Masters Degrees (Early Years Education)

The programme allows students to engage with current issues and debates relevant to early years education, increasing understanding of policy development and developing leadership knowledge and skills to assess the quality of early years practice. Students gain understanding of general methodology and research methods, which enables them to conduct research in early years settings.

Degree information

This programme provides the opportunity for students to access professional development that is informed by best practice in early years education. It will also prepare students for leadership roles and develop their understanding of general methodology and research methods.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), one optional module (30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules
-Contemporary Issues in the Early Years
-Early Childhood Education
-Researching Early Years and Primary Education

Optional modules
-Leadership in Early Childhood Education
-Students can also choose one from a wide range of Master's-level optional modules across the UCL IOE offering.

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a 20,000-word dissertation.

Teaching and learning
This programme is delivered through face-to-face evening sessions. Assessment is through assignments and a dissertation.

Careers

Graduates of the Early Years Education MA are currently working as nursery teachers and managers, primary school teachers, advisers to local and national government and researchers on early childhood programmes.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-PhD in Early Years Education, Institute of Education, University of London (IOE)
-Day School Teacher (Early Years), Girls' Day School Trust (GDST)
-Pre-School Teacher, Unspecified Pre-School

Employability
By taking this programme students develop an international, critical and deep understanding of early years leadership, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Early Years Education staff team at UCL Institute of Education have been at the forefront of international research for two decades including the renowned Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) project.

The research and teaching team specialise in early years leadership, pedagogy and curriculum and assessment.

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The Early Years Education (Online) MA offers exceptional career development opportunities for early childhood practitioners and other professionals worldwide. This new programme builds upon the success of our established campus-based Early Years Education MA programme.

Degree information

This Master’s degree offers students the opportunity to:
-Enhance their professional development and understanding of national and global issues in early learning, early years policy and curricula.
-Critically evaluate a range of literature about young children’s learning and best practice in early education.
-Develop their understanding of research methodology with and about young children.
-Conduct their own small-scale research project in a setting of their own choice.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of four core modules (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). There are no optional modules for this programme.

Core modules
-Contemporary Issues in the Early Years
-Early Childhood Education
-Leadership in Early Childhood Education
-Researching Early Years and Primary Education

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 20,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through online sessions based on Moodle, our virtual learning environment. Assessment is by 5,000-word coursework assignments and a 20,000-word dissertation.

Careers

This is a new programme and no information on graduate destinations is therefore available. Graduates of the campus-based Early Years Education MA are currently working as advisers to local and national governments; nursery, children’s centre and primary school senior leaders; further and higher education tutors; early years doctoral and funded researchers.

Employability
This programme will enable students to understand and reflect on current knowledge of early years policy and practice in the UK and internationally; raise awareness of research into early childhood practice and of research methods and approaches relevant to the field of study; enable early years educators to gain a critical understanding of policy development in early childhood services, at a local, national and international level.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) is ranked first for education in the QS World University Rankings (2015).

This new online programme provides students worldwide with an opportunity to access the exceptional expertise of the IOE.

The Early Years Education staff team at the IOE have been at the forefront of international research for two decades including the renowned Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) project - http://www.ioe.ac.uk/research/153.html

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This programme will equip you with the skills, understanding and experience to become a leader of learning in a wide variety of Early Years settings, including primary schools, nursery settings and children’s centres.

You will be trained across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, combining on-campus study with high quality training in schools, ensuring you gain the experience to be an outstanding teacher of children aged 3-7.

On completion of the course you will have the confidence to take up your first teaching post with a clear appreciation of the latest approaches and strategies to teaching theory, combined with extensive practical experience, to enable you to educate and inspire Early Years children.

What will I study?

The programme starts with an extensive subject knowledge and understanding audit, to identify your main strengths and weaknesses, and enable your tutor to focus on your individual development needs.

The PGCE consists of four main elements:

- Personal and Professional Development – you will develop your learning skills and will learn how to reflect upon and take charge of your own development as a trainee teacher. Gaining knowledge of how children learn and how their needs differ, you will also develop strategies for the core skills of planning, assessment, teaching and class management, along with an understanding of the education system, and of the wider professional role of a teacher in school. A critical appreciation of theoretical perspectives, philosophies and research-based findings will also be conveyed;

- Curriculum – you will learn about the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1 for each subject and how to plan, teach, and assess it across the whole primary age range. You will also learn about the Early Years Foundation Stage and the areas of Learning and Development within this;

- Specialist Strand – you will follow this both at Edge Hill University and in school. The aim is to enable you to pursue your own particular interests in Early Years and prepare for an eventual leadership role in schools or settings;

- Research Specialism – you will be immersed in the contemporary key theories and principles of early years education and undertake a relevant small-scale research project.
The importance of play-based learning will be examined in each element. Cross-curricular themes are also considered as are the practical skills of planning for learning, promoting positive attitudes and working in an extended team and with parents and carers.

One of the most important elements of this programme is the practical teaching experience you will gain through placement in one of our partnership schools or nurseries. This hands-on approach is combined with tutor-led sessions and self-study so that you can increase your ability to plan, teach and manage the learning of children aged 3-7 years. You will learn how to teach pupils across the ability range, how to assess pupils’ progress in learning, manage behaviour and maintain a happy learning environment.

The programme will develop your understanding of how children learn and also consider behaviour management, child development and other important professional issues related to the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. You will be encouraged to develop as a reflective and well informed professional.

How will I study?

A combination of academic study, group discussion and reflection, practical and work-based learning in the classroom will give you the knowledge and skills you need to become an excellent teacher. You will be supported by online and distance learning materials and encouraged to develop key skills, including the use of ICT, to support your own learning.

The course involves a significant amount of time in schools and settings. You will complete a series of placements in Early Years Foundation Stage classrooms (age range 3-7 years) and Key Stage 1 classrooms (age range 5-7 years). Here, you will work alongside mentors and peers to further your professional development.

In schools and Early Years settings you will undertake a range of differentiated training experiences which will be closely linked to your individual targets. Your teaching timetable will increase in relation to responsibility, as your training progresses and you become more confident and competent in the classroom. You will progressively assume the responsibility for the children and their achievement and progress, involving excellence in teaching, learning and assessment.

How will I be assessed?

A balanced combination of coursework and observed classroom experience will be assessed against the Professional Standards for QTS.

Before the end of your PGCE you will need to complete a Career Entry and Development Profile (CEDP) which acts as a useful bridge between your initial teacher training programme and your Induction Year as a Newly Qualified Teacher.

Who will be teaching me?

The teaching team delivering this programme has a wide range of experience and expertise as Early Years practitioners, local authority advisers, teachers in school and university tutors. They are committed to being at the forefront of developments and research within Early Years education.

What are my career prospects?

Successful completion of this PGCE allows you to gain a recommendation for QTS.

You will be well placed to progress into employment as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) in Early Years settings.

Our graduates obtain work in schools across the UK and abroad and we offer excellent support to help you gain a first post as a Newly Qualified Teacher. You will have an ability to teach in Primary schools and Early Years settings, a strong knowledge of Primary education and excellent classroom skills, so that you meet and exceed the national standards for Qualified Teacher Status.

You will also have a thorough understanding of how to teach the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum in creative ways that excite and stimulate children whilst ensuring that they make good progress. Skills in monitoring and managing your development, and an ability to reflect on alternative approaches to education, will help you to make your own informed choices and aid your career progression.

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This postgraduate qualification is designed for those who want to develop their understanding and knowledge of early years education and care. It provides ideal training and staff development pertinent to those working with young children and their families in a range of settings and situations.

Course Overview

The degree is delivered so that students can integrate work commitments and study. The course combines face-to-face delivery at the University with independent study by the student from home. Lectures/ workshops are delivered as twilight/ evening sessions or on the weekend.

The course also uses blended learning where students use online resources provided by the tutors to complement and extend classroom learning.

The MA Early Years Education and Care programme takes a critical and analytic overview of children’s early learning and care and sets this in the context of social learning and societal influences. Students will be encouraged to take a critical approach to research, theories and beliefs about children’s learning. The crucial role of adults in that learning process, as policy makers and pedagogues, will be deconstructed and debated. The course focuses on the remarkable skills of young children as powerful and competent learners; studying what they learn, how they learn, why they learn.

The programme has themes and principles which run throughout and which are linked to the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child:
-The well-being of the child
-The role of the reflective and self-critical adult in children’s early learning and well-being
-The core values that underpin all adult relationships with children: inclusion, anti-oppressive practice, respect for the child

These are threads that run through the programme, allowing students to appreciate the critical relationship between the integrative approach to children’s learning and good practice in early years settings.

Modules

During the first part of the MA programme students will study compulsory modules linked to:
-Research for and with young children
-Well-being in the early years
-Young childrens' learning
-The professional practitioner

The second part of the MA consists of undertaking a dissertation on a topic of your own interest. You will be supported during the research process with individual supervision from an experienced member of academic staff.

Key Features

This is an ideal qualification for teachers, LSAs, nursery personnel, child-minders, lecturers and course providers, Flying Start personnel and anyone interested in working with young children and their families.

The course has been designed by the School of Early Years to support professionals deliver high quality early childhood provision and deliver effective child care and education policy and initiatives However the multidisciplinary and cross-curricular nature of the course, as well as the strong emphasis on reflection, evaluation, analysis and research provide students with important transferable skills. The degree’s focus on undertaking research, academic writing skills and oral presentation skills also allow students to develop skills which are sought by employers and are transferable to several different career situations.

The course is delivered by tutors who have extensive experience of working with young children in a range of early years settings and who also have delivered postgraduate training and qualifications successfully for several years.

Assessment

The assignments are varied and designed to assess a range of different skills including critical reflection, evaluation and analysis. Assessments are designed to develop students’ practical and independent research skills where students feel confident to link issues relevant to young children’s learning within a theoretical academic context.

Assessment includes both written tasks as well as opportunities to develop oral skills during seminar presentations.

Those who wish to gain the MA will complete a research dissertation during the second part of their studies which provides an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of research in an area related to early literacy. Students will be supported during the process with individual supervision from an experienced member of the academic staff.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the MA have gone on to further their careers as:
-Advisory teachers in the Foundation Phase
-Headteachers
-CSSIW senior managers
-Integrated centre managers
-Further Education lecturers

Several of the current School of Early Childhood personnel have graduated with the MA Early Childhood.

The early years focus of this course allows students to demonstrate to employers an expertise in an area currently the focus of government education initiatives. Developing an expertise within early years can support students to take advantage of promotion opportunities or new responsibilities within their current employment.

The degree also focuses on developing students’ research skills, written and oral communication skills as well providing students with excellent time management and organisation skills. These are all skills which are highly sought after by a variety of diverse employers, and thus skills gained during the degree are transferable to different career pathways.

The School of Early Years works closely with employers and has developed an employer forum with local employers. The forum meets regularly and helps the lecturing team ensure that the content of the degree supports the types of skills and experiences required of graduates when applying for work.

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Why choose this course

Our course aims to:
• support you in becoming a specialist in early childhood development
• enable you to gain a postgraduate certificate that reflects your specialist role working with babies and children from birth to five years old.

About this course:

Upon completing this course, you will be a specialist in early childhood development and will have Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). This will reflect the specialist role that you have in working with babies and children from birth to five years old.
Early Years Teacher Status is awarded to graduates who have been judged to have met all of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) in practice. We offer both full and part-time options to gain EYTS.

Available pathways
We offer two pathways that you can choose to complete in order to achieve Early Years Teacher Status:
Graduate Entry (GE): (12 months full-time)
You’ll study Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) through reflective teaching modules, alongside academic modules and placements within the sector.
Graduate – Employment Based (GEB): (12 months part-time)
You’ll be currently working in an early years setting, and require training and further experience to demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years). Alternatively, you may be a newly recruited graduate in an early years setting. You will study reflective teaching modules, alongside academic modules and your working practice.

Which pathway should I choose?
When you apply, we can help you to decide the right pathway for you.
A key element of your training is practical experience in an early years setting. Placements will help develop your key skill sets. As a minimum, you’ll spend the following periods of time training in the early years sector:
GE pathway - 120 days (24 weeks)
GEB pathway - As determined by the training programme.
Whichever pathway you choose, you must complete a minimum of two weeks in a school in Key Stage 1.
Throughout your PG Certificate in Early Years, you’ll complete assessed teaching placements and additional enhanced placement opportunities that will provide you with challenging, varied, and exciting experiences. For the duration of your placement, you will be supported by a placement/setting mentor and a University of Derby assessment mentor.
Upon completing your course, you’ll have earned 60 credits towards a masters qualification, which means you can progress to stage 2 of a masters degree and quickly progress in your professional career. Our tutors enjoy a strong reputation for the quality of their training, so you can be confident that you’ll be learning from a highly-qualified and competent team.
What is an Early Years Teacher?
Early Years Teachers will be specialists in early childhood development and will have Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), reflecting the specialist role that they have in working with babies and children from birth to five years old.
Early Years Teachers make the education and care of babies and children their first concern. They are accountable for achieving the highest possible standards in their professional practice and conduct.
The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) support the training, assessment and award of Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS). Early Years Teacher Status is awarded to graduates who have been judged to have met all of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) in practice from birth to five years old.
Early Years Teacher Status will be seen as the equivalent of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), as the entry requirements are the same as for Primary Initial Teacher Training (ITT).
For more information about the role of Early Years Teachers, visit National Careers Service.

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Providing children with a quality early childhood education experience contributes to their education success in later years. If you are passionate about equipping young children with the skills to be engaged lifelong learners, then a career in early childhood education is for you. Work with infants and young children to inspire and stimulate their learning and skill development.

This specialisation will qualify you to teach infants and children from birth to eight years of age in childcare, kindergarten and preschools, and to support children's transition to school.

You will gain an understanding of learning at the heart of teaching by examining the learning process and the aspects that influence it, while building a repertoire of strategies to manage young children's learning. Drawing on contemporary theories and practices of early childhood education you will gain an appreciation of the positive impact and power teaching can have on influencing young children's learning and development.

You will engage with current education policies and priorities, at the local and international level, and learn to apply these in practice. You will learn to develop the required skills to create sustainable partnerships across networks.

You will examine the importance of literacy and numeracy in early childhood education as well as the importance of play in a young child's development. By gaining an understanding of how young children learn scientific and technological concepts in everyday contexts, you will be equipped to explore ways in which digital technologies can enhance learning.

You will gain professional experience through 60 days of supervised teaching placements in early childhood settings.

Graduates of this course are prepared for leadership in early childhood educational settings.

Visit the website http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/teaching-d6001?domestic=true

Course Structure

The course is structured in three parts. Orientation studies, relevant across all specialisations, and specialist education studies come together and are applied in context in professional experience and inquiry.

Part A: Orientation studies
These studies provide an orientation to the field of Education. You will consider the nature of learning and the influences upon it, and the nature of teaching and teachers' work within the broader family and community context within which children's and young people's learning takes place. You will also develop your understanding of literacy as the basis of how we learn, both formally and informally, across the age span.

Part B: Specialist education studies
These studies will provide you with advanced knowledge and skills relevant to thoughtful, innovative and evidence-based practice within your chosen specialisation. You will acquire both the broad principles of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment that underpin the teaching and learning of children and young people in varied education settings, and the specific knowledge required to apply these principles in particular school learning areas.

Part C: Applied professional practice
Professional experience placements in educational settings relevant to your teaching specialisation will enable you to connect the theoretical components your course with practical aspects of teaching and learning under the valuable guidance of practitioners. You will also study the complex and powerful role that teachers have as leaders in classroom, school, and community settings, with the power to change, and develop strategies to enable you to take your place as an active contributor to shaping education locally and globally. If you are in a single sector specialisation, you will also have the opportunity to undertake an extended professional project.

For more information visit the faculty website - http://www.study.monash/media/links/faculty-websites/education

Find out how to apply here - http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/teaching-d6001?domestic=true#making-the-application

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This programme is for you if you have some experience in the early years sector and wish to develop your knowledge and gain Early Years Teacher Status.

As an early years teacher, you can play an essential role in children's development , providing high-quality early education. This Early Years Teacher Status programme will teach you how to use your knowledge and skills to ensure all children have access to high standards of learning. It is awarded to graduates who have been judged to have met all of the Teachers' Standards (Early Years) in practice from birth to five years old.

The Teachers' Standards (Early Years) support the training, assessment and award of EYTS. Funding is available from the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). Your course fees will be covered by an NCTL grant. If your first degree is at 2.2 or above you will also be eligible for a bursary to help cover any additional study costs. For further details please visit the education.gov.uk website.

You will spend 120 days, or 24 weeks, working on placement in early years settings in order to demonstrate that you meet the teaching standards. This will include experience across all age groups from birth to five years, and at least two weeks in a school at Key Stage 1. The Department of Education & Community Studies has strong partnerships with education providers and other early years settings and we will support you in finding suitable local placements.

The aims of the programme are:

- To develop professional practice with children from birth - five years
- To develop leadership skills in the early years
- To support and lead reflective practice and quality provision in early years.

Visit the website http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/pg/eduge/eytsprof

Education - General

Our programmes in education benefit post graduate professionals and researchers from a wide range of backgrounds. Focus on independent research. Or combine taught coursework with a supervised thesis. You can tailor your programme to suit your own interests and ambitions.

What you'll study

Full time
- Year 1:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

Early Years Teacher Status Portfolio of Practice (30 credits)
Mentor Preparation for the Children's Workforce (15 credits)
Keeping Children Safe from Harm (15 credits)

Students are required to choose 1 course from this list of options.

Leading and Managing in the Early Years (30 credits)
Leadership and Management in Early Years: Working in a Multi Professional Context (30 credits)

Students are required to choose 1 course from this list of options.

Child Development and Learning: Birth to Five Years (30 credits)
The Child's Lived Experience: Developing Confident Learners (30 credits)

Fees and finance

Your time at university should be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is important that it is not spoilt by unnecessary financial worries. We recommend that you spend time planning your finances, both before coming to university and while you are here. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Assessment

The programme is assessed in a variety of ways, including reports, essays, presentations and practical performance. All assessment is designed to enhance your professional development and strengthen your understanding of issues affecting the birth to five age range.

Professional recognition

This programme is accredited through the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). Early Years Teacher Status is awarded when all the early years teaching standards have been judged to be met. This award does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status.

Career options

Early years specialists with Early Years Teacher Status can aspire to become leaders of practice in early years settings.

Find out how to apply here - http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/apply

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The PGCE Early Years Teacher Status part-time programme is for you if you are currently working in the early years sector, have an undergraduate degree in a related subject, and wish to gain Early Years Teacher Status.

You will need permission from your employer to be released for study, and to attend placements as necessary.

As an early years teacher, you can play an essential role in children's development, providing high-quality early education. This Early Years Teacher Status programme will teach you how to use your knowledge and skills to ensure all children have access to high standards of learning. It is awarded to graduates who have been judged to have met all of the Teachers' Standards (Early Years) in practice from birth to five years old.

The Teachers' Standards (Early Years) support the training, assessment and award of EYTS. Funding is available from the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). Your course fees will be covered by an NCTL grant and your employer will receive up to £7,000 to cover your release.

The Department of Education & Community Studies has strong partnerships with education providers and other early years settings and we will support you in finding suitable local placements.

The aims of the programme are:

- To develop your professional practice with children from birth - five years
- To develop your leadership skills in the early years
- To support and lead reflective practice and quality provision in early years.

Visit the website http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/courses/pg/eduge/eyts

Education - General

Our programmes in education benefit post graduate professionals and researchers from a wide range of backgrounds. Focus on independent research. Or combine taught coursework with a supervised thesis. You can tailor your programme to suit your own interests and ambitions.

What you'll study

Part time
- Year 1:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.

The Child's Lived Experience: Developing Confident Learners (30 credits)
Leadership and Management in Early Years: Working in a Multi Professional Context (30 credits)
Early Years Teacher Status Portfolio of Practice (30 credits)

Fees and finance

Your time at university should be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is important that it is not spoilt by unnecessary financial worries. We recommend that you spend time planning your finances, both before coming to university and while you are here. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Assessment

The programme is assessed in a variety of ways, including reports, essays, presentations and practical performance.

Professional recognition

This programme is accredited through the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). Early Years Teacher Status is awarded when all the early years teaching standards have been judged to be met. This award does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status.

Career options

Early years specialists with Early Years Teacher Status can aspire to become leaders of practice in early years settings.

Find out how to apply here - http://www2.gre.ac.uk/study/apply

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Develop a variety of teaching approaches to become an outstanding teacher of children in Early Years.

Partnerships with local schools and early years settings give you opportunities to put theory into practice on two contrasting placements, supported by experienced mentors and University staff as you develop the knowledge and skills to meet the national requirements for Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

This course is accredited by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (a department of the Department for Education) to deliver Initial Teacher Training

Visit the website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/postgraduate/next-year/early-years-birth-to-7-with-eyts

Course detail

• Study on a course designed to enable you to join a challenging and rewarding profession – becoming an effective and inspiring teacher who draws on broad knowledge and secure understanding of early years teaching and learning theories – delivered by a long-established teacher training partnership
• Explore your passion for working with babies and young children, as you apply your subject knowledge and expertise to planning and managing early years teaching, and hone your skills of critical self-evaluation and improvement
• Develop your experience in the workplace as well as research interests that you can apply to your own practice
• Gain knowledge of key policy developments in the Early Years and foundation phase, with added consideration of international perspectives
• Benefit from a qualification that gives you recommendation for Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), enabling you to work in a nursery, private childcare setting, free school and academy; to start your own setting or take up work as a childminder
• Pursue continuous development through further study at MA/MSc, MPhil, PhD and EdD levels.

Modules

• The Professional Early Years Practitioner
• High Quality Practice in the Early Years
• The Early Years Researcher
• The Reflective Early Years Practitioner

Assessment

You will be assessed through a range of tasks, including presentations, portfolios, development of resources, research proposals, written tasks and a research project in an area of particular interest to you.

As part of your Early Years placement, you will be observed teaching and working with young children by your mentor and University tutor. This will support your development as an Early Years teacher and allow you to focus on ensuring that you meet the necessary Early Years Teacher Standards.

In all your assessments, you will be encouraged and supported to make links between your developing practice in the workplace and your unit assessments.

Careers

Early Years Teacher Status is a new nationally-recognised qualification. This course will place you at the forefront of the profession.

The course enables you to become an outstanding practitioner in an early years setting and school, qualified to teach young children from birth to age 5.

You will keep abreast of policy and research developments, engage in research at your own setting and work with families and other professionals to improve outcomes for babies and young children.

You are also likely to take up further study to Masters Level, e.g. MA Education, MA Education (Early Years), MA Education (Special Educational Needs), MA Education (Leadership) and beyond.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

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About the course

Our Primary and Secondary PGCEs are "Outstanding" (Ofsted, 2015).

All our Education courses have been developed in collaboration with Partnership schools and the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). This ensures not only the highest possible quality of provision, but also relevance in reflecting national and school-level priorities in Education.

Aims

School and Local Authorities are increasingly seeking to employ teachers with not only high levels of competence and skill in classroom practice, but practitioners who have advanced subject knowledge for teaching and enhanced knowledge of systems and theories relevant to education. Therefore, the aims of this program are:

-to enable student teachers to develop a critical understanding of issues and theories that impact upon classroom practice in teaching, learning and assessment in secondary schools;
-to support student teachers in their exploration and critical reflection on their own and others practice in relation to national and regional priorities and policies and current research relevant to the Key Stages for this programme;
-to promote student teachers' practical teaching skills and subject knowledge for teaching across the relevant Key Stages for this programme, making links with relevant theory to inform practice.

The programme aims to further develop students' existing transferable skills in communication, literacy, numeracy and critical reasoning. It is suitable for those who wish to gain employment as teachers and who aspire to progress to leadership and management roles in schools or in the wider world of education. It will provide an excellent foundation for progression to either higher academic or advanced professional qualifications.

Course Content

The PGCE is an intensive programme, which combines an exploration of principles and methods of teaching and learning with practical school-based teaching placements. It lasts for 36 weeks from early September to late June.

The Secondary programme prepares you to work with pupils aged 11-16. At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our Partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

The PGCE Secondary courses are structured around three modules, which share a generic General Professional Education (GPE) component. The GPE programme involves an enquiry based learning approach, which combines taught sessions with independent professional learning activities (PLAs). These PLAs require independent research, which is either school-related or school-based. The three PGCE modules are:

1. Education Studies I

This module covers the following GPE themes:
Professionalism, values and reflective practice;
Safeguarding, child protection and e-safety;
Understanding curriculum and the National Curriculum;
Supporting learners, learning and effective behaviour management;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with SEND and SEBD;
Effective planning and teaching to promote pupil progress;
Assessment and its role in promoting effective learning.
You will also focus on teaching and learning issues of particular concern to your phase or subject specialism.

2. Education Studies II

This module covers the following GPE themes:
Applying for your first post;
Understanding data analysis to support effective teaching and learning;
Behaviour for learning and the wider professional responsibilities of the subject teacher;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with English as an Additional Language, pupils receiving the Pupil Premium and able pupils;
Safeguarding with a focus on the Prevent and Channel national strategy and bullying and homophobic bullying.
You will also continue to focus on teaching and learning issues of particular concern to your phase or subject specialism.

3. Education Studies III

This module focuses specifically on supporting student teachers to make an effective transition into their first post and examines the following themes in GPE:
Preparing for induction and the professional learning action plan for your first post;
Pathways into leadership in education;
Learning outside the classroom;
Contributing to the wider aspects of the formal and informal curriculum and your wider professional role as a teacher.

Subject Specific Course Content

The aim of Physical Education is to develop physical competence so that all children are able to move efficiently, effectively and safely and understand what they are doing. The outcome, physical literacy, is as essential as literacy and numeracy to ensure the holistic educational development of young people in our society.

The PGCE Secondary Physical Education course at Brunel University London has a long standing national reputation for high quality teacher education in our subject area. The course is very popular, drawing on outstanding expertise and experience in this field from both academic and school staff. Many of our alumni have gone on to become school leaders, not only within Physical Education, but also as members of senior management teams in school at an early stage in their career because of the high standards and expectations we have for our student teachers. We retain very close links with our community of Physical Education alumni and many of them go on to be mentors for our student teachers, are involved in selection and recruitment of the next generation of PE teachers from Brunel or contribute to aspects of teaching on the programme where they have specific expertise.

School Experience

School-based professional learning is a compulsory element of all programmes leading to a recommendation for QTS. The course involves the statutory requirement of at least 120 days of school experience in the form of block school placements undertaken in at least two different contexts.

Our current partnership schools are mainly located in the West London area and adjoining Home Counties. We have developed close links with a number of very good schools over a number of years, and offer placements within carefully chosen schools that provide an appropriate professional learning experience. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the schools we work with is a distinctive aspect of our provision and we are equally proud of the diversity of our student teacher cohort, who reflect the communities in which many of them go on to work as teachers.

You will be allocated a school-based mentor, selected for their experience and expertise, who is there to help you develop and learn while you are on placement. The importance of this person should not be underestimated. Teaching is a very challenging profession and with the help of your school-based mentor and your University tutor we aim to make sure that you have support every step of the way, encouraging reflection and development.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Childcare Disqualification and Prohibition Orders

As an accredited provider of Initial Teacher Education we have to have regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We ensure that all student teachers have been subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks, including a check of the children’s barred list.

The Department for Education has published statutory guidance on the application to schools of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006. We undertake our responsibility to ensure that the student teachers are not, therefore, disqualified from childcare or that the student teacher has obtained a childcare disqualification waiver from Ofsted. We also check that candidates are not subject to a prohibition order for teaching issued by the Secretary of State.
We also offer student teachers the opportunity to experience placements in alternative settings, which include special schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), young offenders institutions. This further demonstrates our commitment to preparing teachers to work with young people in a diverse range of educational contexts.

Teaching

We adopt an enquiry-based learning approach in our PGCE Secondary courses where students are encouraged to research and investigate a range of broad and subject specific educational themes and issues and bring their findings back for discussion in interactive lectures, workshops and seminars. These themes and issues address national, regional and partnership priorities as well as specific areas for investigation with the subject area.

Assessment

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
The PGCE Secondary programme carries 60 Master’s Level credits and requires you to successfully complete three formally assessed pieces of academic work during the year.
All of these assessments also require an accompanying portfolio of evidence.
The Master’s Level credits provide an excellent foundation for future academic and professional study.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Alongside the PGCE academic award for your programme, you will also be assessed for the recommendation of QTS. In order to be recommended for QTS you are required to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2013) in both the University and in school and alternative education settings. All aspects of the programme are designed around you being able to demonstrate that you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards.

Part 1 of the Teachers’ Standards require you to:

Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
Plan and teach well structured lessons
Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
Make accurate and productive use of assessment
Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
(Teachers’ Standards, DfE, 2013)

Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards require students to demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

As the PGCE is a professional course, 100% attendance is an expectation.

Recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status will be made by the Secondary PGCE Examination Board for all those who successfully demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards as shown in the requirements for University and school-based work.

Special Features

As a leading centre of education and with roots in teacher education dating back to 1798, we are able to provide first class teacher education that is internationally recognised.

A Brunel PGCE is a recognised symbol of quality teacher education which accounts for our high employment rates.

At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

You will benefit from an established partnership between Brunel and a variety of educational institutions and local schools. Brunel education degrees offer multicultural placement learning opportunities. For example, our location in West London and our diverse and well-established schools network means you will gain highly-valued placement learning experiences in vibrant multicultural schools.

Beyond ITE, for early career teachers we offer the Masters in Teaching (MAT), where students can utilise their 60 PGCE Masters level credits to continue their postgraduate studies part-time, whilst also meeting the requirements outlined for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and early career development. Where schools have qualified for Enhanced Partnership status with Brunel University London, NQTs in those schools have access to the first year MAT module for free, illustrating our commitment to supporting NQTs into and through their first year of teaching. We also offer a Masters in Education (MAEd), a Doctorate in Education (EdDoc) and PhD postgraduate routes through the Department of Education. This continuum of provision ensures a commitment to teacher education and professional learning at all stages and the growing community of professional practice strengthens our Partnership.

Staff are nationally and internationally recognised for their research, and liaise with government and other agencies on education policy issues. The Department of Education is host to a number of research centres, including the Brunel Able Children’s Centre. The process of learning is informed by cutting-edge research by staff in the strands of: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Pedagogy and Professional Practice (PPP).

You can take advantage of free access to our excellent University Academic Skills service, ASK.

We have an award winning Professional Development Centre.

Our library has been nominated for national awards for its outstanding provision.

We have on-site volunteering opportunities through our Brunel Volunteers provision.

Our Disability and Dyslexia Service team have an excellent track record of support for students.

Our Union of Brunel Students provides you with a range of additional support and a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities and social events.

There is excellent University-wide access to PCs and the Internet, as well as free loan of media equipment and music/recording studios, and web space on the University server.

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We have a long standing reputation for high quality teaching and research and we are dedicated to transforming the lives of children and young people in the UK and around the world.

With a thriving community of practice, the Early Years department has a well-earned national reputation. Our tutors have all taught in schools and are experts in their own disciplines within the Early Years field.

Our MA Education Early Years Pathway offers opportunities for graduates who work in early years to extend their knowledge, understanding and skills in ways that are ‘inspiring and eye opening: it will change the way you think’ (MA Education Early Years Pathway student).

This course enables you to:

• critically evaluate the impact of recent legislation and policy on Early Years provision
• enhance your knowledge and understanding of children’s development in its widest sense
• investigate and critique theoretical perspectives in early childhood and their applications to practice
• engage with multi-disciplinary research and literature influencing developments in Early Years policy and practice
• critically explore developments in the Early Years field, in the UK and internationally

Throughout the course we encourage you to engage with other professional colleagues and specialist tutors in order to develop a secure understanding of the issues and dynamics of Early Years teaching, ultimately informing your professional practice.

There are three levels of qualification available through the MA. If you study two specified modules, you will receive a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Early Years). If you study four specified modules, you will receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Early Years). If you complete four modules and a dissertation or research thesis, you will receive the full MA in Education (Early Years).

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This part-time work-based course provides intensive specialist training in becoming an early years teacher that will enable you to gain the Early Years Teacher Status in one year. Alongside you will also complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Studies in Education (60 masters-level credits) which may count towards a full masters qualification.

What will you study?

You will gain a greater understanding of what it is to be an early years teacher within the Early Years Foundation Stage and the knowledge that underpins the delivery of this to babies and children in the birth to five years age range. Topics covered include, safeguarding and child protection, early literacy and phonics, early maths, personalised progress and tracking and leadership and management.

As an early years teacher, you play an essential role in children's development between birth and the age of five, providing high-quality early education. By training to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage whilst undertaking the Graduate Employment Based course, you will learn how to use your knowledge and skills to ensure children benefit from a high standard of early years teaching.

Employment of early years teachers

The Government wants to give more autonomy to headteachers so that they can decide who is best qualified and suited to teach in their schools. Early years teachers will be specialists in birth to five years old and will be ideally placed to fulfil the needs of employers in private and independent settings and schools to provide high-quality education and care for babies and young children. Settings and schools are able to take advantage of changes introduced in September 2013 that mean that head teachers will have even more flexibility and freedom on pay and will be able to place staff on the most appropriate point on the relevant pay scales.

Training and assessment pathway

The Graduate Employment Based pathway is designed for graduates in an early years setting who require some additional training and further experience to demonstrate the Teachers' Standards (Early Years).

Trainees will be required to undertake a the minimum of a two-week alternative placement in an appropriate early years setting as well as 10 days in a Key Stage 1 school. However, depending on experience this may be extended to four weeks if it is identified that the trainee requires more experience in a specific age group within an early years setting.

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This MA offers you the opportunity to explore current issues within early childhood education in national and international contexts, and can open up a wide range of career opportunities in areas including childcare management, lecturing and research.

It focuses on the crucial role that experiences in early education play in producing happy, healthy and successful children. Drawing on your own professional experience, practice and interests you'll be able to research and develop specialist areas of expertise within this field.

Specifically, our re-validated course provides an exciting new opportunity to:
• Engage in rigorous and critical professional development
• Explore issues of relevance to your own workplace
• Enhance your skills in research and critical enquiry
• Investigate the latest research
• Innovate and lead practice

Visit the website: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/postgraduate/early-childhood-education.aspx

Course detail

The range of modules is designed to reflect the range of expertise and specialisms within the Early Childhood Directorate teaching team, who are passionate about using insights from their research to enhance your learning experience. You will have the opportunity to develop your own research and specialist areas of expertise, based on personal interests and professional experiences. We encourage you to gain experience as a researcher, and there may be opportunities to get involved in research projects and student internships within the Faculty of Education.

You will study a core module at the outset which will help you develop an understanding of Level 7 learning and the importance of reflection on practice, as you begin to develop effective Level 7 writing skills and abilities.

• Professional Development through Research, Reflection and Professional Practice (core 20 credit module)

As you progress you will have the opportunity to develop these skills further in a range of optional 20 credit modules. Options include the following although some combinations may be limited due to your mode of study (full/part¬time). All modules are subject to change.

• Early Childhood Education: Curricular and Pedagogical Approaches (optional)
• Leading Quality Practice in Early Childhood Education (optional)
• Policy and Practice in Early Childhood Education (optional)
• Learning Outdoors in Early Childhood (optional)
• Children’s Lives in Context: Historical and International Perspectives (optional)
• Children and Charities in Early Childhood Education (optional)
• Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (optional)
• Early Childhood Education: Negotiated Project (optional)

The final 60 credits of the course are designed to enable you to demonstrate self-direction and originality in conducting an independent research study into a specialist area in early childhood education.

Suitability

The MA attracts a wide range of graduates from a variety of backgrounds not necessarily Early Years related but those who wish to expand and deepen their knowledge of young children from birth to 8 years. Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities hosted by the University such as conferences, open lectures, and visits to early years settings.

Format

You'll study using a variety of learning and teaching strategies involving you as an active participant in the process of learning and teaching depending upon the mode of delivery. Modules typically consist of a series of lectures, workshops and seminars which are delivered over the course of seven weeks. Some modules may be offered on a blended basis combining face to face Saturday sessions with access to online learning resources. Blended delivery is particularly appropriate where the module content demands experiential learning and some sessions may include field work as well as classroom based activities. It is also appropriate for modules such as the Negotiated Project where students are encouraged to further their own specific research interests with one-to-one tutor support.

All learning will be supported through the use of the University Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard) as well as other digital media. Individual tutorials are offered to students in all modules and individual supervision forms an essential part of work on the dissertation. The module tutor or the Programme Director will act as your personal tutor.

Assessment

The programme uses a range of assessment types including presentations, action research reports, reflective commentaries, literature reviews and document analysis. You will also complete a 15,000 word dissertation based on your research interests.

What can I do next?

As a programme of rigorous and critical professional development, the MA Early Childhood Education can open up a wide range of opportunities. Graduates from the MA Early Childhood Education have been successful in pursuing careers in a variety of different professional contexts with roles including Lecturer in Early Years, Nursery Manager, Childrens Centre Manager, Deputy Headteacher (primary) and Creative Early Years Specialist. Some students have gone on to enroll on doctoral programmes and to undertake a PhD based on their particular research interests.

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow this link: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/how-to-apply/how-to-apply.aspx

Funding

-Masters Loans-

From 2016/17 government loans of up to £10,000 are available for postgraduate Masters study. The loans will be paid directly to students by the Student Loans Company and will be subject to both personal and course eligibility criteria.

For more information available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/funding-your-postgraduate-degree.aspx

-2017/18 Entry Financial Support-

Information on alternative funding sources is available here: https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/funding-your-degree/2017-18-entry-financial-support.aspx

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About the course

Our Primary and Secondary PGCEs are "Outstanding" (Ofsted, 2015).

All our Education courses have been developed in collaboration with Partnership schools and the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL). This ensures not only the highest possible quality of provision, but also relevance in reflecting national and school-level priorities in Education.

Aims

School and Local Authorities are increasingly seeking to employ teachers with not only high levels of competence and skill in classroom practice, but practitioners who have advanced subject knowledge for teaching and enhanced knowledge of systems and theories relevant to education. Therefore, the aims of this program are:

to enable student teachers to develop a critical understanding of issues and theories that impact upon classroom practice in teaching, learning and assessment in secondary schools;
to support student teachers in their exploration and critical reflection on their own and others practice in relation to national and regional priorities and policies and current research relevant to the Key Stages for this programme;
to promote student teachers' practical teaching skills and subject knowledge for teaching across the relevant Key Stages for this programme, making links with relevant theory to inform practice.

The programme aims to further develop students' existing transferable skills in communication, literacy, numeracy and critical reasoning.
It is suitable for those who wish to gain employment as teachers and who aspire to progress to leadership and management roles in schools or in the wider world of education. It will provide an excellent foundation for progression to either higher academic or advanced professional qualifications.

Course Content

The PGCE is an intensive programme, which combines an exploration of principles and methods of teaching and learning with practical school-based teaching placements. It lasts for 36 weeks from early September to late June.

The Primary programme prepares you to work with pupils aged 5-11. At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our Partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

The PGCE Primary course is structured around three modules, which share a generic General Professional Education (GPE) component. The GPE programme involves an enquiry based learning approach, which combines taught sessions with independent professional learning activities (PLAs). These PLAs require independent research, which is either school-related or school-based.

The three PGCE modules are:

1. Education Studies I
This module covers the following GPE themes:
Professionalism, values and reflective practice;
Safeguarding, child protection and e-safety;
Understanding curriculum and the National Curriculum;
Supporting learners, learning and effective behaviour management;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with SEND and SEBD;
Effective planning and teaching to promote pupil progress;
Assessment and its role in promoting effective learning.
Applying for your first post;
Understanding data analysis to support effective teaching and learning;
Behaviour for learning and the wider professional responsibilities of the subject teacher;
Inclusive education, with a specific focus on supporting pupils with English as an Additional Language, pupils receiving the Pupil Premium and able pupils;
Safeguarding with a focus on the Prevent and Channel national strategy and bullying and homophobic bullying.

2. Education Studies II
This module aims to develop understanding of the learning, teaching and assessment of the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 & 2, in the Core (English, Mathematics and Science) and Foundation subjects (Computing, Physical Education, History, Geography, Religious Education, Art and Music).
The primary focus will be on developing approaches to maximise the impact you can make on pupil progress (TS2). This module focuses on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and ways to meet the differentiated needs of a range of pupils in relation to theoretical perspectives and real-life classroom applications and strategies are addressed.

3. Education Studies III (Curriculum Enhancement)
The following range of Curriculum Enhancements are usually offered: Bilingualism, Culture & Identities (BCI), Mathematics, Mathematical Thinking, Physical Education, Talk, Science, Computing
This unique module aims to develop curriculum expertise in the chosen area, whereby student teachers can:
research and develop innovative skills and projects within the context of their curriculum enhancement study and school setting;
apply the skills and principles of highly effective planning, teaching and assessment principles of National Curriculum focus areas, using a broad range of learning, teaching and assessment resources and approaches;
explore and develop skills in ‘specialised’ cross-curricula approaches.

School Experience

School-based professional learning is a compulsory element of all programmes leading to a recommendation for QTS. The course involves the statutory requirement of at least 120 days of school experience in the form of block school placements undertaken in at least two different contexts.

Our current partnership schools are mainly located in the West London area and adjoining Home Counties. We have developed close links with a number of very good schools over a number of years, and offer placements within carefully chosen schools that provide an appropriate professional learning experience. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the schools we work with is a distinctive aspect of our provision and we are equally proud of the diversity of our student teacher cohort, who reflect the communities in which many of them go on to work as teachers.

We also offer student teachers the opportunity to experience placements in alternative settings, which include special schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). This further demonstrates our commitment to preparing teachers to work with young people in a diverse range of educational contexts.

You will be allocated a school-based mentor, selected for their experience and expertise, who is there to help you develop and learn while you are on placement. The importance of this person should not be underestimated. Teaching is a very challenging profession and with the help of your school-based mentor and your University tutor we aim to make sure that you have support every step of the way, encouraging reflection and development.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Childcare Disqualification and Prohibition Orders

As an accredited provider of Initial Teacher Education we have to have regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We ensure that all student teachers have been subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks, including a check of the children’s barred list. The Department for Education has published statutory guidance on the application to schools of the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations 2009 and related obligations under the Childcare Act 2006. We undertake our responsibility to ensure that the student teachers are not, therefore, disqualified from childcare or that the student teacher has obtained a childcare disqualification waiver from Ofsted. We also check that candidates are not subject to a prohibition order for teaching issued by the Secretary of State.

The application will cost £51.86 (this amount may be subject to change) and the University will send further instructions as part of the admissions process. For further guidance please email [email protected].

Teaching

We adopt an enquiry-based learning approach in our PGCE Primary courses where students are encouraged to research and investigate a range of broad and subject specific educational themes and issues and bring their findings back for discussion in interactive lectures, workshops and seminars. These themes and issues address national, regional and partnership priorities as well as specific areas for investigation with the subject area.

Assessment

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
The PGCE Primary programme carries 60 Master’s Level credits and requires you to successfully complete three formally assessed pieces of academic work during the year.
All of these assessments also require an accompanying portfolio of evidence.
The Master’s Level credits provide an excellent foundation for future academic and professional study.

Qualified Teacher Status
Alongside the PGCE academic award for your programme, you will also be assessed for the recommendation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). In order to be recommended for QTS you are required to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards (DfE, 2013) in both the University and in school and alternative education settings. All aspects of the programme are designed around you being able to demonstrate that you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards.

Part 1 of the Teachers’ Standards require you to:
Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
Plan and teach well structured lessons
Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
Make accurate and productive use of assessment
Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
Fulfil wider professional responsibilities (Teachers’ Standards, DfE, 2013)

Part 2 of the Teachers’ Standards require students to demonstrate the highest standards of personal and professional conduct.

As the PGCE is a professional course, 100% attendance is an expectation.

Recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status will be made by the PGCE Examination Board for all those who successfully demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards as shown in the requirements for University and school-based work.

Special Features

As a leading centre of education and with roots in teacher education dating back to 1798, we are able to provide first class teacher education that is internationally recognised.

A Brunel PGCE is a recognised symbol of quality teacher education which accounts for our high employment rates.

At the heart of our programmes is a vision that our student teachers’ teaching will impact positively on pupil progress over time in schools and that our partnership activities with schools will contribute to school improvement. We aspire for all our students to be outstanding teachers.

You will benefit from an established partnership between Brunel and a variety of educational institutions and local schools. Brunel education degrees offer multicultural placement learning opportunities. For example, our location in West London and our diverse and well-established schools network means you will gain highly-valued placement learning experiences in vibrant multicultural schools.

Beyond ITE, for early career teachers we offer the Masters in Teaching (MAT), where students can utilise their 60 PGCE Masters level credits to continue their postgraduate studies part-time, whilst also meeting the requirements outlined for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and early career development. Where schools have qualified for Enhanced Partnership status with Brunel University London, NQTs in those schools have access to the first year MAT module for free, illustrating our commitment to supporting NQTs into and through their first year of teaching. We also offer a Masters in Education (MAEd), a Doctorate in Education (EdDoc) and PhD postgraduate routes through the Department of Education. This continuum of provision ensures a commitment to teacher education and professional learning at all stages and the growing community of professional practice strengthens our Partnership.

Staff are nationally and internationally recognised for their research, and liaise with government and other agencies on education policy issues. The Department of Education is host to a number of research centres, including the Brunel Able Children’s Centre. The process of learning is informed by cutting-edge research by staff in the strands of: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Pedagogy and Professional Practice (PPP).

You can take advantage of free access to our excellent University Academic Skills service, ASK.

We have an award winning Professional Development Centre.

Our library has been nominated for national awards for its outstanding provision.

We have on-site volunteering opportunities through our Brunel Volunteers provision.

Our Disability and Dyslexia Service team have an excellent track record of support for students.

Our Union of Brunel Students provides you with a range of additional support and a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities and social events.

There is excellent University-wide access to PCs and the Internet, as well as free loan of media equipment and music/recording studios, and web space on the University server.

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A child's early years are a critical period for learning the practical, emotional and social skills that form a foundation for success in later life.

As an early years teacher you’ll support children’s development through play and care, creating a secure base from which they can safely explore their world.

This part-time employment-based route is suitable for skilled graduates who are already working with children aged from birth to five.

You'll gain training and further experience to demonstrate the Teachers' Standards (Early Years) and gain Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) alongside a solid understanding of the continuum to Key Stage 1.

Achieving EYTS means that you’ll be able to take on higher level and leadership roles to improve the experiences and life-chances of young children, providing them with the best start in life.

Our trained teachers are specialists in early childhood development and many go on to lead practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

We work in partnership with your current employer to provide training and support and offer your employer a £7,000 financial incentive to provide for your cover while you're at university and on placement.

Course structure

On this programme you will spend the majority of your time in your current workplace, with two other placements working with other age ranges including at Key Stage 1. In your workplace and on your placements you will put into practice the skills you learn through your training, with regard to current research and relevant theories.

You will attend university sessions once a month, where you will reflect on and analyse your own practice, and evaluate the work practices of your fellow practitioners. The training programme is dynamic, tailored to your individual needs and areas for improvement.

Assessment process

You will be assessed via:

• a formative review to determine your progress in meeting the Early Years Teachers' Standards
• a portfolio of evidence which relates to your practice against the Early Years Teachers' Standards
• direct observation of your practice.

Areas of study

Your training may include aspects of the following:

• placement experience with the 0–5 age group including 14 days in a school at Key Stage 1 and 16 days with an alternative age range
• development and learning in the 0–5 age group
• presentation skills
• reflective practice
• leadership skills
• working with sector professionals including speech and language therapists.

Placements

As well as gaining further experience in your early years workplace setting, you will have the opportunity to go on placement in other settings, including in a school at Key Stage 1 for two days per week over seven weeks.

In addition to your Key Stage 1 placement, you will undertake a placement with an alternative age range. This means that you will work in a different setting to your own, with a different age range. For example, if you normally work with children aged 3–5, you would have a placement working with under 3s. This placement is for two days per week for eight weeks.

At the university we have close partnerships with local schools and early years settings to support your placements. The EYITT course team will help you to arrange them and you will have the support of mentors throughout.

Why train?

How you will benefit:

• Improve and change practice in your setting.
• Lead practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage.
• Support and mentor your colleagues and others.
• Model skills and behaviours that safeguard and promote good outcomes for children.

How your setting will benefit:

• Early years teachers are leaders of change and can manage and inspire those they work with.
• Early years teachers have a wealth of up to date knowledge of effective practice that they have developed through training.
• Ofsted recognises the difference graduates are making and you will be contributing to its vision for a highly skilled workforce.
• Parents may be influenced to choose a setting that employs an early years teacher over one that doesn't.

Careers and employability

There is great demand for early years teachers to provide high-quality education for young children.

As an early years teacher, you’ll play an essential role in children’s development. By training to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), you’ll be able to use your knowledge and skills to ensure all children can experience high standards of learning.

You'll be equipped to make decisions based on the depth of your knowledge of the EYFS framework and of relevant theories and research. You'll also be alive to changing circumstances and able to respond flexibly with children’s interests at heart.

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