Undergraduate

BA Early Years

On this page

• Description
• Planning your studies
• Career relevance
• Courses
• Learning outcomes
• Credit for previous study elsewhere
• Classification of your degree
• Regulations
• How to register

Description

The degree is suitable for experienced practitioners working directly with young children (aged between birth and seven years) in a range of early years settings, and for teaching assistants specialising in early years. It provides knowledge and skills required for working with children in these settings. The degree also prepares students to engage with further research, study, enquiry and practice where a knowledge of early years is required. Study of this degree will contribute to the development of integrated, coherent services for children and a highly skilled and effective workforce across the UK.

This degree in Early Years consists of 300 points for an unclassified degree or 360 points for an honours degree. Both degrees require 120 points at undergraduate Level 1 and 120 at undergraduate Level 2 (I level on the FHEQ framework). The unclassified degree requires a further 60 points of study at Level 3, and the honours degree requires a total of 120 points of study at Level 3. The minimum study time to complete the BA in Early Years is three years, which would be the equivalent to full-time study and would require exceptional commitment to studying.

A new route into the BA Early Years has been approved for people who have a Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree in Early Years or equivalent early years foundation degree from other providers. If accepted, students would study the level 3 course(s) as described below to achieve the unclassified BA Early Years, with the option to continue to the BA (Hons) Early Years. This route will have the award code B60 and it will be available for applications in October 2009 when more information will be available.

Planning your studies

You must be a current practitioner in the field with at least six months recent and current experience and you should be able to verify your experience, skills and knowledge. During your studies, you will need to be working directly with young children (aged between birth and seven years), for a minimum of five hours a week in an early years education and care setting, in either a paid or voluntary capacity, in order to complete the work-related and work-based assignments within this degree. Confirmation of this will need to be provided. If your work setting is unable to provide appropriate support you will not be able to undertake the whole programme. For further information about the work-based element of the degree see the Foundation Degree in Early Years frequently asked questions on our Childhood and Youth Studies website and the course descriptions for Personal professional development: early years settings (E115) and Extending personal professional development (E215).

Anyone working in an early years setting will need to meet the ‘fit person’ criteria for doing so, including obtaining the necessary criminal record clearance required for the setting and country in which they are working. It is your responsibility and that of your employer to ensure that you meet these requirements. It is not the responsibility of the OU. You should contact the relevant agency in your country for more information if you are in doubt about your eligibility, or to find out more. For information about who to contact in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales visit our Childhood and Youth Studies website.

The use of a computer and word processing software is a requirement. You will be given information about how to access and participate in computer forums that will support your learning. Information and communication technology (ICT) skills will also form part of the material covered in the work-based learning courses (E115 and E215). If you are not confident about your ICT skills, you might like to develop them further through ‘self study’ guides available from book retailers.

A range of assessment methods will be used including written assignments, end-of course examinations, evidence-based portfolios, and work-based project files.

From 1 January 2011 there will be a 9 years time limit introduced for the BA Early Years (unclassified) or the BA (Hons) Early Years degrees. This means that you will be required to have passed all the courses within 9 years of starting the first course.

If you qualify for the BA Early Years (unclassified) or BA (Hons) Early Years before or on 31 December 2010 this time limit will not apply. This will enable you, if you have studied courses towards the bachelors degree prior to its introduction to have time to complete the award. If you qualify for either of these awards on or after 1 January 2011 the time limit will apply.

Career relevance and employability

This degree includes a specialist vocational component, which is underpinned by broad-based academic and work-based learning. We expect that it will be highly regarded in the sector. A common core of skills and knowledge is increasingly understood as crucial to effective work with children. A common training core will support professional standards across childcare, health, social care and educational children’s services. Courses will examine common policy, legal and practice frameworks now emerging across universal and specialist services. Key components will focus on listening to children, promoting children’s well being and multi-agency working. The honours degree examines the research process through studies with children and young people carried out in the fields of education, health, social care and the social sciences. It explores topics such as the ethics of research and the responsibilities of researchers.

The degree is designed to contribute to the development of integrated, coherent services for children and a highly skilled and effective workforce across the UK. It is also appropriate if you are working in English medium early years settings in Europe and British Forces schools.

This degree will help you to prepare for pathways towards the new Early Years Professional (EYP) Status. The Government’s plan is to have an Early Years Professional in all Children’s Centres offering childcare and education by 2010 and in every full day care setting by 2015. It is proposed that EYPs will lead practice in the new Early Years Foundation Stage (covering the age range birth to five) and will have status equivalent to qualified teachers in this age phase. The training of EYPs is a major government-funded initiative to up skill and develop the Early Years Workforce. For further information about EYP Status see the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) website or telephone 0113 390 7778.

The Open University in partnership with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is a provider for the Validation, Long EPD and Full Training Pathways in 2008/9. For further information about these pathways and how to submit an expression of interest/application see the NDNA website, contact eyps@ndna.org.uk or telephone 01484 40 70 70.

Please note that you will need GCSEs or equivalent qualifications in English and mathematics before EYP Status can be conferred.

This degree may also be helpful for anyone who wants to continue to study and train as an Early Years Teacher via the Registered Teacher Programme (RTP), Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The Open University does not offer courses for Qualified Teacher Status in the early years and primary age range. You should note that we cannot guarantee automatic progression from the BA Early Years to ITE training programmes, so you must check with your local training provider about their entry policy. For up-to-date information see the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) website. More information can also be found about routes to entering teaching by downloading our Becoming a Teacher booklet.

Please note that you will need GCSEs or equivalent qualifications in English, mathematics and science to enter into teaching.

You can study to achieve both an unclassified and an honours bachelors degree depending on how many points you study at Level 3. You will achieve the 300-point BA Early Years unclassified degree by studying the compulsory 60-point course Working together for children (KE312). This degree can provide the degree level requirement for entry to EYP Status pathways as mentioned above.

If you wish to continue to achieve the 360-point BA (Hons) Early Years degree then you will be able to ‘top up’ your unclassified degree by studying Early years focus on research with children and young people (EK311) as your final compulsory course.

For planning your next career steps, visit the OU Careers Advisory Service.

Courses

For this 300-point unclassified degree or 360-point honours degree you require:

60 points from the following optional courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued courses E660, EYC660 (30 points for this award)

* This course is a replacement for the two 30-point courses E123 and E124. E123 and E124 can continue to be counted towards this bachelors degree as long as they were studied within the 9 year time limit for the award, see the section on Planning your studies. If you have successfully studied one of these courses and wish to study the other, there is an opportunity to do so. E123 and E124 will be presented for the last time in October 2011. Please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for further advice.

And 60 points from the following compulsory course:

And 60 points from the following optional courses:

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued course E242

And 120 points from the following compulsory courses (successful completion of these courses will entitle you to claim the 300-point BA Early Years):

To ‘top up’ to the BA (Hons) Early Years (360-point honours degree) – 60 points from the following compulsory course:

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills
• Key skills

Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.

Credit for previous study elsewhere

If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of courses so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.

Credit transfer details for this qualification:

• Essential Information Sheets - BA Early Years

Classification of your degree

On successful completion of the required courses you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Early Years degree or Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Early Years degree depending on the courses studied at Level 3. Your honours degree will be classified as first-class honours,, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Award Regulations and the Student Regulations.

Award Regulations

• Introduction to the Award Regulations
• General Award Regulations
• BA Early Years
• Schedule A to the Award Regulations

Student Regulations

The Student Regulations (including the Code of Practice for Student Assessment and the Code of Practice for Student Discipline) are available on our Policy Documents for Students website.

How to register

To register for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the course you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that course.

About this page

An undergraduate qualification in Childhood and Youth.

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