Sarah Birdsall
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
The whole Edge Hill experience has been a great route into working with children and one I’ve really enjoyed.
“I hadn’t intended to come to university at Edge Hill and only came to an open day because my twin was visiting. I was really impressed by everything I saw here though and immediately knew that Edge Hill was perfect for me. I loved the campus and the course matched my aim to work with children, so here I am.
My first year living on campus is one I will never forget. From my first day everyone was really friendly and helpful. The campus has a community feel with everyone wanting to enjoy the University experience, so this really helped with the move away from home.
This course really suited me as well. I knew I wanted to work with children but didn’t have an exact career path in mind, preferring to keep my options open. There is a big choice of modules on this degree and so there is something for you, whatever your interest.
I loved looking at childhood in other countries, especially going abroad to visit children’s institutions in Amsterdam and Budapest. In Amsterdam we visited a Montessori nursery where children are seen as individuals who self-direct their activities. Budapest was very different. There we saw a mental health institution, an orphanage, as well as a centre for children and adults with cerebral palsy.
The centre for people with cerebral palsy was especially interesting and I’m now considering a postgraduate degree and maybe a career focused on children with special educational needs. I know I’ll need experience if I’m to find a position and the Edge Hill careers service has been really helpful in that respect. They found me a term-time voluntary position at a local centre, Twinkle House, and have given me a list of possible volunteering leads near my home.
The whole Edge Hill experience has been a great route into working with children and one I’ve really enjoyed”
To find out more about studying this programme, please view full course information for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies.