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Early Childhood Studies

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C-B,B,C

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMM-DMM

T Level

Pass (C and above)-M

UCAS Tariff

96-112

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Early years education

**Why Early Childhood Studies?**
Our Early Childhood Studies degree will give you the specialist skills you need to make a real difference to the lives of children (aged 0–8 years) and families, including those with additional needs. You’ll explore contemporary influences and factors that impact upon children’s lives and examine how to provide the most enabling environment for their development. You’ll investigate areas linked to education including health, social care, psychology and sociology. With opportunities to gain work experience in a range of early years settings, our graduates stand out from the competition. Previous placements have seen students work in children’s centres, schools, nurseries, family support teams and more. There is also the opportunity to go on a field trip to Sweden, an international leader in early years practice (additional costs may apply, see course web page for details).

You’ll draw on the expertise of lecturers with a wealth of varied professional experience, as you develop your own knowledge and understanding of the complex world surrounding young children and their families. There are also opportunities to improve your employment prospects even further, by undertaking continuing professional development activities and achieving additional qualifications, for example in first aid and child protection.

**Why University of Gloucestershire?**
At University of Gloucestershire, we’ve been encouraging students to meet every ambition since 1847. Join us and you’ll benefit from our three UoG promises:

**1. UoG Career Promise** – if you are not in a job 6 months after graduating, we’ll guarantee you 6 months of free support post-graduation should you need it, followed by the offer of a paid internship and lifetime career coaching* (*eligibility conditions apply).
**2. UoG Accommodation Promise** – we guarantee all first-year students accommodation on, or near, the campus you’re studying at.
**3. UoG Connections Promise** – whilst at UoG, you’ll find the connections to reach your goals. With over 4,000 placements and more than 60 clubs and societies to join, you’ll make connections for life.

Our ambition is boundless. Experienced lecturers promote a real-world ethos and treat our students as more than just a number. Alongside our strong support system, guest speakers, networking events and influential partnerships will help you prepare for life after graduation, whether that be in a successful career in your field or onto further study. Students never tire of finding inspiration here in the unique county of Gloucestershire – innovation and bravery thrive here. Cheltenham and Gloucester offer the best of city and country living, with the rolling hills of the Cotswolds paired with vibrant nightclubs and stunning parks in the bustling town and city centres.

**After the course**
Your story doesn’t end with us at graduation. We support our graduates to balance purpose with ambition, and 96% of University of Gloucestershire graduates are in work or further study within six months of completing their course*.
*Graduate Outcomes Survey published 2023 and based on 2020/21 leavers.

**Experience an open day**
Book yourself a place at a University of Gloucestershire open day at www.glos.ac.uk/BookAnOpenDay. Our open days have been designed to inform you, inspire you, and help you make the right decision about your next step. It’s your chance to see the university for yourself, get a real insight into what we're about and meet your potential course tutors and lecturers. Our friendly student ambassadors will also be on hand to show you round your campus.

**To find out more information about this course, visit www.glos.ac.uk/OurCourses, email us on [email protected] or call 03330 14 14 14.**

Modules

Develop skills and qualifications to work with mainstream and special educational needs (SEN) children (aged 0-8 years). You'll explore education practices and theories through lectures, workshops, presentations, projects, electronic discussions and assignments. Assessment is through 100% coursework. There are no exams. Develop 'real-world' skills through annual work placements. Students currently enjoy placements for organisations such as Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals and Battledown Children's Centre.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£15,450
per year
International
£15,450
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Francis Close Hall - Cheltenham

Department:

School of Education and Science

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.

92%
Early years education

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.

Education

Teaching and learning

92%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
95%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
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

81%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
89%
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?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
0%
Male students
100%
Female students
57%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
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.

Education

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.

£16,000
med
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

51%
Childcare and related personal services
23%
Teaching and educational professionals
5%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

What about your long term prospects?

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

Education

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

£22k

£22k

£25k

£25k

£26k

£26k

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.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here