Curious about studying Childhood Development and Playwork - BA (Hons)at Leeds Beckett University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Leeds Beckett University-City Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Develop the confidence and expertise to work in a range of professions across the children’s workforce. As part of this course, you'll: - Follow unique learning pathways to shape your future career and gain vital work experience from a variety of placement opportunities. These could include: hospital play, therapeutic playwork, adventure playgrounds, community and policy, and development work. - Focus on the sociology and psychology of children and childhood in your classroom-based learning. - Pay attention to the importance of play for children’s wellbeing and development. - Develop specialisms in: playwork, child development, the sociology of childhood and social policy, and the provision and management of children’s play projects. You’ll have access to work-based learning opportunities with experienced supervisors in a range of child-focused occupations. Upon graduation you’ll have a range of practical and transferable skills at your fingertips, and a critical understanding of contemporary issues central to the study and practice of childhood development and playwork.
Industry expertiseWe have more than 30 years of experience in teaching childhood development and playwork. The course team shares a range of professional and practical specialisms in the fields of playwork, hospital play, and policy and project development. They are also actively involved with charitable children’s projects. Visiting practitioners will give you an insight into their personal experiences of working with children in a wide range of disciplines.
Why study the Childhood Development & Playwork course at Leeds Beckett University?- 100% of graduates in work or further study 15 months after graduation* - Placement opportunities available - Study abroad option - Part-time study available *Percentage of respondents from this course, HESA Graduate Outcomes 22-23
Discover the origins of playwork as you investigate its history, theory and practice, assessing the relationship between them. This module supports you in developing a creative and reflective approach to your practice through a mix of workshops, lectures and offsite visits. While practitioner-led seminars will enable you to build a network of professional contacts. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
This module introduces a range of developmental perspectives in relation to the playing child. You'll explore a range of theories and concepts of child development, identifying the key issues and contrasting theoretical orientations. Additionally, you'll be encouraged to consider the role of play in relation to children’s development and wellbeing. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Develop your understanding of contemporary issues affecting children's lived experiences, focusing on the social policy context of childhood. You'll study the new sociology of childhood by examining key principles. This theory supports our understanding of what childhood means in both the UK and global settings. Relevant case studies are used to analyse the effects of the relationship between public opinion, media coverage and social policy processes on children's lived experiences over time and place. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Forming part one of your experiential learning, this module builds on what you studied during your first semester. You'll test key theories, principles and concepts of playwork in a range of practice-based learning scenarios spanning the professional sector. You'll then evaluate your self-developed learning aims to enhance your understanding of best practice principles in relation to playwork and the wider children's workforce. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Part two of your experiential learning considers models of organisational structure, policy development and impact assessment. You'll examine and evaluate processes of project delivery, organisational structures, socio-cultural contexts, and playwork practice. In doing so, you'll reflect on these elements and your role within them, assessing how effectively the agency meets its stated aims and objectives. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
In part three of your experiential learning, you'll further your knowledge by putting theory into practice. Building on your first semester, you'll apply and reflect on ideas about childhood, development, and playwork in real-world settings. We'll support you in deepening your understanding through meaningful self-reflection, exploring how best practice can shape your own professional style. Finally, you'll evaluate what it means to become part of a community of practice and how you're establishing your place within it. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
In this module you'll take a deeper dive into the real-world challenges you encountered during your experiential learning in your first year. Together, we'll explore these practice issues through a critical lens, encouraging you to question, apply, and critique playwork theories and concepts. You'll demonstrate your growing expertise by analysing how key theories operate across a range of professional contexts. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Analyse the children's rights debate using the theory you learnt in Childhood: Theory, Constructs & Concepts. This module helps you to distinguish between concepts of consultation, participation, and citizenship. We'll use critical sociological frameworks to explore factors informing and driving the children’s rights agenda and formulate a rights-based framework specific to playwork. Applying relevant theory, you'll evaluate the effects of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and subsequent social policy developments on children's lived experiences of play and participation. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
The first part of your experiential learning in your second year progresses directly from Experiential Learning: Theory & Practice Explored. This module enables you to advance your core and transferable practical skills. You'll extend your range of practice experience, tailoring your learning towards your career aspirations. Experiential learning in your second year offers a wider range of professional development opportunities, including overseas. During these modules, you'll test a series of self-determined learning aims in line with your academic progress. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Following on from Experiential Learning: Organisational Development, you'll enhance your understanding of agency delivery and practice in an area related to your career aspirations. You'll learn about and begin to develop analytical and evaluative frameworks, applying them to assess your chosen agency's policies and practices. This equips you with the knowledge and skills to build theoretical and conceptual frameworks for your final year research and dissertation modules. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Part three of your second year experiential learning draws on the reflective practices you learnt in Experiential Learning: Reflective Practice. We'll encourage you to consider the results of your reflections in relation to the concept of adult/child interactions and the impact of 'the self' on the playing child. You'll develop reflexive frameworks designed to deepen your learning and understanding in the context of your chosen agency. We'll support you to challenge best practice in accordance with principles of reflexivity and social constructionism. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
This module aligns with Childhood Development & Playwork: Dissertation, offering you a solid grounding in social research methods. You'll work both autonomously and in groups, engaging with a range of academic, professional, and political literature. By exploring research perspectives, ethical considerations, and input from your teaching team, you'll cultivate your knowledge of your chosen topic within childhood, development, and playwork research. By the end of the module, you'll have gained an expert knowledge of a specific area of research practice to support you in achieving your career aspirations. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
For your dissertation, you'll develop a piece of independent work based on a specific theme within the subject area of childhood, development, and playwork. To begin, you'll gain an introduction to the design and structuring of a research project focused on children. We'll guide you along the process needed to take your project from proposal to completion, including how to choose an appropriate research methodology to apply to your investigation. You'll critically analyse your chosen topic with reference to your own research and the theory and practice of playwork. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Explore project development and management principles. Working collaboratively, you’ll develop a project proposal with an associated funding bid for a play project. We’ll guide you through this authentic learning task, exploring live examples with the support of experienced professionals. You’ll deliver a group presentation about your proposal and undertake a personal reflection of your role within the development of the group. Upon completion, you'll have developed the practical and analytical skills required for project development, enabling you to apply for funding while considering the needs of service users. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Study therapeutic intervention from a playwork perspective. Together we'll cover the theory and practice of playwork, developmental psychology, and play therapy. Although this module is theory-focused, we'll address practice issues and look at related practical techniques. Overall, you'll learn how to make appropriate choices as a therapeutic playworker, exploring practice methods and developing skills needed for this profession. By successfully completing this module, you'll be exempt from stage one of the four stage training model of the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APCP). Optional modules may also be available for this course.
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