Early Years Pedagogy will help you to understand the fundamental principles that underpin early years pedagogy by exploring a range of concepts from the pioneers of early years education, together with the impact of this on current early years provision. You will also research the history of early years education as well as the development of children’s rights with consideration of the impact on the early years curriculum. You will examine and evaluate a number of key educational theorists and their associated ideas, comparing and contrasting these in order to understand the educational context and principles of teaching.

Child Developmental and Social Psychology identifies and explores the major issues and debates of relevance to early childhood studies and childhood & youth studies within the discipline of psychology. In considering the importance and impact of developmental psychology on the study of childhood and youth, the module focuses on cognitive development, attachment theory, personality theories and views of intelligence in psychology. It additionally addresses key perspectives in social psychology including theoretical perspectives concerning social identity and group processes, psychological explanations of aggression and attitude, and wider interpersonal influences.

Children and Young People in Society explores both historical and contemporary dimensions of childhood and youth. The module introduces the idea that childhood is a social construction dependent on the history, cultural values and power structure of the society in which children live. You will consider the way in which the social, economic, political, scientific, legal and institutional contexts in which children have lived and live today shapes their experience of childhood. The module challenges some commonly held beliefs about children and the institutionalisation of childhood. It also provides a personal development programme that will develop essential academic skills including time management, academic reading and writing, information retrieval, critical thinking and analysis.

Introduction to Social Policy and Welfare provides an overview of some of the key areas of social policy and welfare, such as education, health, employment, poverty and child welfare. The module offers a critical introduction to key approaches to the development of social welfare policy and the political ideologies that have influenced it in historical and contemporary perspective, exploring how these approaches to the provision of welfare compare and contrast with one another. You will also discover different philosophical and ideological understandings of key concepts in social policy, including equality, rights, liberty, social justice and deservingness and how they have – and might – influence the development and implementation of contemporary social policy.

Working with Young Children and Families introduces you to notions of professional work with children and young people including issues around interprofessional working, law and policy. The module will introduce issues for discussion which may arise when working with young people as a professional and begin to unpick the contrasting notions of professionalism and managerialism. You will focus on the contexts of working collaboratively with children, young people and their families and will introduce a variety of areas, for example education, training work and care, health and well-being, safeguarding and child protection, play and learning. The module will also begin to deal with issues such as equality and diversity, children’s rights and participation, and principles of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. It is designed to enable you to examine work with young people from theoretical, policy, legal and practice perspectives.

Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) considers the role of play within the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and the links between play and learning for babies, toddlers and young children. You will explore underpinning theories and the connections of these to the pivotal role of play. Throughout this module you will be encouraged to develop and articulate your own personal play pedagogy as a reflective booklet to acknowledge the role of play, learning and development. The module will provide you with the skills to be able to organise both indoor and outdoor environments to support effective play and learning.

Contemporary Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care recognises that early childhoods in the UK have become increasingly institutionalised with more and more very young children spending time in some form of childcare provision. This module invites you to consider what this means for both the children in such settings and the practitioners who work there. The module introduces you to policy and practice in the UK and looks in detail and with a critical focus at various elements of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage in order to investigate how UK provision contributes to constructions of early childhood.

Research Methods One provides you with an important grounding in social research methods. The module gives you an overview of the fundamental aspects of social research including philosophical approaches to knowledge production, literature searching, sampling and ethics. It addresses both quantitative and qualitative approaches. You will have the opportunity to choose a topic and design, conduct and report on a piece of your own research. This will involve the use of a range of different methods including interviews and questionnaires and you will be supported in this process through the module’s seminar programme.

Research Methods Two enhances your knowledge of social research and your skills in applying this knowledge. You will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of methodologies and methods including a variety of innovative approaches to social research, such as visual methods. An introduction to evaluation is also provided. You will get the opportunity to carry out your own innovative research project using photography. This will be on a topic of your choice and you will be given support to design and carry this out through the module’s seminar programme.

Child Welfare, Family and the State provides you with the opportunity to explore the focus and structure of child protection and welfare services for children and young people. The module considers the complexity of the relationship between the state, the family and the child in the context of children and young people’s welfare and well-being. You will be given the opportunity to explore and assess key legislation and policy initiatives that focus on child welfare and the protection of children and consider their influence on practice with children and their families.

Children’s Cultural Worlds introduces you to some of the ways in which children experience and organise their social worlds. You will learn about a variety of children’s cultural practices from this perspective such as their play, friendships, family, sexuality, food, literature and language practices. In order to do this you will study a range of research which has taken a ‘naturalistic’ approach to children’s cultural practices. Naturalistic studies are those which seek to remain faithful to the nature of the phenomena which they investigate. In the study of human social life, this requires being faithful to how the people we study actually experience things. It involves refusing to impose our own views on other people but trying to gain an appreciation of how they look at things, how they understand things and how they organise their lives from their own points of view. This module will help you to develop this particular analytic sensibility.

Children, Food and Sustainability examines children’s food practices, environmental issues and the links between the two. The module introduces the analysis of children’s food practices and relations with animals and the environment under the rubric of understanding connections between children, childhood and nature. Themes to be studied include food practices in schools, food poverty, children and climate change and child-animal relations. These topics provide rich areas for investigating important developments in early childhood studies including children’s agency, voice and rights, in addition to children’s health, childhood consumption and children’s ethical engagement with the natural world. The module also illuminates debates on educational philosophy and explores childhood as a time and space for democratic and ecological renewal.

Promoting Equality in Childhood provides you with an overview of strategies to promote equality and social justice for children in institutional settings. The module will explore processes of discrimination and oppression and focus on the ways in which practitioners and those working with children and families might promote equality and raise children’s awareness of issues relating to diversity and equality. You will also focus on policy and practice with those who might be considered to come from some of the most marginalised sections of society and enhance your appreciation of the importance of anti-oppressive practice in working with such children, young people and their families.

Work-based Learning and Employability 1 is designed to bridge the world of higher education with the world of work. You will develop a critical understanding of the changing context of work and of social, economic and political factors shaping the labour market and contemporary patterns of employment. There will be an opportunity to apply theory and disciplinary specialist knowledge to practical experience within a work-based setting with students undertaking a 60 hour placement. You will also enhance and develop a range of transferable skills to enhance your employability.

Representations of Childhood and Youth in Popular Culture explores and analyses the ways in which childhood and youth are represented in popular culture in historical and contemporary genres. These representations will be examined in the context of popular culture about, and specifically for, children and young people. A critical approach will be adopted by drawing on theoretical perspectives including cultural theory and constructions of childhood and youth. In taking this approach, consideration will be given to representations of social divisions such as age, gender, sexuality, race and disability. Areas of study will include children as adventurers and heroes, children and young people in war and conflict, representations of children and young people’s experiences of education, and the globalisation of childhood.

Early Years Specialism explores various contrasting philosophies and theories of development and learning within the field of early years education and care. There will be a focus on the investigation of both traditional and contemporary theories which will support your understanding of how children develop and learn best. On successful completion of the module you will be able to recognise and identify key patterns of behaviour displayed by children in early years settings, and be able to explain how you might further support them in order to make good progress.

Professional and Personal Reflective Development prepares you to reflect on your learning and development and supports you in recognising the importance of being a critical, reflective practitioner within the early years workforce. You will have the opportunity to develop resilient, reflective, critically analytical, proactive strategies to enable you to meet the diverse needs of very young children. In this module you will identify a current issue within early years practice to support your professional development and employability. The module is focused upon fostering an understanding of the important role of an early years practitioner working with very young children.

Dissertation provides an opportunity for you to engage in an independent study of a relevant area of social science area of your choice, supported by tutorial guidance and supervision to deliver an extended piece of writing.

Contemporary Issues in the Early Years establishes contexts for critically understanding young children’s developmental issues and the disciplinary frameworks that inform and underpin services for children. Topics include the new sociology of childhood, masculinities and fatherhood and a focus on the recent work of Peter Moss. With an applied focus on the concept of ‘quality’ in early years provision, you will be encouraged to move from a characterisation of quality as the measurement of predetermined outcomes to a model of quality that privileges process and partnership between key stake holders.

Perspectives and Practice in Forest School Education enables you to develop the knowledge and practical skills that are integral to UK Forest School Education in early years. You will study key theoretical perspectives, practical woodland skills, den building, fire lighting, safety and base camp essentials. You will consider how learning and development can be promoted through the stimulating provision of a Forest School outdoor classroom environment. The module will explore risk management, care of children and the environment, ensuring you are fully equipped to deliver a range of safe, high quality Forest School activities to children in line with Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Creative and Musical Early Childhood is focused on creative and expressive arts and music for early years. Within this module you will be required to reflect upon the benefits of creativity and musicality in early childhood. You will develop knowledge and understanding of the creative and musical nature of early interaction and communication, as well as the role of art and music in social and emotional development and learning. Throughout the module, you will reflect on the links between theory and practice and have the opportunity to analyse your experiences in a manner that matches your style of learning.

Critical Autism Studies adopts a critical approach to understanding autism and seeks to challenge the dominant medical model of neurological deficit. Rather than viewing autism as a cognitive development disability, you will be encouraged to consider it as a naturally occurring form of cognitive diversity. The module will examine the argument that autism has been constructed as a neurobiological deficit in a context of neurotypicality or cognitive normality. Understanding autism as neurodiversity opens up spaces for more positive interpretations of autistic people’s experiences, skills and identities. The module is underpinned and, in part, informed by, research by members of the programme team which is focused on areas of sexuality and autism and, specifically, what professionals and care workers should do when providing support for people whose intellectual disability or mental condition makes their consent – being informed, competent and free from coercion – legally unreliable.

Self-Directed Study enables you to look in depth at a theme or issue covered over the duration of your programme of study. The module involves identifying a chosen area for study, developing and negotiating a learning contract (which will outline the what, how, when, where and why of the study period), as well as the means of assessment to showcase the acquired learning. You will be assigned a module supervisor who will help you to develop the negotiated learning and agree the nature of the assessment.

International Perspectives on Early Childhood, Education and Care investigates the way in which childhood and family are understood and shaped in different countries by policy and practice. You will compare provision and policy in different countries and develop a critical and comparative approach in order to understand the way in which what we provide for children and families in terms of education, health and social care is influenced by, and influences how, we see the place of children and the role of the family in particular societies.

Social Work with Children and Families: Theory, Policy and Practice provides you with an understanding of the role of social work in children and young people’s services. The module will examine the way that the needs of children impact on their position in family and society and how this impact affects theirs and their families/carers’ ability to navigate and articulate their experiences. The implications these features have for children and for family social work practice, relating to both safeguarding and family support roles, will be explored.

Contemporary Theory, Policy and Practice in Education Services enables you to critically examine the world of children’s education. Lying at its heart is the claim that education is a political activity which confronts a range of issues to do with ideology, politics and values which in themselves function at a variety of different levels of power, status and influence. Themes of the module include the marketisation of education, the equal opportunities trap, educational philosophy, and globalisation and education. You will focus on competing discursive narratives which demonstrate the intensely political nature of education, teaching and learning.

Critical Perspectives in Children’s Health and Wellbeing presents you with the opportunity to explore key social, political and cultural perspectives on children’s health and wellbeing. In recent years, health programmes have focused on promoting good physical health, mental health and emotional wellbeing by encouraging children, young people and their families to develop healthy lifestyles and, in doing so, tackle health inequalities. Opportunities will be provided to reflect upon current legislation, policy and the socio-political and cultural influences that impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. A key feature of the module will be its emphasis on the position of children and young people’s voices in theory, policy, research and practice and their participation in the decisions that impact their lives.

Issues for Professional Practice involves a critical examination of professions, professional identity and professional practice in the context of welfare, health and education services for children, families and adults. The module will provide you with the opportunity to consider and critically analyse the meaning and development of professionalisation, frameworks for ‘best practice’ and the implications of current policy and strategies for intervention. The module will enable you to critically engage with such ideas, concepts and issues as professional power, partnership, developmentalism, inter-professional and multi-agency working, in addition to anti-oppressive, reflective and ‘critical practice’. The aim is to provide opportunities for critical analysis of the links and relationships between theory and practice and to encourage the use of learning from previous experience and learning.

Researching Early Childhood recognises that engaging in the process of research is essential for both the academic and professional development of those working in early years. In this module you will be introduced to a range of qualitative research methods which have been used to study aspects of early childhood. You will explore what is meant by ‘research’ from philosophical, ethical and practical perspectives. You will be guided in the development of a research proposal and report on an area of investigation that is of real interest to them. As such this module provides a foundation for future professional practice or postgraduate research.

Socio-Cultural Issues and Questions provides you with the opportunity to intensively study a particular society and culture through some of its contemporary issues. The module allows for the comparative cultural analysis of a different society to the one you live in, focused around some preparatory lectures and reflective sessions and an intensive study trip to that country. The focus of the study trip will be to explore both comparisons and contrasts, and use the experience of difference to explore social and cultural issues and problems.

Work-based Learning and Employability 2 is designed to bridge the world of higher education with the world of work. You will develop a critical understanding of issues related to organisational structure, leadership and culture. There will be an opportunity to apply theory and disciplinary specialist knowledge to practical experience within a work-based setting through undertaking a 60 hour placement. You will develop your personal and professional profiles through continuous reflection on practice using student-centred learning opportunities. Throughout the module you will also develop your employability profile in preparation for career entry.

Graduate Practitioner Professional and Reflective Practice provides you with the opportunity to integrate early childhood theory and policy with practice experience. You will compile a portfolio that evidences a number of competencies relating to early years practice. Successful completion of the module will mean that you are eligible for the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Certificate, which is endorsed by the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network. You will also be eligible to enter the early years education workforce as a Level 3 practitioner.

104-112 UCAS Tariff points are required to join this programme with effect from September 2020 entry.

SPY3128 Graduate Practitioner Professional and Reflective Practice (20 credits) added as an optional module in Year 3.

SPY1105 Understanding Social Concepts (20 credits) removed as a compulsory module from Year 1. EYT1003 Early Years Pedagogy (20 credits) and SPY1104 Introduction to Social Policy and Welfare (20 credits) changes from optional to compulsory in Year 1. SPY1115 Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (20 credits) changes from compulsory to optional in Year 1, enabling a Language module to be studied in Year 1 as an alternative to this option (previously Language modules were only available in Years 2 and 3 of this degree).

SPY3048 Critical Autism Studies (20 credits) added as an optional module in Year 3.