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Early Childhood Studies (Graduate Practitoner) [with Foundation Year]

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About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Early childhood studies

**Location of study:
Level 3 – ARU Cambridge Campus
Level 4-6 – ARU Chelmsford Campus**

Keen to shape young children’s futures? An Early Childhood Studies degree teaches you the skills and knowledge to understand how children from 0 to 8 years old develop, learn and think. You'll explore the world through a child’s eyes and unlock your potential. Forge a rewarding career with children and families in a variety of early years settings.

Working with young children is hugely rewarding and enormous fun. It can also be very challenging, and it’s a fast-paced sector. We’ll help you develop the skills, knowledge and qualities needed to deliver a high standard of professional practice in the workplace.

Our course has been designed to develop your understanding of professional and inclusive practice, supporting both the child and the family. Using theory and practical experiences you’ll explore current research around key topics including contemporary theories and pedagogical approaches, while building your leadership skills and considering possible careers across the early childhood sector.

You’ll have the opportunity to achieve your Early Childhood Practitioner Competencies, ensuring you graduate with a full and relevant early years qualification to meet the requirements of the graduate workforce.

If you have already completed a foundation degree (or equivalent), you can gain a full honours degree in just one or two years with our Top-Up options.

Our Education courses ranked 7th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2024, and scored 90% for the Teaching on my Course in the National Student Survey 2023.

You’ll learn through practice in our Early Childhood Resource and Research Room, and through placements and theoretical modules. Placements are a fantastic opportunity to hone your skills and get practical, hands-on experience. You’ll be supported by a dedicated Placement Coordinator to source your placements.

Whether you decide to go on placement or not, you’ll have access to additional volunteering and work experience as well as the choice to take part in further professional development training opportunities, enrichment trips, research groups and various early childhood and education events.

Throughout your studies you’ll be taught by experts in the field of early childhood, using a variety of teaching methods and interactive technology to promote learning, including group activities, class debates and discussion, lectures and seminar sessions, as well as independent learning and study expectations.

You’ll receive regular feedback and personal tutorial support throughout the course to develop both your academic and professional skills. You’ll also benefit from the research our lecturers are involved in through our Early Childhood Research Group.

**Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGPC)**

When you study with us, you’ll complete the ECGPC (Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies). This is a professionally recognised framework that will enhance your employability and provide some clarity for your prospective employers as to the graduate level of your achievements.

These competencies are included on the QAA Early Childhood Studies Subject Benchmark Statements with practice at Level 6 recognised by the DfE. You’ll meet the nine competencies through assessed observation of practice, practice-based tasks and academic assessment.

**Careers**

We’ve worked with employers in designing our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, to ensure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. We’re also guided by The Children’s Workforce Development Council and the Early Years Professional Framework.

Whether in nurseries or pre-schools, you’ll be qualified to work in any registered setting in England. You could also consider a career in educational psychology or social work, with additional training, or take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship to get 20% off an ARU Master's course.

Modules

Year 1: Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education. Year 2 Core modules: Learning and Development; Play, Health and Wellbeing; Researching Childhood; Early Years Practice and Pedagogy; Early Childhood Graduate Competencies. Year 3 Core modules: Embracing Diversity; Safeguarding Children; Supporting Children's Learning: Comparing Curricula; Early Years Practice, Policy and Professionalism; Early Childhood Graduate Competencies; Ruskin Module. Year 4 Core modules: Early Childhood Leadership and Management; Interdisciplinary Perspectives; Leading Change in Early Childhood Contexts; Early Childhood Graduate Competencies; Children's Rights; Undergraduate Major Project. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Chelmsford Campus

Department:

Education

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

95%
Early childhood studies

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Childhood and youth studies

Teaching and learning

90%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
100%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

90%
Library resources
95%
IT resources
95%
Course specific equipment and facilities
80%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
3%
Male students
97%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Childhood and youth studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,500
high
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

94%
Welfare professionals
2%
Health professionals
2%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Childhood and youth studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£29k

£29k

£32k

£32k

£29k

£29k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Edge Hill University | Ormskirk
Children’s Learning and Development
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 104-112
Nearby University
University of East London | Newham
Early Childhood with Montessori Pedagogy (Level 6 Top-up)
BA (Hons) 1 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: -
Lower entry requirements
Anglia Ruskin University | Cambridge
Montessori Early Childhood Studies
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 88
Same University
Anglia Ruskin University | Cambridge
Early Childhood
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 80

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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