international context of childhood. You will also develop a critical appreciation and reflect on societal influences on how childhood is constructed and analyse how this impacts on healthy childhood development and wellbeing.
There are two main taught options for this course. It is available as a full-time three year programme or an optional four-year sandwich course where you undertake a work placement or study year in a related field. Alternatively, part-time study is also available and with our Saturday University programme, this course can be completed in as little as three years. Our teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all our students, so in addition to lectures, we also utilise a blended learning approach, including online aspects, workshops and group work.
We also operate an open-door policy, with additional availability via email and our online learning platform, Moodle.
Progression through the modules develops knowledge and skills, including communication (written and oral), study skills, research methods, project management, presentation and career development. We will also encourage you to consider your employability and/or entrepreneurial development.
Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of our learning model.
The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.
Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which take place at the end of each six-week block.
Course Breakdown (approximate):
- Coursework 70%
- Practical Assessments 30%
Full-time students are expected to attend CU Coventry every day of the week.
The majority of this will be face to face teaching, with the addition of individual and group tutorials and independent/online learning, as well as enhancement activities on Wednesdays.
Classes run daily and students are allocated to either:
Morning - 9am-1pm or
Afternoon - 2pm-6pm
Both morning and afternoon sessions have the addition of Enhancement Wednesdays when students can choose individualised learning activities between 9.30am-1.30pm to support their study, providing time in the afternoon to engage in clubs and societies.
Part-time students receive 7 hours per week direct face-to-face delivery and 3 hours per week blended learning.
Outside of this, there will also be independent study and online support.
Teaching will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6pm-9.30pm. Students are also able to book individual tutorials in advance, from 5.30pm-6pm.
Please note our part-time offering is subject to numbers.
We hold tutorials in small groups every week. These sessions are mandatory and ensure you receive detailed feedback about your work, go into depth on specific topics and have any of your burning questions answered.
Groups are kept at an average of 25-50 students per class. This way, students can take advantage of small numbers to increase contact time with lecturers.
You'll benefit from intrinsic work with the Online International Learning (OIL) Project which is aimed at developing globally successful graduates. You will have the opportunity to take international trips, work with universities from all over the world and develop solid knowledge of global child development practices.
What our students say
Leaving employment to come back to university was a big step – but it’s great to be surrounded with like-minded and supportive people. The staff and students help me with the digital aspects of the course, and now I am confident and proficient in using computers to support my learning.
Entry Requirements
Unconditional offers
We want to recruit the best students to CU Coventry. We assess an applicants' past, current and predicted performance and commitment to the course, and we may feel that it is appropriate to reward consistently high-achieving students with an unconditional offer to CU Coventry. It is a commitment from us with regard to an applicants’ potential as an excellent undergraduate and we hope that this will encourage such applicants to join CU Coventry.
Personal statements and references will also be taken into account and, for some degree courses, an interview will form part of the assessment. Requirements for specific courses differ and not all degree courses will be taking part in the scheme. The unconditional offer will be confirmed once a selected applicant has made CU Coventry their firm choice.
CU Coventry has assessed that you can achieve the required grades and we have demonstrated this belief by making you an offer. This is our commitment to you so then we ask that you reciprocate this commitment by selecting us as your ‘firm’ choice and activating your offer.
We will consider other qualifications for a pre-result unconditional offer if you have an appropriate proven performance at GCSE (or equivalent) level and predicted grades in line with grades that we expect to see at A-level. Other qualifications that we may consider for a pre-result unconditional offer include: The International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, Cambridge Pre-U and combinations of qualifications (e.g. BTECS plus A-levels).
An unconditional offer is what it says it is. So, if you don’t meet your predictions then your place is still guaranteed. However, we would hope and expect that you continue to work hard to make the most of your potential and be best prepared to study at university level.
No, the unconditional offer is only available to those who will take up their place in the year for which they applied.
If you don’t meet the entry requirements for this course, we have a number of programmes which upon successful completion and meeting any additional entry criteria, qualifies you onto a place on this degree course, such as Foundation Years or Access to Higher Education Diplomas.
What our students say
Leaving employment to come back to university was a big step – but it’s great to be surrounded with like-minded and supportive people. The staff and students help me with the digital aspects of the course, and now I am confident and proficient in using computers to support my learning.
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.
Fees & Funding
We price our courses competitively in an attempt to make higher education accessible for a wide range of people. Your tuition fees will cover all of your classes, online tutorials, some of the learning materials and access to our Library & Learning Services.
Funding
As a full-time or part-time student resident in the UK or EU, you can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees at CU Coventry from Student Finance England.
What our students say
Leaving employment to come back to university was a big step – but it’s great to be surrounded with like-minded and supportive people. The staff and students help me with the digital aspects of the course, and now I am confident and proficient in using computers to support my learning.
Career prospects
With an ever-growing demand in the early years sector, graduates from this course have a wide variety of career paths to explore.
Successfully completing our degree means your chances of employment are improved and the level at which you enter the job market could mean a higher salary. Graduates can go on to work in nurseries, the public sector, governing bodies, schools and more.
Where our graduates work
Previous graduates have progressed into successful careers within industry, for a number of organisations such as Busy Bees Nursery and Angels Childcare Recruitment.
What our students say
Leaving employment to come back to university was a big step – but it’s great to be surrounded with like-minded and supportive people. The staff and students help me with the digital aspects of the course, and now I am confident and proficient in using computers to support my learning.
Disclaimer
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK and EU 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 for UK and EU Students is expected to be in line with inflation. For international students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
