0800 028 0289
Foundation Degree Children and Young People (FdA)Apply Now »
Location: The RoundHouse
Years: 3
Weeks: 26
Hours: 3.00
Start: 13/09/2021
Days / Times: Tuesday 16:30 to 19:30
Tuition (£): 4334.00*
Full Concession: (0 Tuition/Exam Fee) available dependant on eligibility – A Full Concession is not applicable to a full-cost course
Interview: Y
Course Summary
The demand for highly-qualified practitioners to work with children, young people and their families is rapidly increasing. Developed with employers in the sector and delivered in partnership with the University of Derby, this Foundation Degree in Children and Young People 0-25 will equip you with the skills to meet this demand.
Your academic study will be directly related to your working environment, with projects, activities and research designed to enable you to reflect upon and develop your current everyday practice.
Whether you choose to study on the Early Years, Teaching Assistant or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Pathway, this course will enable you to become a confident, knowledgeable and effective practitioner.
The course is delivered over 24 weeks commencing in September each academic year. Lectures are three hours in duration and delivered by highly qualified staff who have excellent academic and practical backgrounds and experience in Children’s and Young People’s Services.
You will be expected to undertake independent study for at least an additional 100% of contact time. An important part of the course is the ability to become a reflective practitioner, a skill which will be developed throughout the duration of your studies.
This three-year course will run with a minimum of ten students and takes place at the Derby College Roundhouse Campus.
The course is regulated by the OfS and the qualification is awarded by the University of Derby.
All students have access to the UDO online platform, the Derby College Learning Resources Centre, the University of Derby library, and the College’s Moodle pages.
The programme will run with a minimum of ten students. In 2020-21 we enrolled ten students on this programme
Entry requirements
All applicants will be invited to an interview to discuss their qualifications, experience and any other related issues.
As an applicant, you should:
- Be working directly with children or young people aged 0-25 years in a voluntary or paid capacity for at least two days per week
- Have achieved a full Level 3 qualification
You will also need:
- GCSE English at grade 9-4 or A*-C
A certificate for each of these qualifications will be required at your interview and can be sent via email too. If you have not completed your qualification or need to apply for a copy of a certificate, approval from the University of Derby will be provisional until a copy of each certificate is provided.
You will need to be aged 18 or over at the beginning of the course.
All applicants are subject to approval from the University of Derby.
Course Content
The course is made up of three pathways so you can specialise in an area that is relevant to your everyday work.
You will study the core modules and pathway modules, with option modules related to your chosen pathway:
Pathway Modules:
- Supporting Teaching and Learning
- Early Years Provision and Practice
- Understanding Behaviour
- Introduction to SEND
- Supporting Learners with SEND
Core Modules:
- Higher Education Study Skills
- Work-based Reflective Practice
- Ethical Practice, Attitudes and Values
- Integrated Services
- International Perspectives
- Research Methods and Practice
- Secondary Research
- Children’s and Young People’s Family Rights
Optional Modules:
- Children and Young People Communicating
- Working with Parents and Carers
How will I be assessed?
You will learn through reflective tasks, work-based activities, presentations, tutorials and the use of online resources. There are no exams so you will be assessed using your work-based activities, creative presentations and essays.
Everything you study will be relevant to your everyday work. You will also have the support of a 'critical friend' as well as the tutors and academic support staff at College.
Are there any additional costs or specialist equipment required?
No
Please note that published course fees are per year.
What can I do after this course?
The Foundation Degree in Children and Young People provides the perfect progression platform for further study on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons) Education Studies, BA (Hons) Child and Youth Studies or the BA (Hons) Special Educational Needs and Disability at the University of Derby, depending on the pathway studied. It will also enhance your career prospects within your chosen profession.
This qualification is awarded by the University of Derby.
www.derby.ac.uk
Did you find the course information on this page useful?
* Tuition - This figure is the fee to be paid if you are not entitled to any concessions.
*** Co-Tuition - This figure is the fee to be paid if you are entitled to any partial concessions.
Please Note: All fees for Higher Education courses are per year
Melissa Smedley
Higher education student Melissa would like a career in play therapy
Derby College Early Years higher education student Melissa Smedley would like to train as a play therapist once she’s graduated.
Melissa, who is completing her foundation degree in Children and Young People's Services, has been studying at the college since she was 16.
A natural with young children, she cared for her little brother who has special needs from the age of 13 and has always wanted to go into childcare.
And, getting an A grade in Child Development while still in year 10 at school, convinced Melissa she was making the right choice.
She said: “I’m the sort of person who needs to know what I’m aiming for. I couldn’t do years of study just for the sake of it.
“I was quite a nervous, anxious person but going to college has done so much for my confidence. My lecturer Mandy at Ilkeston was the one who started me off by encouraging me, and the lecturers I have now have also given me some support. I was feeling a bit nervous about moving from Ilkeston to a different campus when I started my foundation degree but my lecturer Amber met me at The Roundhouse and helped me find my way around.”
Melissa – who has been accepted on to the top up degree course at Derby University – currently balances studying with working at Busy Bees nursery in Wollaton. She’s been there for three years and was recently promoted to senior room manager, looking after babies aged from three months to one year.
Reflecting on the HE course content, she added: “What we learn is all relatable and, when you’re interested in what you’re learning, it keeps you occupied and motivated. My big interest is in forest school and outdoor play. I can’t believe I’ve been with Derby College since I was 16! I’ve come so far with college. I’m the first person in my family to get this far – to degree level – in my education.”
I was quite a nervous, anxious person but going to college has done so much for my confidence. My lecturer Mandy at Ilkeston was the one who started me off by encouraging me, and the lecturers I have now have also given me some support. I was feeling a bit nervous about moving from Ilkeston to a different campus when I started my foundation degree but my lecturer Amber met me at The Roundhouse and helped me find my way around.
