Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons)

This module is designed to provide you with an understanding of how play can be used to support children's learning and development in the early years, with a specific focus on observation, assessment, and planning. It will also cover the use of statutory early years documents in planning for play-based learning experiences.

This module will introduce you to the issues related to communication and literacy in the early years. You will explore different theoretical approaches to language and communication development and learn about the importance of listening to and communicating verbally and non-verbally with children. 

You will consider the development of speech, auditory processing abilities and early reading and writing skills as well as demonstrate a deeper understanding of the skills required to support children with English as an additional language and/or with special education needs.

The aim of this module is to develop your awareness of the social construction of childhood from past to contemporary understandings drawing on different conceptual frameworks and looking at different national and international social contexts. 

You will examine the development of legislative framework and social policy in relation to children and their families. You will explore how current theories approach the concept of childhood in the context of late modernity (19th century and onwards), and consider it in relation to social problems and policy.

The aim of this module is to develop your knowledge and understanding of research methods in education. This module is intended to expose you to primary research and the conceptual frameworks in which knowledge is created. The knowledge and skills about research practice and processes you acquire in this module are intended to help you develop a research proposal for your final project and assist you in becoming a reflective professional.

This module aims to provide you with a secure understanding of the early years workforce including the statutory requirements, key policies, procedures, and practice. You will have the opportunity to gain essential practical experience, knowledge, and skills in delivering early years education and caregiving through the support of an early years placement setting. 

This module aims to afford you the opportunity to examine and critically evaluate the relationship between educational concepts and theories, and their application in early years settings. You will apply, within an early years workplace setting, the theoretical knowledge and skills gained over the course of your studies.

This module aims to provide you with a secure understanding of the early years workforce including the statutory requirements, key policies, procedures, and practice. You will have the opportunity to gain essential practical experience, knowledge, and skills in delivering early years education and caregiving through the support of an early years placement setting. 

This module gives you the opportunity to examine and critically evaluate the relationship between educational concepts and theories, and their application in early years settings. You will apply, within an early years workplace setting, the theoretical knowledge and skills gained over the course of your studies.

Early years education and care is guided by policy at local, national, and, increasingly, global levels. This module will help you to understand how and why policy is made, the impact upon practice and their role in policy as an educator, and the role that politics, ideology, society, and the economy play in early years policy.

Leadership has a significant impact upon the teaching and learning outcomes, and overall ethos and culture, in any educational setting. 

In this module, you will begin by examining the difference between leadership and management, terms that are often used interchangeably yet have differing definitions. You will then explore different theories of leadership, before examining the impact that different leadership styles have upon teaching and learning in schools and how leadership differs in early years settings. 

The module then introduces some of the challenges that leaders face, including managing conflict, leading through change and dealing with gender stereotypes in leadership. Finally, you will learn the theories and skills to help you become a reflective leader, to build an effective team, to support new leaders and to coach, mentor and supervise other practitioners.

This module is about examining perspectives and challenging our thinking around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The module will critically engage with both SEND theory and practice, so that you can inform it, challenge it, implement it and re-shape it.

This module will provide the opportunity for you to examine and explore the personal, social, psycho-motor, and emotional needs of children with special needs.

The module aims to address the importance of food and sustainability and nutrition within the early years setting with the aim to connect children, staff and families to more environmentally friendly habits and to nurture a sustainable food culture. This fits within the context of a programme that endeavours to work with families and communities to ensure young people thrive. 

The module considers the sociocultural and environmental context of early education and the challenges in addressing the diverse needs to young people. It will consider current debates related to food, children and education such as food poverty, educational achievement, health behaviours and decision-making.

This module builds on from Level 5 research methodology module and enables you to undertake an individual enquiry-based study related to a relevant topic of your choice within the area of Early Childhood Studies. This may be an empirically based investigation, a thematic literature review or a library-based piece of research.