This course is for students who wish to become a key part of the early year’s education workforce. Designed in line with Welsh Government's push to create confident, well-prepared 21st century early year practitioners, you will build an understanding of the development and learning needs of young children from 0-8 years, spanning many contexts such as child development, curriculum and pedagogy, children's mental health, behaviour management, as well as independent projects. The learning is supported by expert teaching, placements, and real-world experience.

One of the major advantages to students studying this course is that it's accredited by Social Care Wales. When you graduate, you’ll leave with Early Years Practitioner status, which is a stamp of approval in the Education Workforce.

Placement sits at the heart of this programme, allowing you to link theory to practice around areas such as activity planning, assessment and recording procedures, and Welsh language development. Through years 1-3, you’ll attend placements which accumulate to 700 hours over three years, giving you quantifiable experience and knowledge of early years education in the work place.

Designed in line with cutting-edge research and current practice, the aim of the course is to give you the knowledge, skill set, and confidence to be employable within the early year’s workforce, thus equipping you with the following:

An academic qualification, combined with Early Years Practitioner Status

The ability to confidently work with young children in areas such as safeguarding, child development, sociological and psychological elements of childhood, and more

The ability to apply theory into practice, through placements and real experience

The ability to evaluate policy, planning, and management

A developed intellectual understanding of critical reasoning, analysis, and creativity

The skills and attributes desired by employers, including leadership, communication, reflective practice, and problem-solving.

On successful completion of this degree, many students go onto study a PGCE in primary studies. Students wishing to study a PGCE at USW are guaranteed an interview with us.