PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
FINAL
PART 1: COURSE SUMMARY INFORMATION
Course summary
Final award
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Practice
Intermediate award
BA Early Childhood Practice
Dip HE Early Childhood Practice
Cert HE Early Childhood Practice
Course status
Validated
Awarding body
University of Brighton
School
Education
Location of study/ campus
Falmer
Partner institution(s): N/A
Admissions
Admissions agency
Application direct to School of Education
Entry requirements
Applicable for 2015 entry. Check the University’s website for 2016
entry requirements.
Applicants are normally expected to meet the following entry
requirements:
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One year’s experience working in relevant employment
context;
Currently working in a relevant setting with at least 12 hours
per week of activity-focused time with groups of children;
Agreement of employer to support mentoring, assessment
and workplace course activities;
An appropriate A-level OR a relevant NVQ/SVQ level 3 or
other vocationally related NQF level 3 qualification OR an
advanced modern apprenticeship in an appropriate subject;
Appropriate access to a computer and internet;
Evidence of valid DBS clearance at time of entry onto the
programme (the student’s DBS number will be recorded and
held on their student file).
Applicants with a language other than English as their first language
must have proven competence in written and spoken English and will
be required to have an IELTS average score of at least 6 or
equivalent.
Claims for RPL will be considered in accordance with University
guidance.
Start Date
September 2014
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Mode of study
Duration of study (standard)
Maximum registration period
Part-time
4 Years
8 Years
Course codes/categories
UCAS code
N/a
Contacts
Course Leaders
Deborah Price (Falmer), Annie Richardson (Hastings)
Admissions Tutors
Deborah Price (Falmer), Annie Richardson (Hastings)
Examination and Assessment
External Examiner
Tbc
Examination Board(s)
(AEB/CEB)
School of Education Combined Area Examination Board
Undergraduate Work-Based Learning Programmes Course Examination
Board
Approval and review
Approval date
Review date
Validation
March 20141
2018/192
Programme Specification
July 20153
June 20164
This programme specification is
applicable to students who start their
studies in September 2014 and
September 2015.
Professional, Statutory and
Regulatory Body
N/A
1
Date of original validation.
Date of most recent periodic review (normally academic year of validation + 5 years).
3
Month and year this version of the programme specification was approved (normally September).
4
Date programme specification will be reviewed (normally approval date + 1 year). If programme specification is
applicable to a particular cohort, please state here.
2
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PART 2: COURSE DETAILS
AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Aims
The aims of the course are:
1. To develop a broad and balanced common core of skills and knowledge to enhance practice in Early Years;
2. To encourage the exploration, questioning and analysis of learning and development processes, contexts and
policy in a wide variety of contexts and for this critical engagement to inform practice;
3. To enable students to become critical reflective practitioners able to draw on research and practice evidence
bases in early years contexts;
4. To provide students with a broad and balanced knowledge and understanding of the principal features of
learning and development in a wide range of contexts and through a range of activities appropriate to the early
years;
5. To ensure practice respects diversity and promotes inclusion;
6. To enable students to meet national professional standards relevant to their professional role
Learning outcomes
The outcomes of the main award provide information about how the primary aims are demonstrated by
students following the course. These are mapped to external reference points where appropriate 5.
Knowledge and
theory
The programme will develop students’ understanding of:
1. The principal features and processes of education, learning and development including
some of the key theoretical perspectives and their relevance to practice;
2. Cultural, societal, political, historical and economic contexts for working with children
including issues of diversity and social justice;
3. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare and wellbeing of the child including effective
communication and engagement with children, their families and carers and supporting
transitions;
4. Formal and informal contexts for learning and the roles of, and relationships with, other
disciplines and professions in multi-agency working;
5. Methods of enquiry in learning and development and educational research and its
application to professional practice;
6. Principles and interventions in planning for, facilitating and assessing learning in the early
years;
7. Effective communication and engagement with children, their families and carers;
requirements of the Early Years;
8. Complex needs and barriers to children’s learning and planning, development,
implementation and evaluation of an inclusive curriculum and pedagogy for all children in
the early years;
9. Significant current and emerging theories, principles and research relating to children from
birth to five and their learning, development and play;
10. The principles of leadership and the implications of change within their organization.
11. Concepts of professional identity and accountability in the early years.
Skills
Includes intellectual
skills (i.e. generic
skills relating to
academic study,
problem solving,
evaluation, research
etc.) and
professional/
practical skills.
5
Students will develop their ability to:
12. Reflect upon and question professional values and practices (including their own) and
apply this critical understanding to professional problems;
13. Use digital literacies to support professional development and practice;
14. Enhance acquired skills and undertake further learning at work and in other contexts, as
autonomous learners;
15. Communicate, argue and analyse, in a variety of forms, to specialist and non-specialist
audiences, in their field of study and in work contexts;
16. Critically engage with and appreciate the significance and limitations of theory and
research;
Please refer to Course Development and Review Handbook or QAA website for details.
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17. Contribute to planning of learning opportunities for children in the early years and
personalising provision by taking practical account of diversity;
18. Contribute to the monitoring and assessment of children’s learning;
19. Work collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues and parents;
20. Establish fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with children in
the early years and demonstrate the positive values, attitudes and behaviour expected;
21. Engage in models of practice which reflect multi-disciplinary and inter-professional working
in the early years;
22. Support the learning and development of all children (0-5) within their organisations by
recognising difference, diversity and the individual needs of each child and supporting
inclusive practice and children's rights.
QAA subject benchmark statement6
Early Childhood Studies
PROFESSIONAL, STATUTORY AND REGULATORY BODIES
Where a course is accredited by a PSRB, full details of how the course meets external requirements,
and what students are required to undertake, are included.
The course is not accredited by a PSRB. However, the Professional and Statutory Body Requirements
that have informed the course development build on the National College for Teaching and Leadership
(NCTL) Early Years Educator Criteria and progression towards the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years).
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Learning and teaching methods
This section sets out the primary learning and teaching methods, including total learning hours and any
specific requirements in terms of practical/ clinical-based learning. The indicative list of learning and
teaching methods includes information on the proportion of the course delivered by each method and
details where a particular method relates to a particular element of the course.
The information included in this section complements that found in the Key Information Set (KIS), with
the programme specification providing further information about the learning and teaching methods used
on the course.
Approach to Learning and Teaching
The pedagogy for the course is premised on a model of work-based and experiential learning which
recognises the learning potential of experience in the work-place, but also posits that such learning is not
automatic nor necessarily ‘educative’. It must be structured and supported to ensure that the learning
potential is maximised for all learners. The teaching and learning strategies are therefore designed to
optimise the interaction between the taught elements of the course and students’ professional
experience.
The strategy aims to provide students with the opportunity to:
 Experience – professional practice, work-based activities, workshops
 Observe and Reflect – in professional practice, tutorials and group critical studies groups,
work based activities, on-line discussion groups, learning logs, professional portfolio
development
 Conceptualise – through taught inputs, work-based activities and assignments, personal
research, project development including work-based research
 Plan – through self and professional development planning
The learning outcomes of the modules are met through a mixture of taught sessions, student led
seminars, workshop activities, online discussion groups, individual reading and reflective learning. The
6
Please refer to the QAA website for details.
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strategy recognises that there are different ways of learning and aims to introduce students to a variety
of learning situations, and will require students to reflect on these and on their own engagement with
different learning and teaching approaches.
Learning and teaching strategies
Learning and teaching strategies include:
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Tutor-led lecture style inputs, primarily to introduce underpinning knowledge, theoretical argument,
central issues, key texts and relationship to other fields of study;
Study of key texts and supplementary reading to allow students to identify particular aspects of the
topic which have most relevance to their own learning and to enhance their understanding and
intellectual ability;
Group discussion or debate, to encourage students to critically analyse the topic and ensure its
relevance to their lived experiences; group discussion is also intended to further improve their
interpersonal, group and communication skills and their intellectual and imaginative abilities;
Case studies and problem-solving tasks, to provide opportunities for individual and group learning
in ways which ensure deeper levels of understanding and professional judgement;
Development of practice based critical analysis, through independent reflection, guided individual
workplace learning facilitation and group supervision;
Assessment tasks designed to assess the appropriate level of knowledge and practice skills
required and which encourage the development of critical analysis, reflection and creativity;
Use of Studentcentral to facilitate student led exploration and discussion of professional issues
arising from placement experiences.
Workplace Learning
The workplace element is integrated into every module through workplace observations and activities
and assessments which draw on participant’s work-experience. The relationship between the course and
the student’s work experience is made closer through a number of strategies. Blended learning means
that teaching and learning experiences provided through attendance at the university can be
supplemented by a range of resources made available online for students to access when they are away
from the university including tutorials by ‘live’ links via ‘webinar’ technology for example. The Reflective
Practice Modules in years 1 and 2 of the programme provide facilitated sessions, ‘action learning sets’
and structured sessions with ‘learning facilitators’ in the workplace’ to support students’ learning.
Partnership with Employers:
The course has been developed out of a long standing commitment to providing accredited HE
programmes for Early Years practitioners. The course team has taken into account the SEEC Workrelated Learning: Notes for Guidance and the Quality Assurance Agency’s Code of Practice for
Placement Learning in designing and integrating the work-based learning component of the course.
Throughout this long history, we have developed effective partnership arrangements with early years
settings in which the students work. These settings enter into a partnership agreement with the School of
Education in which as part of their commitment to the course, and to supporting the CPD of their
member of staff, the setting is required to nominate a ‘learning facilitator’ whose role is to support the
student with their work-based learning and provide formative feedback in the workplace.
Student Support
Students on the course will also benefit from an associated programme of support tutoring through which
they will be allocated a support tutor with whom they will have regular meetings in small groups as well
as recourse to individual tutorials. In addition, students in the School of Education may access (or be
referred to) the School of Education Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT) to deal with specific
and/or significant difficulties.
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ASSESSMENT
Assessment methods
This section sets out the summative assessment methods on the course and includes details on where
to find further information on the criteria used in assessing coursework. It also provides an assessment
matrix which reflects the variety of modes of assessment, and the volume of assessment in the course.
The information included in this section complements that found in the Key Information Set (KIS), with
the programme specification providing further information about how the course is assessed.
Over the course of the programme, students will engage in a variety of assessment methods including;
individual essays and written assignments, reports of workplace activities, individual and group
presentations in the workplace and the university. There are no exams.
Module assessment tasks generally provide opportunities for students to:
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Demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and models presented in the module;
Reflect upon and analyse practice in relation to theory;
Reflect on their experience of application of key skills developed during the module;
Demonstrate their awareness of their own strengths and areas for development.
Within each module assignment there is scope for students to select a focus relevant to their work and
professional development. For example, within the written assignment format, use is made of reflective
journals based on practice experience and case studies based on scenarios encountered or activities
undertaken within the student’s workplace.
Module assignments for the Professional Reflective Practice in Learning and Development modules are
portfolio based and formative assessment features strongly through placement workplace learning
facilitator and reflective practice tutor feedback. Formative assessment processes are also used within
tutorials to both develop meta-cognition and as guidance in working towards assignment completion.
The following table shows how the course learning outcomes relate to module assessments.
Learning Outcome
1. The principal features and processes of education, learning and
development including some of the key theoretical perspectives and their
relevance to practice;
Module
KV400, KV420, KY400,
KY402, KY403, KY502,
KY602
2. Cultural, societal, political, historical and economic contexts for working
with children including issues of diversity and social justice;
KV400 KV420, KY602
KV519
3. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare and wellbeing of the child
including effective communication and engagement with children, their
families and carers and supporting transitions;
KY501 KV500
4. Formal and informal contexts for learning and the roles of, and
relationships with, other disciplines and professions in multi-agency
working;
KY501 KV500, KY500
5. Methods of enquiry in learning and development and educational
research and its application to professional practice;
KV400 KV615, KY600
6. Principles and interventions in planning for, facilitating and assessing
learning in the early years;
KV400 KY400, KY403
KY402, KY500 KY502,
KY602
7. Effective communication and engagement with children, their families and
carers; requirements of the Early Years;
KY400 KY403, KY501
KY502, KY602
8. Understanding complex needs and barriers to children’s learning and
Planning, development, implementation and evaluation of an inclusive
curriculum and pedagogy for all children in the early years;
KY502, KY500, KV519
9. Significant current and emerging theories, principles and research relating
KY400, KY402, KY403,
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to children from birth to five and their learning, development and play;
KY502, KY602
10. The principles of leadership and the implications of change within their
organization;
KY502, KV614
11. Concepts of professional identity and accountability in the early years;
KV400, KY501, KY502,
KV614, KV421,KV518
12. Reflect upon and question professional values and practices (including
their own) and apply this critical understanding to professional problems;
All modules
13. Use digital literacies to support professional development and practice;
All modules
14. Enhance acquired skills and undertake further learning at work and in
other contexts, as autonomous learners;
All modules
15. Communicate, argue and analyse, in a variety of forms, to specialist and
non-specialist audiences, in their field of study and in work contexts;
KY502,KV615, KY600,
KV614, KY602
16. Critically engage with and appreciate the significance and limitations of
theory and research;
KY501, KY502, KY600
17. Contribute to planning of learning opportunities for children in the early
years and personalising provision by taking practical account of diversity;
KY400, KY500, KV519
18. Contribute to the monitoring and assessment of children’s learning;
KY400, KY403, KY402,
KY502, KY602, KV519
19. Work collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues and parents;
KY501, KY502, KV614,
KY500
20. Establish fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive
relationships with children in the early years and demonstrate the positive
values, attitudes and behaviour expected;
KY400, KY402, KY403,
KY502, KY602
21. Engage in models of practice which reflect multi-disciplinary and interprofessional working in the early years.
All modules but
especially KV611
22. Support the learning and development of all children (0-5) within their
organisations by recognising difference, diversity and the individual needs
of each child and supporting inclusive practice and children's rights;
All modules but
especially KV519,
KY502
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SUPPORT AND INFORMATION
Institutional/ University
All students benefit from:
University induction week
Student Handbook: The University and you
Extensive library facilities
Computer pool rooms
E-mail address
Welfare service
Student Central
Course-specific
In addition, students on this course benefit from:
Personal tutor for advice and guidance
Direct support for work-based learning via a named, employment-based
workplace learning facilitator.
Support tutoring programme
Course Handbook
Course Induction Programme
Turnitin assignment submission
Ethics guidance for research
Course and module related digital resources (podcasts, webinars, Studentfolio)
Additional support, specifically
where courses have nontraditional patterns of delivery
(e.g. distance learning and
work-based learning) include:
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PART 3: COURSE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS
COURSE STRUCTURE
This section includes an outline of the structure of the programme, including stages of study and progression
points. Course Leaders may choose to include a structure diagram here.
Approach to study
The course will normally be studied over 4 years part-time. The course comprises a university based element
and a work-based element. Each year of university based study will include regular sessions on a weekday
and 1 Saturday per month as well as significant interaction online through blended learning. The work-based
element comprises a minimum of 12 hours of relevant experience per week throughout the course.
Throughout the various learning opportunities provided by the course (and in the reflective practice modules in
particular), students are supported and encouraged to be critically reflective practitioners. Learning from
practice is enhanced by explicit discussion and critique of that practice. In addition pedagogical skills are
explicitly developed and supported through modelling in both university and work-place components. Through
small peer group sessions and individual tutorials and learning agreements students are encouraged to identify
and take responsibility for meeting their professional development needs through the programme. An
important aspect of the course’s aims is the development of the students’ capacity for independent research
and critical reading and the course incorporates academic skill development and the opportunity to undertake
professionally relevant projects.
Student attendance and participation
Full attendance at the University and at the place of work is expected. Failure to complete any of the
university-based modules including sufficient hours of practice may necessitate that component being repeated
when it is next offered, in accordance within the University’s General Examination and Assessment
Regulations (GEAR).
Teaching groups
Students are taught in groups of different sizes using a variety of learning and teaching strategies, as well as
benefiting from small group and individual tutorial support.
A number of the modules comprising the course are shared with other courses which are designed to meet the
professional development and progression needs of workers in the children and young people’s workforce.
These provide opportunities for students to work together in multi-disciplinary groups. On these occasions,
part of the teaching session is undertaken on a large group basis involving students from a range of
professional backgrounds, before breaking into smaller, single discipline seminar groups to look at the issues
raised from the perspective of the students’ own profession.
All students undertake KV611 Professional Identity and Inter-Professional Practice Development.
Working in small groups, students explore work place themes and issues common to their different
professional roles and perspectives, reflecting current and emerging national policy.
Students pursue an area of personal and professional interest within KV300 Professional Enquiry.
Agreements
Central to the programme is the partnership between the University and the employer who enter into an
agreement with the student, to give support towards successful completion of the placement and work-based
element of the course.
This agreement is established between the student, the workplace learning facilitator (on behalf of the
employer) and the reflective practice tutor (on behalf of the University). The purpose of this agreement is to
clarify expectations and so enable the student to gain maximum benefit from their work experience.
Alongside this agreement is a ‘learning contract’ in which the student identifies key areas of learning and
development each semester. The learning contract is agreed between the student, workplace learning
facilitator and reflective practice tutor and provides a focus for the development of the student’s practice and
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workplace learning with the workplace learning facilitator.
More detailed information about the workplace learning facilitator process and the roles and responsibilities of
the student, workplace learning facilitator and reflective practice tutor can be found in the course handbook.
Stage
Year 1 /
Stage 1
September - May
Credits
KV400
The Practitioner as
Learner
KV420
Children and Young
People’s Learning and
Development
KY400
Pedagogical
Approaches and the
Adult Role
KY402
Play as a
Developmental
Learning Process
20 credits @ level 4
20 credits @ level 4
20 credits @ level 4
20 credits @ level 4
100 @ L4
KV421 Professional Reflective Practice in Learning and Development
20 credits @ level 4
Year 2 /
Stage 2
KY403
Communication
Language and Literacy
Development
KY500
Assessing Children’s
Achievements
KY501
Families in
Communities: the role
of the setting
20 credits @ level 4
20 credits @ level 5
20 credits @ level 5
KV500
Safeguarding and
Promoting Welfare
and Wellbeing
20 @ L4
80@ L5
Exit award
Cert HE
20 credits @ level 5
KV518 Further Professional Reflective Practice in Learning and Development
20 credits @ level 5
Year 3 /
Stage 3
KY502
The Positive Learning
Environment
KV519
Equality and Inclusion
KV614
Perspectives on
Leadership
KY602
Foundations for the
Future
20 credits @ level 5
20 credits@ level 5
20 credits @ level 6
20 credits @ level
40 @ L5
60 @ L6
Exit award
Dip HE or
BA
KV611 Professional Identity and Inter-Professional Practice Development
20 credits @ level 6
Year 4 /
Stage 4
KV615
Practitioners as
Researchers
KY600
The Professional Enquiry: Early Years Care and Education
20 credits @ level 6
40 credits @ level 6
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60 @ L6
Exit award
BA(Hons)
Modules
Status:
M = Mandatory (modules which must be taken and passed to be eligible for the award)
C = Compulsory (modules which must be taken to be eligible for the award)
O = Optional (optional modules)
A = Additional (modules which must be taken to be eligible for an award accredited by a professional, statutory
or regulatory body, including any non-credit bearing modules)
Level7
Module
code
Status
Module title
Credit
4
KV400
C
The Practitioner as Learner
20
4
KV420
C
Children and Young People’s Learning and Development
20
4
KY400
C
Pedagogical Approaches and the Adult Role
20
4
KY402
C
Play as a Developmental Learning Process
20
4
KV421
C
Professional Reflective Practice In Learning and Development
20
4
KY403
C
Communication, Language and Literacy Development
20
5
KY500
C
Assessing Children’s Achievements
20
5
KY501
C
Families in Communities: the role of the setting
20
5
KV500
C
Safeguarding and Promoting Welfare and Wellbeing
20
5
KV518
C
Further Professional Reflective Practice in Learning and Development
20
5
KY502
C
The Positive Learning Environment
20
5
KV519
C
Equality and Inclusion
20
6
KV614
C
Perspectives on Leadership
20
6
KY602
C
Foundations for the Future
20
6
KV611
C
Professional Identity and Inter-Professional Practice Development
20
6
KV615
C
Practitioners as Researchers
20
6
KY600
C
The Professional Enquiry: Early Years Care and Education
40
Shaded boxes indicate modules common to suite of work-based undergraduate awards within the
Working with Children and Young People programme.
7
All modules have learning outcomes commensurate with the FHEQ levels 0, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. List the level which
corresponds with the learning outcomes of each module.
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AWARD AND CLASSIFICATION
Award type
Award*
Title
Level
Eligibility for award
Total
credits8
Minimum credits
at level of award9
Classification of award
Ratio of marks Class of award
Level 5/610:
Final
BA (Hons)
Early Childhood Practice
6
360
90
(25:75)
Honours Degree
Intermediate
BA
Early Childhood Practice
6
300
60
(25:75)
Ordinary Degree
Intermediate
Diploma of Higher Education
Early Childhood Practice
5
240
90
Level 5 marks
Dip HE
Intermediate
Certificate of Higher Education
Early Childhood Practice
4
120
90
Level 4 marks
Cert HE
Award classifications
Mark/ band %
Honours degree
70% - 100%
First (1)
60% - 69.99%
Upper second (2:1)
50% - 59.99%
Lower second (2:2)
40% - 49.99%
Third (3)
8
Total number of credits required to be eligible for the award.
Minimum number of credits required, at level of award, to be eligible for the award.
10
Algorithm used to determine the classification of the final award (all marks are credit-weighted). For a Masters degree, the mark for the final element (e.g., dissertation) must be in the corresponding
class of award.
9
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EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS
The examination and assessment regulations for the course should be in accordance with the
University’s General Examination and Assessment Regulations for Taught Courses (available
from staffcentral or studentcentral).
Specific regulations
which materially affect
assessment,
progression and award
on the course
With respect to the compensation of academic credit the following regulation
will apply to all awards comprising the WCYP UG WBL programme:
e.g. Where referrals or repeat
of modules are not permitted
in line with the University’s
General Examination and
Assessment Regulations for
Taught Courses.
ii) No more than 20 credits compensation may be awarded across modules
of the same level irrespective of the stage in which the module occurs.
Exceptions required by
PSRB
N/A
i) Compensation of 20 credits per stage may be awarded.
These require the approval of
the Chair of the Academic
Board
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