Curious about studying Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Competencies with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)at Birmingham City 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)
City Centre Campus (The Curzon Building)
Full Time
Sep 2027
4 Year
Are you passionate about supporting children to get the very best start in life? Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course seamlessly combines theory with practical experience, so that you can achieve your career goals and make a positive impact on young lives.
Foundation YearThe BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies with a Foundation Year course has been specifically designed to support your transition to degree-level study in Education. As a student, you will undertake a foundation year situated at level 3 study, which has been designed as a prelude to your chosen degree course, providing opportunities for you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding. Your learning journey through your foundation year will provide a secure platform on which you can build throughout your academic career in higher education. As part of the foundation year, you will explore and develop a number of essential academic, interpersonal and professional skills that will help you succeed in your future degree level studies. Your foundation year includes three core modules and three subject pathway modules. On successful completion of your foundation year, you are guaranteed to progress on to the first year of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree. If you are interested in progressing on to one of our other Education and Social Work degrees, this will be subject to space available on those courses and on meeting the relevant entry requirements, which may include passing an interview.
What's covered in this course?Gaining knowledge and understanding of babies’ and young children’s developmental, wellbeing and learning needs is a common theme throughout the course. You will build the skills and knowledge necessary to enable you to meet those needs and discover how you can respond in creative, reflective and analytical ways to issues relating to early childhood, being mindful of the need to adopt a resourceful approach. As well as learning about policy, practice, and provision within the field of Early Childhood, we will encourage you to become a graduate who is outward-looking with an awareness of global issues that relate to the field of Early Childhood. We will support you to develop your personal and professional skills, including your resilience, to become self-assured and assertive so that you can be influential in developing practice, policy, and provision in your future career. We provide you with a supportive and nurturing learning environment, which will enable you to take risks as you explore and find out new things about early childhood, as well as yourself. Our aim is for you to be confident to meet the challenges of a changing society, and competent as a researcher in gathering and analysing data to evaluate and plan for change. You will have the opportunity to become a graduate who can demonstrate a real commitment to the youngest and sometimes most vulnerable citizens in our society, with the ability to manage change and lead others effectively to make a positive impact on babies, young children, and their families.
This module is designed to support you in your transition to studying in a Higher Education environment at Birmingham City University. Through a range of class-based group and individual activities, discussions, debates, personal reflection and wider reading and research, you will have opportunities to consider academic conventions, which include: effective use of literature; sourcing and reviewing information; various forms of academic writing; developing reflective capacity. You will also receive guidance on study skills and strategies, which will enhance previously acquired skills.
This module will focus on enabling you to gain a deeper understanding of the interpersonal skills and behaviours required to work in your chosen area. Through a range of class-based and student-focused activities, you will explore the different concepts of effective interpersonal and communication skills essential to your own personal development and progression. By engaging in this module, you will identify how beliefs and values and culture may influence interactions with others. You will also address the importance of effective communication and how this can lead you to have a more professional approach in your chosen area of work.
This module is designed to support you in your transition to studying in a Higher Education environment at Birmingham City University, allowing you the opportunity to negotiate learning of a bespoke subject. Under the guidance of tutors, you will be able to direct your learning and identify relevant learning opportunities that you feel enable you to learning more about a specific field of study. The subject area within this module is student-led, with guidance and facilitation from designated academic and practice support. You will identify an area of study that you would like to review and evaluate, and which relates to your foundation year pathway and indicate programme.
This module is designed to help you gain awareness and understanding of current challenges around Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity and how these impact upon the children and the education and child support sector, preparing you for your future education and journey into practice. The module introduces the Equality Act 2010 as the current legislation that focuses on Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, with a focus on how this legislation should be understood and should inform practice in the children’s sector. The module will also consider non-legislative key concepts used to inform work to improve equality of children including the class system and intersectionality.
This module will be studied in Semester 2 and provides opportunities for you to develop an understanding of the politics and policies that impact society, childhood and education. Key aspects of working practice in the disciplines listed above are determined by the policies that come from the government; in the majority of cases, a government department oversees and regulates practice through its policies. This module will explore the way in which the British constitution works, how policy making takes place and the impact that this has on society, childhood and education. The module will also consider the political spectrum and the way that this impacts policy. Importantly, as someone considering moving into the areas of study outlined above, you will also have the opportunity to consider your own perspectives and the ways in which you have been influenced by policy and politics, and the ways in which you might go on to affect them as a citizen and as a member of a given profession.
The starting point for this module is the idea that child development is a key factor in how we educate and support the next generation. This module will provide you with foundational knowledge of child development as you prepare to undertake a degree course focused on working with children in various professional settings. During the module you will explore theories underpinning child development and examine some of the social, cultural, and historical contexts that shape perspectives on child development in different parts of the world. The module will introduce you to key factors that shape children’s development such as external influences, atypical development journeys, and the impact of current and near-future technological change.
This module recognises that transitioning into higher education represents a significant milestone in a student's academic journey, signifying a period of personal growth. However, it can also present challenges, as students must adapt to a range of increased academic demands and expectations. The module is specifically designed to support students through this transition by equipping them with essential academic skills and strategies necessary for success in their undergraduate studies. Its primary objective is to provide new students with the necessary tools to effectively manage their studies, enhance their academic writing and research skills, and cultivate their critical thinking abilities.
The Children and Families module focuses on the importance of working with families in a holistic way. We will consider what we understand by the terms ‘Family’ and ‘Children’ and how we can establish a family-focused ethos. This module will encourage you to think about and explore a range of contemporary issues, such as changing family structures, diverse families, social justice, cultural capital, socioeconomic factors and policies and legislation to ensure that our practice promotes inclusive and informed approaches.
Child psychology describes and explains children’s development from birth to adolescence and the transition to adulthood. This perspective on children and childhoods is interested in how children think, feel, and behave, and is often divided into specialised areas. The module focuses on the physical, cognitive (thinking), emotional, and social development of children from infancy through adolescence. It explores various theories, milestones, and factors that contribute to the overall growth and well-being of children. The module introduces you to some key issues and delve deeper into specific aspects of child development that require you to apply your knowledge and critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate different scenarios and research findings.
This module encourages you to become confident and reflective practitioners and to recognise the value of observation and assessment in the context of childhood. This module will also support you to develop your understanding of how observation can be used to document the child’s learning journey and support planning for future development. This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of the ethical principles associated with the documentation of children’s learning. You will make connections between this module and The Developing Child as well as Children and Families module exploring how the practical application of this content and observation and assessment might support an understanding of how to document learning and plan for future development.
In line with the aims of the course, Contemporary Perspectives of Early Childhood introduces you to a range of perspectives that influence childhood. From a local and global perspective, this module encourages you to consider how differently childhood is experienced by different groups, and to acknowledge how a range of factors can influence early childhood. Across the module we will explore a different topic each week, as we begin to unpick and challenge key ideas about perceptions of childhood. Together we will explore the factors which may impact upon childhood experiences, and we will challenge dominant perceptions in society with the aim of promoting social justice and inclusion.
This module explores reflective practice in early childhood. You will learn about the main theories and principles of reflective practice, drawing on concepts and findings from across the associated literature and your practice. This module focuses on helping you to reflect on personal values, beliefs, and assumptions in relation to developing practice and the implications of relevant theory and research on your own practice when working with young children. You will develop a sophisticated understanding of the nature and significance of reflection and how this can be utilised to learn more about yourself, and to develop your professional skills.
This module is an introduction to carrying out research projects. As well as developing your understanding of key aspects of research in education, this module will also prepare you for your final research project at Level 6. The module will support you to engage in a critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in research, policy and practice related to your field of study. You will identify and design a small-scale study, in readiness for your research project module at Level 6.
This module will explore safeguarding and child protection including the necessary skills, values and attributes to be a successful professional working with a range of children’s services. You will build on your previous learning by focusing on the roles and responsibilities of professionals in a safeguarding context. This will include key legislation, policy and evaluate processes that exist to support children who have or are likely to suffer significant harm. You will consider discrimination, which affects individual children, young people and families.
This Level 5 module enables you to explore and examine key aspects of promoting children’s health and well-being. Largely drawing on practical experience in placement, you will develop the knowledge and understanding of how to promote healthy development and well-being for young children. We will explore and critique key policies and legislation that focuses on promoting healthy development in the first eight years of a child’s life, alongside gaining hands-on experience through undertaking risk assessments, Paediatric First Aid training and engaging in nurturing care routines in practice. The module offers a blend of learning approaches, with time spent on campus studying, alongside spending time in placement as you observe and engage in health-focused, and nurturing care activities.
This module introduces you to the National Curriculum and children’s progression from the Early Learning Goals through to the end of Key Stage 1. You will take part in a series of lectures and practical experiences to explore ways of making learning more playful and creative. There will be a focus on inclusive practice to enable all learners to thrive and achieve. There are opportunities to make links between theory and practice as you learn how to design and plan for appropriate activities and learning experiences within and across a range of subjects for the children in your placement setting. We will explore and analyse a range of approaches to planning including the templates that you might use and reflect on the distinctive styles and approaches that you find are beneficial to the planning process and the needs of the children in your placement setting.
This module enables and supports you to conceive, plan, and conduct a small-scale research project that attends and adheres to key ethical principles, in an area relevant to your programme of study. This module encourages you to engage in independent and collaborative critical analysis of contemporary issues and debates in your research focus area, in policy and in practice. You will be provided with an opportunity to clarify your understanding of key research terms, as well as to consider the link between epistemology, methodology and methods, and the impact that your own personal philosophies have upon the design of your study.
This module explores children’s rights and child voice in an Early Years context. It explores theory and practice concerning Children’s Rights and Child Voice and considers what they mean in the context of empowering the lives of children. Practical ways to ensure children’s rights and voice are realised and sustained in a wider range of contexts will be examined. Students will explore how children’s rights are realised in range of professional contexts, and by exploring research and literature, the module will critically consider the theories and perspectives associated with rights’-based practice. The module will explore the impact of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at a local, national, and international level, and consider the implications regarding future policy and legislation (including Child’s Voice in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals).
This module links to the overall aims and philosophy of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies course by supporting students in becoming reflective practitioners. In this module, you will draw on learning from placement experience, modules and the impact on your knowledge and skills, volunteering experience and work, and engagement with roles outside of university. Reflection will help you to self-evaluate your progress and development of praxis, personal and professional skills. Career pathways will be explored. You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+.
The module aims to enhance awareness, knowledge, and skills to foster a more inclusive and equitable society. It encourages you to challenge your own biases, be open to different perspectives, and take action to promote equity and inclusion in various settings. This module will explore the theoretical and practical aspects of anti-racist practice within the context of childhood, youth, and communities and you will draw on your placement experience to reflect on issues of inequity and inclusion.
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