Early Years Care and Education FdA

University of Portsmouth

United Kingdom, Portsmouth

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Home/United Kingdom/Portsmouth /University of Portsmouth/Early Years Care and Education FdA

University of Portsmouth

United Kingdom , Portsmouth

Key Facts

Program Level

Foundation

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

X310

Campuses

London

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Next Intake September-2026

Early Years Care and Education FdA

About

The early years are all-important when it comes to nurturing a child's curiosity, confidence and love of learning.

If you currently work with young children in an educational setting, have a level 3 qualification (such as a relevant Early Years NVQ), and you're looking to develop your career to university-level, this Foundation degree (FdA) in Early Years Care and Education will give you the professional recognition you need.

You’ll work with early years professionals to gain skills and knowledge that’ll serve you in helping young children realise their potential through fun, excitement and play.

You'll study at our partner college but you’ll still be a student of the University of Portsmouth, so you’ll have access to all of our facilities and support.

After the course, you'll be ready to take the next step in your career as an early years professional. You could also go on to do a Bachelor's degree such as our BA (Hons) Education Studies or use your Foundation degree to do training that leads to Qualified Teacher Status such as Early Years Teacher Training.

You can study this course full-time over two years at one of our partner colleges: Isle of Wight College or City of Portsmouth College.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements

FdA Early Years Care and Education entry requirements

Typical offers

A level 3 qualification, for example a relevant Early Years NVQ.
T-levels – Pass (D or E in the core) - Merit
Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Education and Childcare
Applicants are to be working in either a voluntary or paid relevant educational setting for a minimum equivalence of one day a week.

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs - see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

Selection process

All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in support of their application.

English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

We look at more than just your grades

While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.

Explore more about how we make your offer

English Program Requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course. If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Career

This Early Years Care and Education Foundation degree (FdA) will enable you to progress in your existing career as an early years practitioner, opening up opportunities across the education sector that help shape children's younger formative years or to go on to further study, such as teacher training.

What can you do with an early years care and education foundation degree?

Once you graduate, you'll be ready to take on roles in areas such as:

teaching assistance
learning support assistance
nursery management
childcare development

You could also progress to a relevant Bachelor's top-up degree, such as BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up).

Following this top-up course, you could go on to do teacher training through PGCE, SCITT or Early Years Initial Teacher Training programmes.

Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate

Get experience while you study with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities and work experience. Towards the end of your degree and after graduation, you'll get 1-to-1 support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to find your perfect role.

Futureproof your career