Foundation Degree in Early Years

 

The Foundation Degree in Early Years is an exciting collaborative venture between Pen Green Research, Development and Training Base, and the University of Hertfordshire.

Module Content

 

Becoming an Early Years Professional: Personal & Professional Skills 

The central themes of this module are; the student's ability to develop their study and graduate skills to enable them to be successful in Higher Education; to take responsibility for identifying their own training and development needs with a focus on their developing role in their setting; to explore future career routes including the opportunity to work towards Early Years Professional Status.  Students will be encouraged to use a range of strategies and appropriate evidence to audit their existing competencies and resources.  They will develop their understanding of the role of the mentor and an apprenticeship model of learning.  Feedback from a variety of sources including self-assessment tools and professional colleagues and relevant others will be sought and used for personal, professional and workplace development.

 

Enabling & Supporting Learning: Work-based Module 

This work-based module offers the student the chance to apply the underpinning knowledge, understanding, information and skills developed in earlier modules to enable, support, plan, implement, evaluate, assess and plan next steps in children's learning and development.

Evidence Based Practice and Change: Work-based Module 

The module offers the opportunity for Children's Workforce practitioners to develop the understanding, knowledge and skills in order to undertake a piece of small-scale research based in their setting and to identify an area for development of practice or provision.  Understanding the role of change and how to manage it is a theme in the module.  Students' interpersonal and communication skills will be developed as they advise others and make recommendations to support change management in their workplace.

 

The module will focus on the development and learning of children.  The emphasis will be on developing the students' knowledge and understanding of the personal, social, emotional, physical, intellectual, cognitive and spiritual development of children.  The module offers opportunities for students to observe, assess and reflect on individual children's holistic development and learning and to consider how to develop their practice.  Students' skills relating to assessment and reporting of development and learning will be applied in the workplace.  The intention is that by the end of the module students will be able to reflect on their own effectiveness and how they apply their knowledge of child development and learning as a potential Early Years Professional.

 

Leadership & Management of Children's Workforce Settings 

The central focus of this module will be to develop the ability to assume a leadership and management role in a Children's Workforce setting.  Students will initiate and lead a project that integrates new and emerging policy and practice in their own practice and that of their own work team.  As an outcome of the project they will demonstrate leadership and management skills by using a range of strategies and appropriate evidence to identify, plan and implement a staff development activity for another group of adults in their workplace.

 

Legal and Professional Responsibilities 

The module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of legal and professional responsibilities relevant to emerging Early Years Professionals and to develop the students' ability to work within a framework of current legislation and guidance.  Particularly focussing on how to contribute to the child safeguarding, work with other professionals and work with children's families and carers.  Awareness of equality of opportunity, anti-discriminatory practice, children's rights and health and safety are also themes of this module.

 

Students are expected and encouraged to use their practice experience and to reflect on it and will be invited to reflect upon and analyse the attitudes and values that influence their practice with children.  The module aims to develop understanding, knowledge and skills common to professionals in Children's Workforce settings and to students to respond to current legislation and requirements for the integration of services and multi-agency working.  Students will visit a range of settings in order to develop their awareness of a range of approaches and value bases of working with children and their families.  Talks by visiting speakers to other settings form part of the module sessions.

 

The cost of the degree is £5000 per year (starting November 2013).

 

You may well be eligible for funding via the Student Finance England route. You will notice that the part time funding application form for student commencing study after September 12 is not currently available until the Summer 2012 but it is worth checking regularly as the process can take some time. In the meantime we are encouraging people to complete the Foundation Degree application form and get it back to us.

 

If you are based in Northamptonshire you may be eligible for funding towards the cost of your degree through Northamptonshire County Council

 

Qualifying Courses Level 5
Funding criteria - 2013-2014

Grant applicants must:
• Be working in an Ofsted registered setting in Northamptonshire
• Be working directly with children
• Work in a private, voluntary or independent setting
• Have a minimum of 10 hours paid employment

 

Priority will be given to:
• Settings receiving the deprivation supplement through the Early Years Single Funding Formula
• Settings receiving funding for 2 year old places
• Settings with no graduate leader

Grants may be offered at a rate of 80% of the course fee to a maximum of £2,500

 

If you are based in Corby you may be eligible to apply for funding from the Rowlett Educational Trust.

 

 

 

Ideally you will be a current practitioner in the field with at least two years experience, however applications will be considered for individuals in circumstances where they do not have the 2 years experience. Some experience may be counted from placements undertaken whilst training.

All applicants must have GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent).

You should have an appropriate level 3 qualification such as NVQ3 or equivalent.

If you are a mature student without formal qualifications we are happy to discuss entry requirements on an individual basis and we may be able to take account of other qualifications and experience. Please contact us for advice.

All applicants will be interviewed and you will be asked to complete a short piece of writing to demonstrate an ability to work at first year degree level

 

Register your interest in this degree course or find out more information

by contacting Nicky Novis at nnovis@northamptonshire.gov.uk

 

Download an application form.

 

All interviews and blocks of study will take place at the Pen Green Research Base in Corby, Northants.