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EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES

Welcome to Early Childhood Studies

This well-established and successful FdA offers the most contemporary and current perspective on early childhood studies, making it a perfect choice to develop your skills and further a career in early education and care.

The course comprises six 20-credit modules at each level of study (six per year for full-time study), including Professional Skills and Development, Young Children’s Welfare and Wellbeing, Theories of Learning and Development, Perspectives on Childhood, Health and Physical Wellbeing, and Social and Emotional Development.

You will be given a strong core of knowledge in psychology, sociology, and the holistic development of children, and you will also have the opportunity to specialise in areas by selecting topics of interest, furthering links to your professional development. Engaging lectures, collaborative and independent study, opportunities for trips and events with the University, and guest speakers provide you with a uniquely supportive and challenging learning environment.

Before you hear from our lecturers and take a look through the course content, why not hear what our students say!

Hayley, Foundation Degree teaching and learning and BA Hons Professional development (Childhood studies)

"I started my journey into higher education in September 2016 at 36 years old - I decided I wanted to achieve a degree by my 40th birthday! I wanted to work in education and become a teacher so found a foundation degree in teaching and learning locally at Petroc which was amazing, as i didn't want to move away.

It was a full time course but only 2 days a week in the classroom so was perfect as i could still work part time. There was a lot of work to do outside of college hours and also compulsory 50 hours of work experience to do also.

I’m not going to say it was easy but the course was great and very interesting!I I passed the Foundation Degreein 2 years and then progressed to the one year top up course to make the qualification a full BA Degree in Professional Development in Childhood Studies. The top up course was only one day a week on campus but with the dissertation and all the other modules the workload was tough but I graduated with a 2.2 so I was really happy!

I got a job working as an LSA at Great Torrington school in September 2019 and I love it I am hoping to start teacher training once I have achieved the grade I need in maths.

Anyone considering undertaking a degree as a mature student I definitely would recommend it.

It was fantastic to not have to leave North Devon and to be able to maintain a part time job at the same time.

I don’t have children but my some of my friends on the course have 3 children and still managed to complete the degree so it is possible to maintain work life balance.

Be prepared to work really hard but the years pass by in the blink of an eye and by the time you know it you will be wearing your cap and gown at the graduation ceremony!!

I hope my story will inspire other mature students to take the plunge and achieve a degree too.

Go for it!"

Dawn - BA Hons Professional Development (Childhood Studies)

"Studying at Petroc meant that I could complete a degree around my children and home life.

I chose this course as the top up option to my Teaching and Learning foundation degree. I aspire to teach in a primary school, so this was the most appropriate next step for me. The course gave me a deeper understanding of educational practice alongside how to become a reflective professional, which is a key part of teaching.

We engaged with several trips to local parks and Rosemoor during the foundation degree and had the opportunity to engage with placements during the third year to support our studies!

This year, being pretty unique in terms of COVID-19, truly highlighted the level of care and support that lecturers provide for their student’s. Lecturers went above and beyond to support many students from home to ensure that they achieved the grades they had set out to accomplish."