Early Childhood Studies

Entry requirements

Good honours degree, 2.2 or above

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Birmingham Newman offers you the opportunity to enhance your professional knowledge, understanding and skills of Early Years Practice by developing and implementing systematic professional enquiry and reflective practice around a range of concepts and theories relevant to Early Years provision.

The Developing Child 30 Credits

This module aims to allow students to focus on the child development subject area in greater depth than they encountered in their previous courses or experiences. It will enable students to become more specialised in child development and allow them to apply their knowledge in practice. This module will allow students to advance their skills in observation and assessment of child development, supporting their planning of children’s next steps. Students will be encouraged to use the Statutory Framework (EYFS, DfE 2017) in a critical way. Although the module will cover areas of development such as Language, Cognition, Physical and Personal, Social and Emotional, a holistic approach will be prominent throughout. The importance of safeguarding, particularly around safeguarding babies and young children will also be included within the module. Theories and current research around child development will be critically explored and applied to practical situations.

Effective Pedagogy and Practice in Early Years (30 credits)
This module will enable students to develop a critical understanding of children’s learning and development in relation to the role of the pedagogue. It will facilitate a critical awareness and understanding of what promotes effective practice and pedagogy in early childhood. Personal reflection on the experiences of co- constructed learning and practice will be an integral part of this module. It will also examine current thinking and research in early childhood provision, encouraging students to analyse and critically evaluate links between personal principles, early childhood theory, observed evidence and their developing practice. Students will embark on a process of critical analysis and evaluation to enhance the quality of provision for young children and their families.

Fees and funding