Education: Early Years Teaching and Learning BA (Hons)

30 credits

This module examines what it means to be a professional in the context of both early education and inclusive teaching and learning. This module is designed to enable you to engage in reflective practice by drawing on a range of theoretical models, literature and work-based experiences. You are encouraged to take charge of your own learning, reflecting on your professional knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviours (KASBs). This module will also introduce you to Future Skills through engagement with Navigate workshops and module resources. You will be guided to use the reflections from the Navigate workshops to identify career development pathways and how you can be supported to achieve these with the guidance of those more experienced than you. This will include utilising supervision mechanisms within the work environment as well as the support of mentors and communities of practice to enhance personal and professional practice. 

30 credits

In this module you will explore the development of children from birth to 25 years of age. You will examine and challenge existing theories, approaches, legislation and policies, and relate these specifically to practice. You will have the opportunity to explore different theories of development (both seminal and emerging) and to reflect on their use within the English educational system. Through discussion and debate within organised seminars and group workshops, you will develop positioning and reasoning for advocacy and practical application of published perspectives. Furthermore, this module will enable you to reflect on how developmental theories can influence key policies and guidance.

30 credits

In this sustainability module, you will have the chance to explore the interconnectedness of various systems: natural, social, and economic. Education for Sustainability promotes a sense of individual and collective responsibility towards the environment and society. It promotes a deeper contextual reflection about the role of education as a catalyst to make informed choices. The module requires you to become an agent of change who promotes action that contributes to an ethos of sustainability within an educational context.

30 credits

In this module you will explore the practices of assessing children to support holistic development in practice. You will celebrate the diversity and the child's unique learning journey through use of various assessment tools, strategies and underpinning concepts. This module will guide you in creating a supportive and inclusive environment for babies, toddlers and young children with specific considerations for their individual needs and intersectional features.

Engaging with families and collaborating with other professionals will be a key part of the module, as these active and sustained relationships are crucial in supporting a child's holistic development. By the end of this module, you will be equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions regarding assessment information and inclusive approaches that enhance the educational experiences of all children, especially those who may need additional support.

0 credits

(Non-credit bearing)

This module enables you to apply your developing academic and experiential knowledge of pedagogy and research to a range of contexts for children up to the age of eight years old. It enables you to consider your growth, achievement and professional attributes developed over time and in collaboration with others. This should be regularly reviewed and discussed with your workplace Critical Professional Associate (CPA) and tutor(s). You will take charge of your own professional development through the portfolio building exercise.

30 credits

This module provides the opportunity to explore and engage at a deeper level with the theories and models that promote collaboration and reflection in professional working contexts. You are encouraged to take an active role in shaping your personal, professional and pedagogical progress through engagement with the Future Skills Explore activities. The collaborative nature of working within the module will inform your subject knowledge as well as a range of transferable skills that are essential for a graduate to work effectively within and beyond the sector.

30 credits

This module provides an in-depth exploration of the rights of babies, children and young people lensed through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF, 1989). You will evaluate the various rights afforded to children, the importance of safeguarding these rights, and the challenges faced in implementing rights-based approaches and initiatives locally and globally. It is essential that a range of issues within care and education are critically evaluated through the lenses of the UNCRC and rights-based philosophies to ensure that you are well informed about your professional role as advocates for children and their families. An exploration of relevant legislation, policies, curriculum frameworks and initiatives provides students with further opportunities to interrogate and critique the intentions, values and principles that underpin the range of provision within the UK, Europe and the Global South.

30 credits

This module will centre on the current constructs of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through the lenses of education. It will explore contemporary issues related to equity and equality. There will be opportunity to explore positive and limiting practices within educational settings, which promote or inhibit an inclusive culture between stakeholders and within stakeholder groups. In this module you will review educational approaches that can provide empowerment for marginalised, under-served or underrepresented groups within the community. You will examine your own dispositions, personal beliefs and values and how these impact on practice approaches and ethical decision-making. Intersectionality factors that influence and underpin the lived experiences of babies, children and young people will also be evaluated with a view to making suggested improvements to current practice approaches that promote an inclusive and equitable culture. 

30 credits

This module examines theories of play and pedagogies in early childhood education contexts. The module examines how babies, toddlers and children have a right to play and access playful learning experiences in their early childhood. Play will be positioned as an essential contributor to the healthy and holistic development of babies, toddlers, and young children, considering the influence on cognitive, social, emotional, moral, spiritual, and physical development. You will consider differing pedagogies of play and examine core influences including the enabling environments, the adult role, digital literacies, planning, and inclusion. Connections will be made between children's motivations, dispositions and attitudes in play, and theories and philosophies that underpin play in early childhood spaces. The module will extend your knowledge of the pedagogies of play that promote inclusive and playful learning experiences for children.

0 credits

(Non-credit bearing)

This module enables you to apply your developing academic and experiential knowledge of pedagogy and research to a range of contexts for children up to the age of eight years old. It enables you to consider your growth, achievement and professional attributes developed over time and in collaboration with others. This should be regularly reviewed and discussed with your workplace Critical Professional Associate (CPA) and tutor(s). You will take charge of your own professional development through the portfolio building exercise.

30 credits

The module expands on the professional graduate skills developed across the first two years of study. You will refine and critically evaluate professional reflections in relation to your own professional identity and specific subject pedagogy. You will become an expert in your subject and evolve leadership and advocacy through personal reflective tasks and collaboration with others in a range of professional contexts. You will retain active engagement with continued professional learning activities and apply new knowledge to your own professionalism whilst reflecting on your evolving personal skillset. Reflection around skills to excel in your career after graduation forms an essential element to this module. Therefore, you are encouraged to explore a range of career opportunities and network with other professionals in readiness for the next stage in your professional journey. The Future Skills Apply Learning Outcomes are delivered in this module.

30 credits

This module explores key issues related to health and wellbeing in the Early Years. The teaching content frames health and wellbeing issues through various lenses including neuroscience, sociology, psychology, policy and guidance (statutory and non-statutory). The roles and responsibilities of adults who work with the child, families and communities will be explored and you will consider factors which promote or impede holistic development. This will provide you with a critical appreciation of the complexities of addressing practice based contemporary issues which support the holistic development of babies and young children within health and wellbeing.

30 credits

This module will give you the opportunity to critically reflect upon leadership models and approaches. The module content will lead you to appreciate the crucial role played by Early Years leaders in supporting change and how leadership can facilitate best practices for babies, children, parents, carers, practitioners and other professionals. There will be opportunity to explore the importance of respectful partnership with these stakeholders. You will be led to explore educational issues related to the Early Years through sociological, political, psychological, economic, philosophical and political lenses. The voice of the child will be a central focus in the proposed change management process. You will be encouraged to evaluate methods, strategies and approaches that you use to manage yourself and others.

You will also reflect through experiential learning on your existing and developing leadership skills; identifying areas of strength and further development.

30 credits

This module will support you to think critically about planning a small-scale enquiry that requires the collaborative participation of other stakeholders. You will explore the ethical implications as well as the methodological approach that underpins your proposed enquiry. You will examine evidence-based approaches that are currently drawn on in the field of education and beyond. You will critically reflect on challenges and ethically sound practices that promote meaningful collaboration.

0 credits

(Non-credit bearing)

This module enables you to apply your developing academic and experiential knowledge of pedagogy and research to a range of contexts for children up to the age of eight years old. It enables you to consider your growth, achievement and professional attributes developed over time and in collaboration with others. This should be regularly reviewed and discussed with your workplace Critical Professional Associate (CPA) and tutor(s). You will take charge of your own professional development through the portfolio building exercise.