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Entry requirements
Here's what you will need to get a place on the Early Years Studies course at University of Bedfordshire.
Select a qualification to see required grades
A level
C,E
Course summary
What this course is about
UCAS code: G2W4
Here's what University of Bedfordshire says about its Early Years Studies course.
If you work with young children, (eg pre-school, child-minding, day nursery or children’s centre), this course is designed to suit your work commitments, combining academic study with knowledge of your work, and preparing you for the top-up degree and professions in Early Years.
Develop your skills in teaching and learning support, reflecting on work-based practice in educating and supporting young children’s early learning and development.
This course offers you a strong foundation in Early Years Education from a variety of professional perspectives, providing opportunities for you to develop your own individual academic and professional interests linking your current work practice to your developing theoretical knowledge.
The course is designed specifically to suit existing work commitments. You will have the opportunity to continue your studies at degree level through the University of Bedfordshire's BA Applied Early Years Studies course and all successful Foundation Degree students have the right of a direct entry to the BA at the end of their study.
You could then choose to follow a Primary PGCE / Schools Direct programme to gain Qualified Teacher Status, or the Early Years Teacher Status (GSCE grades A*-C in Maths, English and Science or equivalent will be required). For those who do not wish to progress on to the top-up degree, you have various options in employment including leadership and management roles within an Early Years setting.
Why choose this course?
-
Learn full-time or part-time, to suit your work commitments
-
Study different approaches to teaching and learning and the way children learn, and deepen your own understanding of your work and working environment
-
Develop your understanding of early education, child development and the developing child in the family and society, in local and global contexts
-
Gain a strong foundation in Early Years Education from a variety of professional perspectives, providing opportunities for you to develop your own individual academic and professional interests linking your current work practice to your developing theoretical knowledge
-
Benefit from direct entry to the BA at the end of your study, then progress to Qualified Teacher Status or Early Years Teacher Status or employment in leadership and management roles in Early Years
Course details
Qualification
Foundation Degree in Arts - FdA
Department
School of Education and English Language
Location
Bedford Campus | Bedford
Duration
2 Years
Study mode
Full-time
Subjects
• Early years education
Start date
September 15, 2025
Application deadline
January 29, 2025
The modules you will study
Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.
University of Bedfordshire reviews
Showing 40 reviews
3rd year student
Good could be better
2 years ago
3rd year student
Teaching is great, course is tough but rewarding
2 years ago
3rd year student
Great experience so far made lots of memories looking forward to making more
2 years ago
Graduate
Five stars: Excellent
2 years ago
Graduate
Five stars: Excellent
2 years ago
Graduate
Five stars: Excellent
2 years ago
National Student Survey (NSS) scores
The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.
Here you can see ratings from University of Bedfordshire students who took the Early Years Studies course - or another course in the same subject area.
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
93%
med
Teaching on my course
93%
med
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
96%
med
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
97%
med
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
92%
med
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
88%
med
Learning opportunities
95%
high
Learning opportunities
95%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
96%
med
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
97%
med
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
95%
med
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
95%
med
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
93%
high
Assessment and feedback
94%
med
Assessment and feedback
94%
med
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
96%
med
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
93%
med
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
86%
med
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
97%
med
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
96%
high
Academic support
99%
high
Academic support
99%
high
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
99%
high
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
99%
high
Organisation and management
99%
high
Organisation and management
99%
high
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
100%
high
How well organised is your course?
99%
high
Learning resources
92%
med
Learning resources
92%
med
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
92%
med
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
94%
med
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
89%
med
Student voice
83%
med
Student voice
83%
med
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
74%
med
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
90%
med
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
85%
med
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
86%
med
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?
94%
med
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
78%
med
Student information
See who's studying at University of Bedfordshire. These students are taking Early Years Studies or another course from the same subject area.
| Most popular A-levels studied | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Grade | |||||
| Psychology | D | |||||
| Biology | C | |||||
| Drama and Theatre Studies | B | |||||
| English Language and Literature | E | |||||
| English Literature | C | |||||
Graduate prospects
What graduates do next
We have no information about graduates who took Early Years Studies at University of Bedfordshire.
Earnings after graduation
Earnings from University of Bedfordshire graduates who took Early Years Studies - or another course in the same subject area.
Earnings
£22.1k
First year after graduation
£24.8k
Third year after graduation
£26.6k
Fifth year after graduation
Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Early Years Studies.
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
Discussions
Discussions
Students are talking about University of Bedfordshire on The Student Room.
Chat with University of Bedfordshire
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From course queries and career information, to fees, funding and the fun side to University, be sure to ask us – we’d be happy to help.
University of Bedfordshire open days
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