Early Years Foundation Degree

As part of this course, you will study the following modules:

YEAR 1Studying Policy and PracticeReflective Early Years PedagogyIntroduction to Child DevelopmentInclusion and Well-beingWorking with Families and CaregiversGlobal Perspectives

Year 2Early Years LeadershipArtwork PedagogiesChildren's VoicesEarly Years EnvironmentsContemporary Issues in Early Childhood StudiesResearching with Young Children

On completion of this two year course, most students decide to apply for the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (Graduate Practitioner) Top-Up course, which is also offered by the College, to obtain a full BA (Hons) degree. Moreover, completion of the Foundation Degree leads to the designation of “Senior Practitioner”, and potentially to management-level roles in early-years settings.

You will need the following:

- Evidence of Level 2 literacy and numeracy, for example Functional Skills at Level 2 or GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C/4 or above on entry. Where a student does not already hold a Level 2 in English and/or Maths qualification, they must present evidence of this before the end of Level 5 to remain on the course to achieve the ‘full and relevant’ status.

- An acceptable qualification, such as a minimum of one A Level or an equivalent Level 3 / T Level qualification, for example, the CACHE Diploma or BTEC National Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning, and Development. Or an Advanced Modern Apprenticeship in Early Years or another appropriate subject. You must also be currently employed or volunteer in a registered early-years setting for at least 10 hours per week.

However, we also welcome applications from experienced and mature practitioners who do not have the above qualifications, so please do get in contact if you have any questions about your eligibility.

English Language Requirements (for students whose first language is not English): IELTS 6.0 (with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking). If you need a student visa to enter the UK, you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements: www.brookes.ac.uk/students/isat/visas

Home Tuition fee £7,700 per year International Tuition fee £9,900 per year for new students, £9,650 per year for continuers.

Extra Costs: an additional fee of £100 is charged at enrolment to cover the cost of planned extra-curricular activities. Whilst all core text books are available in the College and University libraries and online, students may wish to purchase their own copies. Prices of core textbooks range from £15.00 - £55.00.

You can find information on our fees and on Student Finance at www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk/support/fees-bursaries. Please note tuition fees may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the University and all college partners.

As part of your course we may organise trips to assist you with your learning. Trips are optional, and you will not be penalised if you choose not to participate.

There are bursaries available to help you with other course costs. Call 01235 216 212 for more information.

The rules on fee reduction are complicated and we would encourage you to talk to our Admissions staff on 01235 555 585 to discuss your options. You can find more information on our Fees and Bursaries page - search "Fees and Bursaries" at the top of the page.

Foundation Degree in Early Years (FdA), awarded by Oxford Brookes University.

This course utilizes a team-based learning approach. Team-based learning is an evidence-based, active learning, collaborative approach designed to enhance student engagement, scaffold students in their independent learning, and deepen the level of learning in class. It also strengthens students’ ability to work in groups – an important professional skill for all educators. Students are allocated to a team at the beginning of the year and remain in the same team throughout the entire course in order to learn how to work effectively together. Students are expected to prepare for each lesson individually by studying the preparatory study guides and assigned readings provided by the tutors and then undertake activities in class as a team. These are designed to challenge students to apply knowledge and understanding of theories and concepts to real practice problems or events and engage in high level critical thinking about content covered in the modules. Students are also expected to participate actively in class and online discussions. The student’s proper preparation is therefore essential to enable learning and participation in this course.

All staff delivering on the course have a minimum qualification level at grade 6 and substantial experience of working within a variety of early years settings.

Each module is completed with an assessed piece of work designed to enable exploration of themes that have been studied. Some assignments relate to your practice in your own setting and range from within-setting observations of children and in-class presentations to your cohort, to written essays, reports, reflective writing, and small-scale research studies.