BA Early Years: For those with a Scottish HNC pathway

Stage 1

This pathway begins with the 30-credit module Make your experience count (UXC122) in which you’ll collect, organise and present evidence of your own learning and practice in Early Years or Childhood Practice settings. You’ll also develop your study skills and (as all the study materials are delivered online) gain and become familiar with a range of IT skills. You’ll:

• learn how to identify, reflect on and capture your own experiences
• examine your personal and professional development
• explore how you might plan your future studies.

You’ll also complete a credit transfer application from your HNC Early Education and Childcare to the BA Degree to give you the remaining credit needed for this stage.

Stage 2

Stage 2 is equivalent to SCQF Level 8. You’ll begin with the 60-credit module Working with children, young people and families (K218)Working with children, young people and families::Would you like to learn more about work with children, young people or families? This course is about the diversity and complexity of children and young people’s (0–18) lives. Taught primarily through online activities the course examines their experience of the places and spaces in which they live – family, community and a range of health, education and care services. You'll develop an understanding of contemporary debates and key skills relating to safeguarding, health and wellbeing, development, inequalities and disability, social policy, multi-agency working, social pedagogy, youth justice, working with parents, foster care, education, and play. You will examine practice approaches and values, policy, and legal and rights frameworks in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.Q51-3,module,K218,,1, which has been mapped to the Scottish Standard for Childhood Practice. The interactive teaching and learning activities for this module are delivered online. Five themes underpin this course:

• Knowledge, skills, values and technologies for collaborative practice
• Diversity, inequalities, and rights
• Spaces and places where children, young people and families live, learn and spend time together
• Relationships between children, young people, families, community and society
• Critical understanding of policy, practices and services.

You’ll follow this with a work-based learning module, Extending professional practice in the early years (E210)Extending professional practice in the early years::This work-based course is for experienced early years practitioners working directly with children aged between birth and seven years, and focuses on extending your professional development. It involves an investigation of practice in your early years work setting. It will enhance your knowledge and ability to integrate theory and practice, and asks you to draw on and relate practice-based learning to your developing knowledge and understanding of theoretical perspectives.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.Q51-3,module,E210,,1 (60 credits), investigating practice in your own work setting. Key themes include researching practice and leadership, and you’ll explore:

• change and development in early years policy and practice
• practitioners’ roles in initiating and facilitating change
• practitioner research with a focus on listening to children.

Stage 3

Stage 3 is equivalent to SCQF Level 10 and comprises two 60-credit modules. The first, Working together for children (KE312)Working together for children::Working with children requires the development of the knowledge, skills, and values associated with topics including communication; transitions; relationships; health; play; participation; working with parents; early intervention; and safeguarding. All these subjects and more are taught in the context of current law and social policy, with an emphasis on the need for different agencies and practitioners to work together. Using a blend of text and online study materials, you will explore working with children aged 0–12. Studying this practice-focused course will help you to meet the professional and occupational standards required in childcare, health, social care and educational children’s services.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.Q51-3,module,KE312,,1, focuses on supporting the development of a skilled, effective, integrated and interdisciplinary workforce for children. You’ll gain:

• the knowledge and skills needed to work collaboratively, effectively and equitably
• critical understanding of the ethical, social, legal, political and practice factors and frameworks as applied to work with children
• the knowledge and skills required to improve children’s wellbeing and outcomes.

At this point you can claim the 300-credit BA Early Years if you wish.

To ‘top up’ to the BA (Hons) Early Years your final practical project-based module, Issues in research with children and young people (EK313)Issues in research with children and young people::Are you interested in researching the experiences of children and young people and learning more about their worlds? This course examines the research process through studies with young children, children and young people carried out in the fields of education, health and social care. It explores topics central to the research process such as ethics, diversity, power and the responsibilities of researchers. This is a project-based course with no exam and it will help you to develop your own research and analytical skills using audio, video and online materials.undergraduate.qualification.pathways.Q51-3,module,EK313,,1, teaches you to undertake research with children including:

• searching for and reviewing existing literature and theories
• identifying research questions and hypotheses
• selecting an appropriate research method
• collecting and analysing data
• interpreting and discussing results
• presenting and writing up findings.

The module raises questions about children’s participation in society, and how they view their own worlds and understand their own experiences. It will help you design your own research project and introduce you to the wide range of methods and research projects that others have used.

If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution you may be able to transfer credit for this study and count it towards an Open University qualification. If you wish to apply to transfer credit you must do so as soon as possible, and before you register for your chosen qualification. If you are awarded credit for study completed elsewhere, you may find that you need to study fewer OU modules to complete your qualification with us.

Visit our Credit Transfer site for more information and details of how to apply for credit transfer.