What Makes This Course So Special?
The range of settings that students can undertake their placement gives unique opportunities to develop professional skills. These settings include police community liaison offices, children’s wards, social services’ nurseries, special needs schools and others. Representatives from local initiatives, such as the Language and Play team visit regularly to give students training and information on how they can get involved and we encourage students to take up opportunities to study abroad.
Course Intro
Education is going through a period of dynamic change, with new approaches to learning being developed which make this an exciting time to be involved. How children learn and what factors impact upon their education are issues that are being debated constantly. This course provides a sound basis for developing a stimulating career in an interesting and constantly evolving field.
On the course you will be provided with a knowledge and understanding of relevant theory, contemporary research and current policy developments that will enable you to enter the rapidly changing education workforce. You will explore issues such as inclusion and diversity, collaborative working and curriculum development from local, national and international perspectives.
In addition, you will undertake a placement each year which allows you to gain first hand experience of the issues that face those working in the field.
What you study
Year 1
These modules aim to give you a basic understanding of the key theories and issues underpinning the field of education; and the placement module which consists of a practical placement in a relevant setting for one day per week throughout the course gives opportunities to link this theoretical knowledge to real situations.
• Child Development
• Recording, Assessing and Observing Children
• Achieving Inclusion and Effective Engagement
• ICT and Academic Skills
• Literacy and Numeracy: Policy to Practice
• Placement in the full-time route
Year 2
The modules studied in year 2 focus more directly upon specific themes that affect children and the practitioners that work with them, highlighting the inter-connected nature of the education workforce and exploring current policy direction in Wales and beyond.
• Children and Young People in exceptional circumstances
• Working Collaboratively for Children
• Ethics and Values in Educational Practice
• Child Abuse, Context and Recognition
• Behaviour Management and Purposeful Learning
• Placement in the full-time route
Year 3
The content studied in year 3 continues to examine contemporary educational issues and you also undertake a small scale independent research project which will focus on an issue of your choice. You will devise an appropriate data collection method, analyse findings and present the work as an independent study, supported throughout the year by an academic supervisor.
• Independent Study
• Learning in the Outdoor Environment
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Supporting Literacy & Numeracy
• Placement in the full-time route
A programme specification for this course is available.
Where Next?
Career paths typically include those in education, health and social care, with graduates working in schools, nurseries, children’s charities and integrated children’s centres. Increasingly graduates are finding employment in newly created initiatives, as well as in private sector projects. The course also provides a foundation for further study at postgraduate or Masters level.
Interview Required
Yes, with a written task as part of the interview process.
Assessment
All modules are assessed through a written assignment, sometimes accompanied by a presentation or the creation of a learning resource. There are no examinations.
Student Soundbite
“As soon as I came to visit the University on an Open Day I knew I wanted to study here. The course is really interesting, giving me the opportunity to explore a variety of careers working with children.”