Foundation Degree in Early Years

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Foundation Degree in Early Years
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Achievements

• The only recognised British University that
  exclusively offers supported distance learning
• No.1 for student satisfaction (Sunday Times
  2006)
• 25,000 students p.a. in 37 countries
• University ranked 5th for quality of teaching

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Benefits to you

• Internationally recognised qualifications
• Ability to earn while you learn
• Flexibility to harmonise study with lifestyle
• Greater professional confidence
• Enhanced job performance
• Transportable you can carry on if you move
  location
• Practical skills that can be immediately applied
  in the workplace
• Better career prospects

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Resources

• You control your own learning backed by our
  extensive support and
• a range of multiple media resources
• New technology
  
• CD-ROMs, on-line conferencing, Internet and
  specialised software.
• Traditional print based materials
  
• Workbooks, readers, course guides.
• Traditional media
  
• Audio and video
• Face- to -Face contact
• Induction, Tutorials, Residential School

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Tutor Support

• You have access to considerable level of support
  and networking
• Face-to-Face contact with tutor at tutorials with
  contact and networking with other managers from
  other industry sectors
• Telephone support from tutor
• Contact with tutors through e-mail and on-line
  conferencing and networking with other managers
• Learning feedback from tutor through assignments
  (TMAs)

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What is an Early Years Sector-Endorsed Foundation
Degree?

• May 2001 DfES announced proposals for new career
  pathway to lead to Senior Practitioner status
  based on a new Foundation Degree
• Institutions would be required to meet the
  Statement of Requirement (SOR) in developing
  their Early Years Foundation Degrees in order to
  qualify for recognition

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EYSEFD contd..

• The Statement of Requirement sets out the content
  and delivery of EYSEFD
• Learning outcomes underpinned by national
  occupational standards-endorsed by employer
  representatives
• Linked to support package for students to 2006

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EYSEFD contd..

• A key part of governments Workforce Strategy to
  provide more access to training for early years
  workers at different levels to strengthen the
  quality of service provision
• An important progression route to Early Years
  Professional status
• 146 institutions offering EYSEFDS
• Between 2003 and 2005 6,662 students began on
  EYSEFD. (DfES)

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OU Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree in Early
Years

• The Core Features of Foundation Degrees are
• Employer involvement
• The development of skills and knowledge
• Application of skills in the workplace
• Credit accumulation and transfer
• Progression within work and/or to an Honours
  Degree

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Foundation Degree in Early Years

• Experienced practitioners
• You will study five or six courses
• 4-5 years part-time
• Support as before
• TMA, Projects and /or exams
• Require use of a computer and must have internet
  access

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Foundation Degree in Early Years

• Level One Compulsory Courses
• E123 Working with children in the early years (30
  pts)
• and
• E124 Supporting childrens learning in the early
  years (30 pts)
• APEL route from July 2007
• Final level one course
• E115 Personal Professional Development Early
  Years Settings (60 pts)

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Foundation Degree in Early Years

• Level 2 Option Courses
• 60 points from one of the following
• ED209 Child Development (60pts)
• U212 Childhood (60 pts)
• K204 Working with Children and Families (60 pts)
• E230 Ways of Knowing Language, Mathematics and
  Science in the Early Years (30 pts) and
• E243 Inclusive Education Learning from Each
  Other (30pts)
• Level 2 Final Compulsory Course
• E215 Extending Personal Professional Development
  (60pts)

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Openings Course Understanding Children

• New to Study
• Open to anyone
• 20 week Course
• Two assignments and one end of course assessment.
• No exams!
• 10 credit points at Level 1 (All OU
  qualifications are modular - you are awarded
  credit points from each course, and the
  qualification is awarded when you have enough
  points).
• Tutor support via telephone email, no
  tutorials.
• Can use a computer but dont have to.

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Certificate in Early Years Practice

• E123 Working with children in the early years.
• E124 Supporting childrens learning in the early
  years

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Certificate in Early Years Practice.

• A Certificate in Early Years Practice is awarded
  on successful completion of E123 and E124.
• It is on the QCA National Qualifications
  Framework at NQF level 4 and is recognised by
  Ofsted for regulatory purposes.
• It is on the new Childrens Workforce
  Qualifications list

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E123/E124 The Course Materials

• Guide to your studies
• 14 study topics
• CDRom and DVD
• Media Guide
• Course Reader
• Assessment Guide
• Course Calendar
• Web site
• First Class Conferencing

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E123/E124 The Study Topics

• Each study topic designed to be 2 weeks study 15
  hours in total, 7-8 hours each week
• Approximately 7 hours reading, 7 hours activities
• 8-10 activities per study topic. Includes
  reading, reflection, observations/tasks to do in
  setting, video and audio activities.

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E123 Study Topics

• ST 1 - Provision for Children in the Early Years
• ST 2 Roles and Responsibilities
• ST 3 Children, Families and Transitions
• ST 4 Play and Learning
• ST 5 Observing and Listening to Children
• ST 6 Curriculum
• ST 7 Creativity and Learning
• ST 8 Language and Learning
• ST 9 Working with Others
• ST 10 Parents as Partners
• ST 11 Growing and Developing
• ST 12 Health and Well-being
• ST 13 Approaches to Teaching and Learning
• ST 14 Moving On

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E124 Study Topics

• ST 1 Supporting Childrens Learning
• ST 2 Childrens Rights and Inclusive Education
• ST 3 Inclusive Education Race, Language and
  Gender
• ST 4 Supporting Children from Birth to 3 Years
• ST 5 Enabling Creativity
• ST 6 Communication, Language and Literacy
• ST 7 Mathematical Development
• ST 8 Planning and Assessing Learning
• ST 9 ICT and Learning
• ST 10 Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• ST 11 Personal, Social and Emotional
  Development
• ST 12 Promoting Physical Development
• ST 13 Developing Positive Learning Environments
• ST 14 Professional Development in Practice.

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Learning Outcomes Summary Knowledge and
Understanding

• A knowledge of curriculum frameworks and the
  Foundation Stage, including teaching and learning
  practices and observation and assessment for
  young children
• An awareness of how policies and provisions
  relating to the regulation/promotion of
  childrens status, welfare and learning impact on
  children (and adults) in home, school and other
  contexts
• An understanding of the value of and ways of
  working with parents and of inter professional
  collaboration.

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E123/E124 Students

• Range of backgrounds and experiences
• Students may
• Be new to study or already have some
  qualifications
• See the course as a complete entity or as part of
  a Foundation Degree or BA Degree

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E123/E124 Students contd..

• Students will need
• to have been working in an early years setting
  for at least 6 months full time or a year part
  time before starting to study
• to be able to work directly with young children
  for a minimum of 5 hours a week during the
  courses
• permission from their employer to carry out
  course activities. Employers are asked to sign a
  Permission Agreement Form as part of the
  registration paperwork for these courses.

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Study Topic

• Example
• Study Topic 7 Creativity and Learning
• Study topic 7 looks at creativity and why it is
  important, creative learning, creativity and the
  curriculum and fostering a creative climate.
• 5 activities within ST 7 to complete.

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Example activity

• Study Topic 7 , activity 3 Reading and
  Observation
• The first part of this activity (the reading) may
  be done at home, but the second part (the
  observation) must be carried out in your setting.
  
• Find a copy of the curriculum policy document on
  creativity that applies to your setting, and
  identifies the sections in it that focuses on the
  development of creativity. Spend about 30 minutes
  reading these through, familiarizing yourself
  with their content.
• Then, keeping those in mind, choose a child to
  observe in your setting. Spend 15 minutes
  observing his/her behaviour then spend another
  15 minutes jotting down, in your notebook, your
  thoughts on the following questions
• What opportunities were there for you, as a
  practitioner, to develop the childs creativity
  within the terms of the formal curriculum for
  your setting?
• What was done to support or extend the childs
  creativity? What possibilities do you think may
  have been opened up for that learner, and what
  was done to enable that to happen? What else
  could be done to extend the opportunities for
  fostering this childs creativity?

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Assessment

• As well as completing the various activities
  within the 14 study topics you will be
• asked to complete work which will be assessed.
• E123 continuous assessment 3 Tutor Marked
  Assignments (TMAs)
• TMA 01 Me and My Setting (1000 words)
• TMA 02 Observing and Listening to Children (1,500
  words)
• TMA 03 Policy and Practice data gathering (2,000
  words)
• E123 end of course assessment (ECA).
• E123 ECA Reflecting on theory and practice.
  (3,000 words)
• E124 will be assessed in a similar way
• (Access to a computer is preferable but
  assignments can be hand written)

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TMAs

• Example E123, TMA 01
• Me and my setting (1000 words)
• Part One (250 words) Describe the setting in
  which you work
• (Number of children and practitioners, what
  kind of building do you work in? is there access
  to outside? what are its opening times? etc).
• Part Two (250 words) What attracted you to
  working with children in the early years, and
  what skills do you bring to the work?
  (Professional and personal reasons, where and how
  have you acquired your skills etc).

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TMAs contd..

• Part Three (250 words) What are your key roles
  and responsibilities in your setting? (the
  different activities you do daily, what
  responsibilities do you have for the children in
  your care? Who do you work and liaise with in
  your working hours? etc).
• Part Four (250 words) How do you expect the
  course to develop your thinking and practice?
  (What aspects of your work would you like to
  explore further, what skills would you like to
  develop? etc).
• Builds on your work in study topics 1-3
• All work must be referenced to the course
  materials.

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Support

• Tutor
• post, phone email
• Tutorials
• face to face contact with tutor and meet other
  students
• On-line discussion group
• OU Regional Centres
• advice if you fall behind with your study,
  directions to tutorial venues etc

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What next?
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Time Frames

• Openings Course Understanding Children
• Next start date - 1st March 2007
• 20 weeks
• Certificate in Early Years Practice
• Next start date - 3rd February 2008
• E123 - 1 year to complete
• E124 - 1 year to complete
• It can take 1 or 2 years to obtain the
  Certificate as the courses can be studied
  together in 1 year.
• Foundation Degree
• Next start date - 3rd February 2008
• It takes 4 or 5 years to complete part time
  dependent upon how many modules are taken at the
  same time.

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The Open University

• More information about the individual courses,
  the
• Certificate in Early Years Practice and the
  Foundation
• Degree in Early Years can be found at
• www.open.ac.uk/courses/