Course code: CHAB305P
Subject area: Early Years
Study level: Undergraduate
Course level: H
Course time:
9:30am - 5:00pm
Days of week:
Tuesday
Course date:
12th Sep 2023 - 30th Jun 2025
Course location:
Abingdon CampusA widely recognised qualification, the two-year Foundation Degree in Early Years is designed for experienced childminder and early years practitioners who are working in a variety of early years settings, with families or playgroups and in schools, nurseries and children's centres. The course provides opportunities to develop your knowledge and practice, enhance your career prospects, and gain access to further learning alongside your work.
This course is validated by Oxford Brookes University. Applications are made through UCAS - code X314.
While the course is classed as full-time, because there is a substantial amount of self-study required in order to be successful, students attend just one day per week from 9.30am-5.00pm. However, applicants should be prepared for approximately 15 hours of self-directed study each week on top of their normal attendance at College.
Over a two-year period a substantial amount of learning will take place in the workplace through the planned and supported tasks and projects set, and applicants will take a series of modules during regular classes at college.
As part of this course, you will study the following modules:
YEAR 1Studying Policy and PracticeReflective Early Years PedagogyIntroduction to Child DevelopmentInclusion and Well-beingWorking with Families and CaregiversGlobal Perspectives
Year 2Early Years LeadershipArtwork PedagogiesChildren's VoicesEarly Years EnvironmentsContemporary Issues in Early Childhood StudiesResearching with Young Children
Employers have been directly involved in the design of the course, which will build upon the practical work you are already undertaking in the workplace to provide clear links between practice and theory.
On completion of this two year course, most students decide to apply for the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Graduate Practitioner) Top-Up course, which is also offered by the College, to obtain a full BA (Hons) degree. Moreover, completion of the Foundation Degree leads to the designation of “Senior Practitioner”, and potentially to management-level roles in early-years settings.
You will need the following:- Evidence of Level 2 literacy and numeracy, for example Functional Skills at Level 2 or GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C/4 or above on entry. Where a student does not already hold a level 2 in English and/or Maths qualification, they must present evidence of this before the end of Level 5 to remain on the course to achieve the ‘full and relevant’ status.- An acceptable qualification, such as a minimum of one A Level or an equivalent Level 3 qualification, for example the CACHE Diploma or BTEC National Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning, and Development. Or an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship in Early Years or another appropriate subject.However, we also welcome applications from experienced and mature practitioners who do not have the above qualifications.English Language Requirements (For students whose first language is not English): IELTS 6.0 (with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking). If you need a student visa to enter the UK, you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements: www.brookes.ac.uk/students/isat/visas
Home Tuition fee £7,570 per year, £5,045 per year for part time students. International Tuition fee £9,900 per year for new students, £9,650 per year for continuers. Extra Costs: an additional fee of £100 is charged at enrolment to cover the cost of planned extra-curricular activities. Whilst all core text books are available in the College and University libraries and online, students may wish to purchase their own copies. Prices of core textbooks range from £15.00 - £55.00.You can find information on our fees and on Student Finance at www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk/support/fees-bursaries. Please note tuition fees may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the University and all college partners.
Foundation Degree in Early Years (FdA), awarded by Oxford Brookes University.
This course utilizes a team-based learning approach. Team-based learning is an evidence-based, active learning, collaborative approach designed to enhance student engagement, scaffold students in their independent learning, and deepen the level of learning in class. It also strengthens students’ ability to work in groups – an important professional skill for all educators. Students are allocated to a team at the beginning of the year and remain in the same team throughout the entire course in order to learn how to work effectively together. Students are expected to prepare for each lesson individually by studying the preparatory study guides and assigned readings provided by the tutors and then undertake activities in class as a team. These are designed to challenge students to apply knowledge and understanding of theories and concepts to real practice problems or events and engage in high level critical thinking about content covered in the modules. Students are also expected to participate actively in class and online discussions. The student’s proper preparation is therefore essential to enable learning and participation in this course.All staff delivering on the course have a minimum qualification level at grade 6 and substantial experience of working within a variety of early years settings.Each module is completed with an assessed piece of work designed to enable exploration of themes that have been studied. Some assignments relate to your practice in your own setting and range from within-setting observations of children and in-class presentations to your cohort, to written essays, reports, reflective writing, and small-scale research studies.