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 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 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.

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 a relevant full Level 3 Diploma

You will also need:

• GCSE English at grade 9-4 or A*-C

A certificate for each of these qualifications will be required when you come into the College for interview. 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 SEN
• Supporting Learners with SEND

Core Modules:

• Starting to Study
• 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

COVID 19 delivery

Due to the current situation, our mode of delivery for teaching and learning will vary for academic year 2020/21 in line with government guidance and to maintain the safety of our students and staff.

We will be implementing a blended learning approach, meaning our teaching, learning and assessment for 2020/21 will be both online and face to face.

We are planning for module content sessions to be delivered face to face and for group tutorials to be online. Your timetable will highlight if the session is face to face or online.  

The course year consists of four modules with six weeks allocated to each module; of those six weeks, four weeks will consist of module content teaching and learning, and the following two weeks will consist of group tutorials and independent study to support the assessment components.

The face-to-face sessions will consist of two hours of teaching and learning and the last hour will be designated for independent study or a one-to-one tutorial which students can book in with their tutor.

The one-to-one tutorial (face to face or online) can be booked in with the tutor in the designated time slots provided, comprising 20-minute slots per student.

Online taught sessions will consist of a mixture of teaching and learning and small group/paired activities.

Online group tutorials will be focussed on supporting the assessment components, with the first half of the session centred on learning outcome 1 and the second half focusing on learning outcome 2.

Independent study time needs to be used for wider reading and research to support your assignment writing.

At times, it may be required to change our plans in order to comply with Government guidelines. If we make changes, you will be kept up to date via announcements through your Teams channel.

It is expected that you will attend all planned sessions, whether they be online or in person. If you are not able to attend, you must contact your tutor to discuss it with them and to receive further support and guidance.

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

What can I do after this course?

The Foundation Degree provides the perfect progression platform for further study on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons) Education, BA (Hons) Child and Youth Studies or 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

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