PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
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AWARD and COURSE TITLE / FdA Early Years
INTERMEDIATE AWARDS / Certificate of Higher Education Early Years
Mode(s) of Attendance
(eg. FT/PT/SW/DL) / PT
Foundation Degrees Only
Title of associated hons degree / BA Hons Early Years (Top Up)
Name of Teaching Institution / Sheffield Hallam University
Location of Delivery / Sheffield Hallam University
Faculty / Development and Society
Department / Education, Childhood and Inclusion
UCAS CODE / X310
Professional/Statutory/Regulatory Body Recognising this Programme / Application for Sector Endorsement of the FdA Early Years will be made when the Teaching Agency has finalised new arrangements
QAA Subject Benchmark Statement or other relevant external reference point / Early Years Professional Status Standards
Qualified Teacher Status Standards
Date of Approval / 24/10/12
revised February 2013

1PROGRAMME AIMS

  • To contribute to national and regional agendastodevelopthe workforce in the early years sector to foundation degree level
  • To enable professionals working in the early years sector to meet relevant workforcestandards at foundation degree level, including knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to the Early Years Foundation Stage
  • To widen participation in Higher Education in the region through provision of a professionally focused route to a foundation degree that meets the needs of students employed in the early years sector
  • To provide a relevant progression route through to Early Years Professional Status and Qualified Teacher Status courses

2PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES

2.1Knowledge and understanding covered within the Programme. By the end of the programme you will be able to

  1. Outline knowledge and a critical understanding of principles, concepts and/or theories underpinning policy and practice relating to children's rights, participation and inclusion in the early years
  2. Explain the concepts, theories and principles that underpin contrasting early childhood curricula and/or pedagogies, including play-based approaches, and the implications for development of your own practice
  3. Apply your knowledge and understanding of effective team working theories, concepts and principles to the development of team working in an early years setting and/or services
  4. Apply knowledge and understanding of the principles, concepts, theories and policies that relate to young children’s health, well-being, development and learning to the critical evaluation of practice and to plans for development
  5. Outline key principles, concepts and theories relating to policy and practice for working with families in early years services

2.2 Intellectual/Subject/Professional/Key skills covered within the Programme: by the end of the programme you will be able to

  1. Critically review issues and significant questions relating to young children's health and wellbeing;
  2. Plan, use and critically evaluate a range of resources and strategies focused on children’s diverse interests and abilities, making judgements about the potential of these to promote children's participation and equality
  3. Plan, implement and critically review ethical methods of enquiry into early years policy and practice, including quantitative and qualitative approaches
  4. Plan, implement and critically review a development of early years practice informed by your knowledge and understanding of international and/or cross-cultural perspectives on curriculum and /or pedagogy
  5. Analyse critical issues of policy and practice in working with families in early years services, including diversity and safeguarding issues
  6. Critically reflect on personal strengths, own areas for development and professional experience as a team member, drawing on team working concepts theories principles and approaches including those at the forefront of thinking
  7. Communicate ideas, information and arguments in ways that are appropriate to purpose and to the expectations of academic and professional audiences, drawing on a range of information sources
  8. Reflect on and make plans relating to identified aspects of academic and professional development, drawing on formative feedback

3LEARNING, TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT

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3.1The approach to Learning and Teaching within the Programme

The approach to learning and teaching on the route is flexible, varied and responsive to the needs of students as reflective practitioners who work in a range of early years services, often in challenging contexts. The programme acknowledges and builds on the knowledge and understanding that students bring to the course, as well as the potential of the workplace as a context for professional learning, for students both as individuals and as members of professional learning communities. The programme also acknowledges the potential for peer learning during university sessions, where students bring diverse experience of working across early years contexts and of contrasting approaches to practice. The programme, therefore, sets out to realise the potential for mutually enriching learning between:

  • students attending university sessions, as they develop a learning community with tutors and peers
  • students in the workplace, as they develop a learning community with colleagues and students from other early years courses
  • students visiting the workplaces of peers
  • tutors visiting the workplaces of students

Figure 3.The course affordances for reciprocal learning across contexts (FdA Early Years)

The key elements of learning within these contexts are:

  • work-based learning;
  • peer learning;
  • community of enquiry;
  • reflective journaling;
  • practitioner research; and
  • key and professional skills

This is summarised in Figure 4 and explained below.

Figure 4. The key elements of student learning on the FdA Early Years

Work-based learning

Work-based learning approaches are an essential aspect of the learning and teaching strategy. A range of contexts for learning within the workplace and at university enable studentsto make their existing professional knowledge and understanding explicit and to identify current professionals skills. Professional guidance and frameworks are used to support students in identifying current knowledge, understanding and skills, in particularEYPS Standards and QTS standards. This approach supports the career progression of students who intend to progress to EYPS or QTS pathways at the end of their course.

A key strategy supporting work-based learning is the placement of students’ professional experiences at the centre of teaching and learning; thecourse is flexible and offers varied opportunities for students to select their own focus of study within the broad framework of each module. Students select a focus by drawing on their professional knowledge base, interests and development needs, both as individuals and in the context of organisational aims and development plans. For example, students studying on the ‘Inclusive Practice in the Early Years’ module could chose to focus their study on gender, social class, ability/disability or ethnicity, examiningkey information sources in this area as well as practice in their own setting or organisation.

Students are encouraged to identify and work collaboratively with a work-based mentor during the course. This is normally a more experienced member of staff and/or one with higher level qualifications, for example a manager or Early Years Professional. Some students will continue to work with a mentor identified during their foundation degree studies. The role of the mentor is to support the student to reflect on their professional learning journey and their own academic and professional goals; this includes identification of opportunities to lead developments of practice in the setting/organisation.

Peer learning

Linked to the focus on work-based learning, a complementary focus on peer learning enables students to reflect critically on their own practice and that of their setting, and to identify areas for development. The teaching and learning strategy provides varied opportunities for students to share experience of working with young children, familiesand other professionals across a range of early years contexts. Students share their perspectives on complex policy and practice issues by working with peers in different groupings, including pairs and larger groups. Their knowledge and understanding is extended and, in some cases, challenged by engagement with the ideas and experiences of others. Students learn about the professional contexts and practice of peers and academic skills are modelled, for example the effective structuring of complex material in a short set of PowerPoint slides. Students are encouraged to raise questions in group work and in response to the presentations of peers; this encourages students to make their thinking explicit and justify their arguments. They are also encouraged to visit the work places of peers and provide guided tours of their own settings in order to share expertise and experience.

Community of Enquiry

The degree incorporates an approach to building a community of enquiry through the regular use of philosophical enquiry based on Philosophy 4 Children. This is a systematic approach which involves presenting a stimulus; taking thinking time; formulating questions; choosing a question; discussing the question; and communicating final thoughts. The distinctive features of this approach to enquiry are that it is caring, collaborative, involving both critical thinking and creativity (4Cs). The focus on philosophical thinking underpins a critical approach to professional development, enhancing essential academic skills and dispositions FdA Early Years

Journaling

The use of a journal for reflective writing is another important part of the approach to learning and teaching. Students write regularly in a journal during taught sessions, with writing focused on the specific content of the module. For example, following a paired discussion of a case-study, students record their individual responses to the professional issues and dilemmas raised. They also undertake journal writing outside face-to-face sessions, in response to both set themes and personal agendas. Students share reflective writing, discussing extracts from their journal with peers and summarise extracts for assessed work. However, they choose what extracts to summarise and there will be no expectation for them to make public what will be recognised as a private document.

Practitioner research

A further important element of the teaching and learning strategy is the priority placed on the development of knowledge, understanding and skills in practitioner enquiry and research in each year of the course. This strengthens the work-based learning approach and the opportunities for peer learning. Students develop an ethical approach to enquiry across modules, with a clear focus on the methodological and ethical issues raised by working with children, parents and other professionals. Throughout the course students are supported to set their learning from enquiry in the context of national and international research, including peer-reviewed studies. A final action research project is the culmination of a spiral curriculum from foundation degree level, supporting students as reflective practitioners and researchers. At the end of the degree a course event supports the sharing of student's projects with peers, students at an earlier stage of their studies and invited professional colleagues.

Students also gain early experience in analysing and presenting data. This work provides a foundation of knowledge, understanding and skills for students who progress to an honours degree where they undertake a more extended piece of action research.

Key and professional skills

The development of students’ key and professional skills is a further important strand of the course. Each module includes identification of key and professional skills in learning outcomes, including information skills, academic writing skills, oral communication skills and skills in reflective practice.

The programme draws on the expertise of wider university teams to support the development of relevant skills. For example, members of LITS provide regular taught sessions on information skills and guided practice, such as in the use of search engines. Students also identify their own skill levels and action plan for continuing development of key and professional skills as a part of their Personal Development Planning (PDP), as outlined below. Students are signposted to electronic guidance and tutorials on shu-space, for example relevant materials from 'My Study Skills - the Tool Kit' and sections of 're: Search' within the Library Gateway. In developing action plans, students are encouraged to identify the specific tutorials or other resources, such as Study Skills books, that they will use to access help. Where appropriate, students are also given guidance, face to face and in written feedback, to seek individualised or group support from SHU study skills staff. The faculty offers some study skills sessions targeted at PT students and tutors input into session planning to ensure that these meet students' needs.

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities

The pattern of scheduled learning and teaching activities includes

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • face to face tutorials
  • on-line tutorials
  • work-based learning
  • external visits to the settings of peers
  • on-line conferencing

In a 30 credit module, the time available for tutor-led lectures, seminars, tutorials and conferencing is normally 40 hours, including a minimum of 36 hours of face to face contact. Scheduled learning and teaching activities include approximately 60 hours of work-based learning. This takes place under the direction of the Module Tutor/s and the student's Academic Adviser, supported by a mentor in the work-place. In a 20 credit module, the time available for tutor-led lectures, seminars, tutorials and conferencing is normally 26 hours, including a minimum of 24 hours of face to face contact and approximately 40 hours of work-based learning. Additionally, students undertake significant periods of independent guided study, contributing to the overall 300 hours of study time on a 30 credit module and 200 hours on a 20 credit module.

3.2The approach to Assessment and Feedback within the Programme

The approach to assessment and feedback on the course has been designed to support student learning, both through the provision of formative feedback as part of the teaching programme and as summative feedback at the end of modules.

Formative feedback is provided in a range of forms. For example, students are supported to use level descriptors for self-assessment, identifying strengths and areas for development in relation to work in progress. They also provide formative feedback to peers, for example feedback on professional practice in the context of reflective dialogue, and feedback on planning for assessment tasks. Tutors provide formative feedback in a range of forms. For example, they organise one to one or small group tutorials, feeding back on student's developing ideas and planning for assessment tasks. Additionally, they provide written feedback on extracts of student's written work, commenting on strengths and areas for development in terms of the content of assignments and on academic writing skills.

The approach to assessment also recognises the importance of summative feedback for student learning. Alongside identifying student achievement levels, tutors provide written comment that feeds forward into future learning, identifying the strengths of assignments as well as key areas for development. Students also provide summative feedback on the presentations of peers, identifying levels of achievement in relation to level descriptor grids. This approach is based on the view that students who engage in peer assessment gain a deeper understanding of the criteria by which their own work is assessed, an understanding that can support further learning.

The course includes a range of types of assessment tasks, with a balance between written and oral tasks. Each module includes an oral and a written task. This reflects the dual emphasis on effective oral and written communication in the professional lives of graduates working in early years services. Additionally, a range of assessment tasks enables students to evidence their learning in different ways, supporting students with different strengths as learners. This approach also supports the development of different writing styles. Written tasks include a Self-evaluation and Action Plan, an Annotated Bibliography, a Report and Conferencing on a VLE.

3.3How Student Employability is supported within the Programme

All students actively engage in work-based learningand, in most cases, students are employed in early years settings or organisations with an early years focus, for example the Education departments of Local Authorities. The appropriateness of the workplace as a learning context is considered as a part of the admissions process. Where there are any barriers to work-based learning, tutors support students to negotiate improved learning opportunities with their employers. Cohorts sometime include students who work as volunteers for a minimum of two days a week and who have good opportunities for work-based learning. All modules include significant work-based learning elements and, as potential graduates, students are expected to develop their personal practice and also lead developments of practice.

The curriculum includes a focus on the following high-level employability-related skills and attributes which are developed in the context of taught sessions and module tasks:

  • oral communication skills e.g. paired and small group discussions
  • written communication skills e.g. reflective writing, report writing
  • information and communication technology e.g. PowerPoint presentations
  • numeracy skills e.g. analysis of quantitative data
  • teamwork e.g. collaborative action research in the workplace
  • problem solving e.g. identifying strategies to tackle workplace issues
  • analytical abilities e.g. analysing qualitative data
  • self-directed learning and initiative e.g. identifying and leading workplace development projects

The course provides access to career management skills. This is primarily provided on an individual basis through meetings between students and their Academic and Professional Advisers (APAs) or their EYPS mentors. Tutors who take on these roles are experienced early years professionals who have held leadership roles within the sector. Tutors discuss career progression opportunities and future study options with students, identifying both academic and professional study routes. They also read and provide feedback on an updated CV during the final year of study. Alongside one to one meetings with APAs, the Course Leader organises for speakers with knowledge and experience of different professional roles and specific courses to speak to students during taught sessions.