BA (Hons) Families and Childhood Studies

Key facts

• Excellent sector links with child, family and community settings for work placement opportunities
• Choose from a range of different settings at each level of the programme, according to your own experiences and interests
• Choice of optional modules at each level of study
• A range of assessment techniques to develop new and enhance existing knowledge, understanding and skills
• Supportive staff team and academic tutorial system
• High retention rates (97-100% in 2011/12)
• 67% of students achieved a first class of 2:1 classification in 2011/12
• Careers event in year 2
• Staff come from a range of different child, family and education backgrounds and are all engaged in research

Course content

The course is designed to build upon your knowledge, skills and experience. You will explore some of the following areas:

• Play and observation
• Working with children, young people and families
• Inclusion
• Early years curriculum
• Health and emotional well-being
• Safeguarding children and young people
• Promoting positive behaviour
• Multi-agency working
• Management and communication

Modules

Year 1/Level 4

• Play (20 credits)
• Academic Development and Reflective Practice (20 credits)
• Observation and Assessment in Practice (and placement) (20 credits)
• Working with Children, Young People & Families (20 credits)
• Promoting Positive Environments (20 credits)
• Families and Society (Option) (20 credits); or
• Creativity, Technology and Scientific Thinking (Option) (20 credits)

Year 2/Level 5

• Inclusion (20 credits)
• Skills for the Workplace (and placement) (20 credits)
• Research Methods (20 credits)
• Early Years Curriculum (20 credits)
• Health and Emotional Well-Being (20 credits)
• Playworking (Option) (20 credits); or
• Safeguarding Children and Young People (Option) (20 credits)

Year 3/Level 6

• Promoting Positive Behaviour (20 credits)
• Education for Citizenship (20 credits)
• Practice Based Evaluation (and placement) (40 credits)
• Management and Communication (20 credits)
• Special Educational Needs (Option) (20 credits); or
• Multi-Agency Working (Option) (20 credits)

Career opportunities

There are a growing number of careers within both education and community settings, and opportunities for further studies, including:

• Sure Start/Flying Start
• Play Worker
• Home Start
• Police Family Liaison Officer
• Women’s Aid
• Young Carers
• Child/Family Worker
• Team around the family
• PGCE (primary)
• PCET (post 16)
• Masters programmes

Course duration

Full-time

Three years

Part-time

Six years

Entry requirements and applying

You must have GCSE English or Welsh (grade C or above) and (i) 240 UCAS tariff points at GCE A Level or (ii) one of the following qualifications or equivalent: BTEC Diploma in Early Years (Merit), CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education (240 UCAS tariff points, NVQ (Level 3) related to working with children, BTEC Health Studies (Merit), Access Diploma to Higher Education, GNVQ/AVCE Health and Social Care (240 UCAS tariff points). Experience of working with children and families is also expected.