Children and Early Childhood

Focus on the importance of understanding children's holistic development when working with babies, children and their families. Consider the development domains central to children's growth and development and the provision that is made to ensure children develop to reach their own potential. You also consider the ages and stages of children's development and consider individual unique development profiles and factors that may impact on development.

Understanding the development of children from birth through to maturity is central to working with babies, young children and their families. Explore a range of principles and values, and traditional and contemporary theoretical perspectives to develop your knowledge and understanding in this area, and make links between how understanding theory supports practice with babies and young children.

Study the importance of policy when working with babies and children. Develop your understanding of the development of policy and the role of politics in this, as well as the national context in which policy is formulated and implemented. There is a focus upon several key policy areas to allow you to recognise the importance of historical, political, economic, social and geographical contexts to the shaping of policy. Gain an appreciation of the contested nature of policy within the early years and how its impact upon children, families and practitioners is under continuing critical scrutiny about its effectiveness.

Gain an understanding of the concept of childhood and how childhood has evolved over time and is socially constructed, identifying various perspectives that enables an understanding of this process.

Explore a critical understanding of the ways in which children's daily lives are shaped by society and how the ideas held about childhood affect the way we understand and treat children, considering the ethical implications of this.

Consider current issues and influences that impact on babies, young children and their childhood. Modern children are growing up in a world that is fast-paced and changing, both at a national and international level, and you explore constructs of societal influences and factors that impact discourses relating to childhood. Through consideration of current key issues, you develop your knowledge and understanding of contemporary childhoods.

Develop your academic skills and gain an awareness of the importance of research in the areas of children and early childhood as well as considering aspects of academic reading, writing and referencing. Explore the academic support across the University, including the library services and how to access and utilise them to support your academic skills as well as the Student Life team and the services they offer. Develop and extend your digital literacy skills and their use in education through an introduction to the IT facilities and electronic support materials provided by the University.

Gain academic credit for participating in work experience related to criminology, criminal justice and sociology. You may find your own work experience (subject to approval from your module tutor) or you can take advantage of work experience opportunities offered as part of the module.

Work experience must be performed to an agreed job description and person specification for a minimum of 60 working hours. To take part you must complete a DBS check, along with any other security checks required by your work experience provider. You must also agree to and sign a legal agreement outlining the obligations of yourself, the University and the work experience provider. Alongside your work experience you explore employability issues and skills through a number of interactive workshops led by professionals from within and outside the University.

This module has limited places and participation is subject to a selection process involving an application, shortlisting and interview.

Learn about the place and importance of research in the context of childhood and prepare a plan for the completion of your dissertation research in year 3. You are assisted in making a choice between secondary or primary research for the completion of your dissertation. Therefore, the identification and development of the skills needed to review and critique others' research and to carry out aspects of new fieldwork in a specific area of professional concern are covered. You cover a range of issues pertinent to secondary and primary research within childhood.

Explore using the research of others as part of a secondary research process, review methodologies and methods used to complete this process. You also focus on the process of conducting primary research to collect new data and consider research methodologies, sampling, data collection and data analysis methods. Ways of ensuring 'good practice' within both the secondary and primary research process are also covered.

Learn about understanding and supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) in the context of understanding policy and how society has progressed from the medical model to the social model of disability.

Explore the systems and processes in place to identify and support children with special educational needs, and the practitioner's role in supporting children with these needs. Expectations and ways of working with children's families and other agencies who support the child are explored. Positive ways of including children with SEN into mainstream provision are considered. You also explore the tensions and debates around such provision.

Study the major theories of language development and learn about the developmental progress. You consider the factors that affect children's developmental progress and explore positive interaction strategies to support children's developing language. Examine the role of speech language and communication on early literacy. Other important aspects of speech and language are explored including, bilingualism, the role of books, and the impact of digital media on children's speech, language and communication.

Explore pedagogical approaches to supporting the learning and development of babies and young children. You examine in detail the importance of play for children's learning and consider differing approaches from a range of early play pioneers as well as more contemporary theories. You build upon your understanding of child development to explore the relationship between play and learning, and the use of observations and assessments to develop an appropriate resource to support and enhance children's learning.

Explore the wellbeing and safety of children in the early years and how this is shaped by legislation and policy. You look deeper into the role of adults in promoting and maintaining safety for children in their care. A critical theoretical approach is taken to the outcomes of children regarding their safety and wellbeing. You also explore how children's safety and wellbeing are conceptualised in the UK and also consider world health organisation conceptions around children's wellbeing.

Consider wider wellbeing issues such as emotional and physical wellbeing and how these issues may have evolved for children in the early years to endemic proportions as the result of attitudes towards children and policies that have shaped their lives.

Complete your own research topic and work on this over an extended period of time. This enables you to draw together learning from other modules encouraging your development of a range of skills while independently researching a focused area of interest in childhood. Tutorial support is available to assist you in this process and you are encouraged to reflect upon the knowledge, understanding and skills (including practice skills if you wish) which you have developed throughout your studies so far. However, the programme will emphasise your autonomy in appropriate decision making and will challenge your capacity for independent learning.

Consider pedagogy in early childhood settings to develop your critical awareness of current pedagogical approaches and explore contemporary debates in education, situating pedagogical practice within these debates. The pedagogy of alternative approaches and to meet the needs of identified groups of children is also examined and situated in early years practice.

Develop a deeper understanding of a range of influences that impact on children's learning and development. Develop an understanding of diversity in society and examine some of the ways in which the care and education systems can respond to issues. The limitations of institutional responses to complex issues are examined. Issues of professional practice in inclusion and anti-bias education are also explored. You are assessed by a 4,000 word report.

Explore the complex nature of leadership across the wider children's workforce at different levels of practice. Make the most of opportunities for critical engagement with leadership theory and research. Explore theories of leadership, reflection, professionalism, and multi-agency working and considers the application of these in the context of working across professional roles in children's services.

You are supported to reflect on your own skills and experience in preparation for employment in children's services and their ability to take a lead, for example in promoting ethical practice and anti-discriminatory practice.

Explore the complex nature of parenting and how we work to support families in different contexts as well as considering the challenges families face that leads to them being identified as in need of support. Enjoy opportunities for critical engagement with theory and research about working with families, parenting and early intervention. You also use and develop your knowledge of reflective practice, considering ethics and values in relation to parenting and family life and the role of professionals in supporting families. Explore theories of parenting, early intervention, reflection, professionalism and multi-agency working and consider how practice in supporting families can be understood by theoretical approaches.

You research early intervention as a support for families and identify a case study of a family that may be identified as requiring support and what this support may be. The final assessment will engage you in critical analysis of parenting and family life, and the support typically offered to families under the Early Help Policy as well as other early interventions such as children's centre services.

Explore teaching and learning across early years foundation stage and into Key Stages 1 and 2. The different pedagogical approaches between the key stages are also explored with a focus on key subject areas, as well as different models of curriculum and their influence on the teaching environment. This module is particularly relevant if you are wanting to work in school-based educational settings.

Develop your theoretical knowledge and understanding relating to issues of vulnerability in early childhood and how social services work to support and safeguard children who are deemed vulnerable. This includes a critical approach to the concept of vulnerability.

Consider the issues that children can experience that may require considerable support to overcome such as child protection issues and children in the looked after care system as well as children at risk. A range of social and cultural issues relating to vulnerability and trauma are considered including the social construction of vulnerability. The role of the state, private, voluntary, and charitable organisations, as well as communities in creating and addressing childhood vulnerability are analysed. You also examine issues relating to the rights of children and their agency.