Young child watching a mobile rotate
Course type
Degree  

Degree

  • Also known as an undergraduate or bachelors degree.
  • Internationally respected, universally understood.
  • An essential requirement for many high-level jobs.
  • Gain a thorough understanding of your subject – and the tools to investigate, think critically, form reasoned arguments, solve problems and communicate effectively in new contexts.
  • Progress to higher level study, such as a postgraduate diploma or masters degree.
Credits
360  

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
Part-time study – 6 years
Full-time study – 3 years
Time limit – 10 years
Study method
Distance learning
Entry requirements
Find out more about
Entry requirements

BA (Honours) Early Childhood

Course code: Q89

If you currently work with children from birth to seven years, or are looking to learn more about young children’s lives and experiences, this degree could be of interest to you. You’ll investigate early childhood from national and international perspectives with a focus on the central importance of children’s voices and the participatory nature of young children’s experiences. You’ll also gain an understanding of early childhood in diverse social, cultural and multi-disciplinary contexts.

  • Professionally and vocationally relevant across many early childhood contexts.
  • Takes a holistic approach to understanding early childhood from a range of perspectives.
  • Covers young children’s play and creativity within the context of the family and early childhood settings.
  • Encourages critical understanding and reflection on contemporary issues and debates in early childhood.

Please note that in England, this course does not provide Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) or Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), nor does it meet the 'Full and Relevant' criteria of The Department for Education. In Scotland, this course is not equivalent to childhood practice qualifications at any level and would not be suitable for those seeking lead practitioner or manager level registration with SSSC. GCSE requirements may affect eligibility. See the Careers section for further details.

We also offer a Diploma of Higher Education in Early Childhood (W50) that is the same in structure as the first two-thirds of this degree; similarly, our Certificate of Higher Education in Early Childhood (T26) corresponds to the first third.

Course type
Degree  

Degree

  • Also known as an undergraduate or bachelors degree.
  • Internationally respected, universally understood.
  • An essential requirement for many high-level jobs.
  • Gain a thorough understanding of your subject – and the tools to investigate, think critically, form reasoned arguments, solve problems and communicate effectively in new contexts.
  • Progress to higher level study, such as a postgraduate diploma or masters degree.
Credits
360  

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
How long it takes
Part-time study – 6 years
Full-time study – 3 years
Time limit – 10 years
Study method
Distance learning
Entry requirements

Find out more about Entry requirements

This qualification has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

  • You’ll start Stage 1 with two modules that explore how children learn; and the importance of children’s play.
  • Then, in Stage 2, you’ll study a module that further develops and broadens your knowledge and understanding of young children’s lives and learning, followed by one from a list of options.
  • Finally, in Stage 3, you’ll complete your degree with two further modules – one that focuses on the development of a multidisciplinary professional workforce for children and one that will introduce you to a range of research methods and analytical techniques.

Prepare for OU study with an Access module

We offer two starting points depending on how confident you are or how long it’s been since you last studied. Choose to dive straight in at Stage 1, or if you’d prefer some extra preparation, you can get started with an optional Access module. See Entry requirements for more details.

You’ll develop an understanding of early childhood from a range of perspectives. Drawing on theory and research, you’ll examine how children grow, develop and learn. Your study in this stage completes with a specific focus on young children’s play and creativity within the context of the family and early childhood settings.

You’ll start Stage 2 with a module that investigates critical issues in early childhood and extends themes introduced in Stage 1. For your final Stage 2 module, you’ll have a choice of education, childhood and youth options.

At Stage 3, you’ll focus on supporting the development of a skilled, effective and multi-disciplinary professional workforce for children. To complete the honours degree, a final module will introduce you to a range of research methods and analytical techniques relating to children and young people.

Stage 3 modules
ModulesCredits
You'll study both of the following:
Young lives, parenting and families (KE322)60
Contemporary research with children and young people (E320)60

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 31 January 2024.


Accessibility

Our qualifications are as accessible as possible, and we have a comprehensive range of support services. Our BA (Honours) in Early Childhood uses a variety of study materials and includes the following elements:

  • Online study – most modules are online; some have a mix of printed and online material. Online learning resources could include websites, audio/video, and interactive activities
  • Online tutorials
  • Group-work
  • Using and producing diagrams and screenshots
  • Practical work
  • Finding external/third-party material online
  • Accessing online catalogues and databases
  • Assessment in the form of short-answer questions and essays
  • Feedback – continuous assessment includes feedback from your tutor and using this to improve your performance
  • Pre-determined schedules – we’ll help you to develop your time-management skills.

Every module has its own Accessibility Statement with more detailed accessibility information – you’ll find these on individual module descriptions.

Visit our Disability support page to learn about our services.


Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

This qualification develops your learning in four main areas:
  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills

The level and depth of your learning gradually increases as you work through the qualification. You’ll be supported throughout by the OU’s unique style of teaching and assessment – which includes a personal tutor to guide and comment on your work; top quality course texts; elearning resources like podcasts, interactive media and online materials; tutorial groups and community forums.

Read the detailed learning outcomes here

Credit transfer

If you have already studied at university level, you may be able to count it towards your Open University qualification – which could save you time and money by reducing the number of modules you need to study. At the OU we call this credit transfer.

It’s not just university study that can be considered, you can also transfer study from a wide range of professional or vocational qualifications such as HNCs and HNDs.

You should apply for credit transfer before you register, at least 4 weeks before the registration closing date. We will need to know what you studied, where and when and you will need to provide evidence of your previous study.

For more details of when you will need to apply by and to download an application form, visit our Credit Transfer website.


Classification of your degree

On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our BA (Honours) Early Childhood.

The class of honours (first, upper-second, lower-second or third) will depend on your grades at Stages 2 and 3.

You’ll have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.

International recognition

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Find out more about international recognition of Open University qualifications.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 


Compare this course

There are no formal entry requirements to study this qualification.

You do not need to be working with young children in order to study this qualification; however to enhance your learning in core practice-focused modules, it is strongly recommended that students gain direct experience with young children (birth to 7 years). Students not working with young children (employed or in a voluntary capacity) will need to negotiate opportunities to gain such practical experience.

It is your responsibility and that of your employer - not the OU’s - to ensure the necessary Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (or equivalent if not working in England) required for the setting and country in which you’re working is obtained and that you meet the ‘fit person’ criteria for work with young children. If you are in any doubt about your eligibility, or to find out more, contact the relevant agency in your country.

How much time do I need?

  • Most of our students study part time, completing 60 credits a year.
  • This will usually mean studying for 16–18 hours a week.

Find out if you have enough time to study with our time planner

Preparing for study with an Access module

Students who start their study with an Access module are more likely to be successful when they advance to Stage 1 of their qualification. They’re specially designed to give you a gentle introduction to OU study, boost confidence in your study skills, and help you gain a broad overview of your chosen subject area.

You’ll also benefit from:

  • feedback from your tutor through regular one-to-one phone tutorials
  • support from a dedicated team throughout your study
  • detailed written feedback on your work.
The Access module we’d recommend studying in preparation for this qualification is our:

Psychology, social science and wellbeing Access module

What you will study

This multidisciplinary module provides an excellent introduction to studying with The Open University; you'll get to cover a wide range of subject areas, including psychology, childhood and youth studies, health and social wellbeing, sport, education and social sciences.

View full details of Psychology, social science and wellbeing Access module

Fees and funding in England

80% of our students pay nothing upfront by financing their studies with a student loan.

In this section:
Tuition fee
What are my funding options?
Other costs to think about
Additional support

Tuition fee

BA (Honours) Early Childhood

Years of  study

3 years 6 years

Current fee per year in England

£6,924* £3,462*

How we worked out the cost

A degree is worth 360 credits. The fee per year is based on studying 60 credits per year for 6 years. A degree is worth 360 credits. The fee per year is based on studying 120 credits per year for 3 years.

Total fee for qualification at current prices

£20,772*

You’ll fund your modules as you study them – you won’t have to pay for your whole qualification up front

That’s 1/4 less than the cost of an equivalent qualification offered at most other universities in England.

See comparison table

*The fee and funding information provided here is valid for courses starting before 31 July 2024. Fees normally increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.


What are my funding options?

There are several ways to fund your study, often without paying anything upfront.

Student loan

The most common way for our students to fund their study

  • A student loan is used by 80% of our students.
  • Open to everyone – it’s not means-tested and there’s no age limit.
  • You don’t pay anything upfront. Student Finance England pay your fees directly to the OU for you.
  • You won’t pay back a penny until you earn over £25,000.
  • The amount you repay is tied to how much you earn. For example, if you earn £27,000 you’ll pay just £15.00 per month.

Other options

Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA)

Repay in monthly instalments while you study.


Credit/debit card or bank transfer

Pay before each module starts. You can also combine card or bank transfer payments with other payment methods.


Employer sponsorship

More than 1 in 10 OU students are sponsored by their employer.


Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCs)

If you’re a serving member of the British Armed Forces (or you’ve recently left), you may be eligible to use ELCs to cover up to 100% of your course fees.

Which funding options could I be eligible for?



Other costs to think about

Your course fees cover your tuition, assessment and study materials, but there are still a few additional costs that can come with studying. If your income is less than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you could get help with some of these costs after you start studying.

  • You’ll need a computer and the internet to access our learning resources and to participate in online tutorials.

Additional support

You may be eligible for:

If you have a disability

  • The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a government grant to cover study support costs if you have a disability. It’s not means-tested, and there’s no age limit. Visit our Supporting students with disabilities page to find out more.
  • If your disability is a result of being injured in, or due to, military service, you could be eligible for our Disabled Veterans’ Scholarship Fund.

Need more information?

Talk through your funding options with one of our advisors

Contact us

How will I study this course?

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

  • a week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
  • course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
  • module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
  • details of each assignment and their due dates
  • a tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
  • online versions of some printed module materials and resources.

If you have additional needs, we can also provide most module materials in alternative formats. Find out more about materials on our accessibility webpage.


Tutor support

You’ll have a tutor for each module, who will introduce themselves before the module begins.

Throughout the module, they will:

  • mark your assignments and give feedback to help you improve
  • guide you to learning resources
  • support you, whether with general study skills or help with a specific topic.

Tutorials

Tutorials usually take place online, and they’re always optional.

Online tutorials are live presentations with module tutors in dedicated online tutorial rooms and are sometimes recorded.


Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

  • Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

  • You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
  • They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
  • Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

  • The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
  • Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

  • Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
  • You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
  • Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or at an alternative location.
  • If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Progressing to a point where I felt more comfortable writing my assignments, and having my scores reflecting that, made me quite happy because it showed the hard work was being rewarded.

Patrick ‘Ricky’ Skene, BSc (Hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching

Other support and resources

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to our subject-specific Student Support Teams.

They’ll help you with any general questions about your study and updates to your OU account.

To help with your studies, you’ll also have access to:

  • our online library, with high-quality online resources to support your study
  • other university libraries in the UK and Ireland
  • the online Help Centre, which has general information about OU study and support, along with study skills advice
  • free Microsoft Office 365 software
  • IT and computing support from our Computing Helpdesk.

Find out more about student support and being a part of the OU community.

Skills for career development

This degree is designed to contribute to the development of a highly skilled and effective workforce and to integrated coherent services for young children and their families. In addition to specialist knowledge and understanding of early childhood, it emphasises independent thinking, develops analytical and communication skills and will help you become a clear and confident writer – all attributes that are highly valued by employers. Gaining practice experience during your studies is also likely to enhance career prospects.

You will acquire a broad set of employability skills including:

  • organising and synthesising arguments associated with early childhood
  • communicating and writing accurately and clearly in different genre that take account of purpose and content
  • understand and engage in digital practices and share digital content in collaborative activities
  • reflecting on your own learning and performance and taking steps to improve it
  • recognising the importance of contributing, collaborating and taking leadership responsibility within a team.

Career relevance

This degree is consistent with the latest QAA subject benchmark statement for Early Childhood Studies and has been designed for existing early years practitioners (normally with a Level 3 early years qualification) or those interested in finding out more about young children’s learning and development. You should be aware this is a practice-focused, not practice-based, qualification with no elements of observed and assessed practice, and as such, it is not considered full and relevant for the purpose of counting in staff:child ratios within an early years setting. However, it is an excellent foundation for entry to a range of careers working with and for young children and their families. It is also suitable for those wanting to move into careers in teaching, health or social work.

Please note:

In England, this course does not provide Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) or Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). GCSE passes at Grade 4 (C) or above in English and Maths are normally required for post-graduate study and for teaching a GCSE Grade 4 (C) pass in Science is also a requirement.

In Scotland, this qualification does not lead to Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration. However, if you’ve already achieved SSSC registration through related qualifications, such as HNC Childhood Practice, you might be able to transfer credit to this qualification.

Further information about Early Childhood qualifications can be found:

  • For England, on the Department for Education (DfE) website.
  • For Wales, on the Care Council Wales (CCW) website.
  • For Scotland, on the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) website.
  • For Northern Ireland, on the Department of Education (DENI) website.

Other careers

The BA (Honours) Early Childhood may be helpful if you’re interested in further training for Early Years Initial Teacher Training (Early Years Teacher Status – Birth to 5) or postgraduate qualifications in primary teaching with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). However, we cannot guarantee automatic progression to initial teacher education (ITE). Check with your local ITE training provider about their entry policy. For up-to-date information see the Department for Education website in England; the Teach in Scotland website in Scotland; the Department of Education in Northern Ireland; and the Teacher Training & Education in Wales website. More information can also be found about routes to entering teaching by downloading our Becoming a teacher booklet.

Many graduate-level jobs are open to graduates of any discipline, particularly in business, finance, management consultancy and the public sector. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

Exploring your options

Once you register with us (and for up to three years after you finish your studies), you’ll have full access to our careers service for a wide range of information and advice – including online forums, website, interview simulation, vacancy service as well as the option to email or speak to a careers adviser. Some areas of the careers service website are available for you to see now, including help with looking for and applying for jobs. You can also read more general information about how OU study enhances your career.

In the meantime if you want to do some research around this qualification and where it might take you, we’ve put together a list of relevant job titles as a starting point (note that some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree):

  • nursery worker/manager
  • teacher
  • family support worker
  • counsellor
  • child psychotherapist
  • careers adviser
  • advice worker
  • probation officer
  • social worker
  • education welfare officer
  • learning mentor
  • community development worker.

Thinking of studying this course?

Registration will open in March. If you would like to be kept updated, register your interest.


Request your Education, Childhood and Youth prospectus

Our prospectuses help you choose your course, understand what it's like to be an OU student and register for study.

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