STUDY

This module investigates the developing child and the changes that occur over time within the
context of the family and wider social systems that children inhabit. The module has a particular focus on the aspects of child development that influence and are influenced by social context. It will include the psychological development of babies, children and young people within the family, education and the wider social systems; it seeks to explain how the interaction between biological, social and cultural factors affect lifelong patterns of change in the individual. Some of the core concepts of psychology are introduced; physical, neurological, cognitive, social, and emotional development are considered in relation to universal outcomes and individual differences.

This module is also an opportunity to introduce you to education and the underpinning values of professional practice with a particular focus on the historical, international, and contemporary conceptualisations, policies and practices of education. You are encouraged to consider how the theoretical study of the child underpins the early years and primary curriculum and adult role. 

This module explores children's health, wellbeing and inclusion, as well as on promoting resilience, and enhancing children’s life opportunities from the earliest opportunity. This module also focuses on the theoretical, political and professional contexts that frame early help for children’s health, wellbeing and inclusion and their role in enabling children to flourish within a diverse and increasingly complex society. Within this module, you are introduced to a range of debates surrounding early help for children’s wellbeing and inclusion, and the evidence base for practice, considering the intersection of family structures, inequalities, and cultural contexts. There is also a focus on inclusive practice, recognising that inclusive strategies must reflect the lived realities of children and families from diverse backgrounds. 

This module explores diverse and marginalised childhoods in critically examining the rhetoric
and reality of children’s rights. You will explore relevant legislation, like the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as well as discuss their complexities and critiques. You will also be encouraged to consider the intersectionalities of children and young people’s lives when thinking about social policy, and the roles and responsibilities of nation-states, institutions, policymakers and adults (whether parents, practitioners or wider society). The module further emphasises the complexities, challenges and opportunities for advocating for children’s voice, agency and participation, particularly in relation to childhoods that ‘deviate’ from western or dominant notions of ‘ideal types’. While adopting this perspective, the module encourages you to rethink children’s rights, agency and political lives while
highlighting the importance for social justice, socially-responsive pedagogies and socially–just practices that may enable transformative futures for children.

This module introduces you to the foundational concepts of personal and professional development within the field of childhood and education. As future practitioners, researchers, or advocates in children’s services, students must develop self-awareness, interpersonal competence, and an understanding of professional values and expectations. Through reflective practice and collaborative learning, this module supports the development of the academic, emotional, and ethical competencies required for effective and responsible
engagement with children, families, and communities in professional capacities. It also lays the groundwork for professional standards and lifelong learning in the sector and explores how engagement with theory and research influences professional values and practice. It offers you the opportunity to reflect on theoretical knowledge gained in the first year of their studies.

This module will consist of initial school experience and teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to observe children and begin to understand the classroom environment. In the 10-day block placement, you will have the opportunity to teach some whole class lessons, with the support of the class teacher.
In addition to the general school placement, you will undertake 10 days of Intensive Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement. You will be provided with a coherent range of experiences and learning opportunities which, when taken together, build upon their skills and knowledge, laying the foundations for further development. 

This module will enable you to develop their understanding of current debates and issues around childhoods and education. The focus of this module will change from year to year based on current societal topics so that you can engage with current affairs. You will critically explore and evaluate how children navigate and participate in society and education and how current societal and political developments affect them and their childhoods. You will be introduced to key current topics and debates that are framed around children’s lives and education, and they will be given the opportunity to propose suggestions for policymakers, practitioners and families for further developments in these areas.

This module provides you with essential knowledge and practical expertise for conducting research with children in diverse contexts, like within the family, in schools and within their communities. The module focuses on establishing a strong foundation on research design, introducing key steps in research process, like identifying the research problem, reviewing existing literature, formulating research questions and operationalising key concepts in research design. You will develop a critical understanding of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies, as well as methodologies that relate to practice-based projects. As the module progresses, students will engage with the empirical stages of the research process, gaining hands-on experience in a variety of data collection methods such as surveys, interviews, and observations. They will also practise introductory data analysis techniques for a range of data in primary and secondary data research designs, as well as in practice-based projects. Throughout, the module emphasises the importance of ethical considerations when researching with children and families, encouraging you to reflect on their own positionality, power dynamics, and the impact of their research practices on participants.

This module is concerned with the management and practice of learning and teaching within schools. Within this module, you are introduced to key areas of practice including behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, professional behaviours and meeting the needs of all learners (including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities/English as an Additional Language/High Learning Potential). Through this module, you will be able to develop a strong understanding of a wide range of professional responsibilities within the whole school and classroom environments.

This module enables you to gain a secure knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in English (including early reading and phonics), mathematics and science. In addition, students focusing in Early Years will be able to gain a secure knowledge in teaching within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Students focusing more on Primary education will be able to obtain a basic knowledge of the EYFS. The central focus of this module will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

This module will consist of the first assessed teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to plan, teach and assess for a class of primary age children across the full primary curriculum. In addition to the general school placement, students will undertake 11 days of Intensive
Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement.

The primary purpose of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to examine and explore in depth a topic relevant to your studies that is of interest to you. This module is also designed to help you develop independence in their learning and will enable you to demonstrate an ability to evaluate and represent issues and ideas. You will be expected to draw from their wider subject base obtained from previous and current modules. It is anticipated that this project will enable you to explore a current issue, or debate in childhood and education. You will be encouraged to use a variety of resources and methods of delivery.

This Independent Project module provides final year students with the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of self-directed research or professional enquiry related to children and young people. It recognises the interdisciplinary nature of the field, drawing on education, psychology, health, sociology, social policy, and law. The module supports a flexible approach to research that reflects the complex realities of children’s lives and services.
You may choose to explore their project through qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods of research, undertake a rapid systematic literature review, secondary data analysis or complete a practice- or work-based project within a relevant setting. This flexibility allows you to align your project with personal interests, professional aspirations, or placement experiences while demonstrating academic rigor and ethical awareness. Ultimately, the module fosters your development as ethical, independent, and reflective practitioners and researchers, well-positioned to contribute to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families across a range of settings.

Within this module, you will explore a range of approaches to education, which could be considered alternatives to mainstream education, which take place for a range of individual and societal reasons, sometimes alongside mainstream education. This module will also provide you the opportunity to learn about and discuss a variety of creative approaches to education that are inherently inclusive and might form part of some of the alternative approaches or might be techniques within and outside of mainstream education. You will critically explore and evaluate how children participate in education in other ways apart from education within a mainstream school, while also discussing and considering the use of creative and inclusive approaches within all aspects of education.

Building on the Core Subjects 1 Module, this module enables you to embed your knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in English, Mathematics and Science. In addition, Early Years trainees will be expected to deepen their understanding of teaching within the EYFS. Primary trainees will be able to obtain a more developed knowledge of the EYFS while also focusing on Primary Languages and visiting a High School. The central purpose will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

Following Core Subjects 1 and Core Subjects 2 modules, this module enables you to gain a deeper and more secure knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in a range of Foundation Subjects. In addition, trainees specializing in Early Years will be expected to gain a more secure knowledge in teaching within the EYFS. Trainees specialising in primary education will be expected to obtain a basic knowledge of the EYFS. The central purpose will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

This module will consist of a final assessed teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to plan, teach and assess for a class of primary age children across the full primary curriculum. This placement will take place in the ‘opposite’ key stage to the block placement in Year 2 to enable you to demonstrate that they can plan, teach, and assess across the primary age range.
In addition to the general school placement, you will undertake 9 days of Intensive Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement.

This module enables you, to explore, in depth, a chosen text or body of literature within their chosen field of study. In this module, you have the opportunity to critically engage with content and themes embedded or emerging within the text. The theories and concepts examined throughout the degree can be applied to key themes arising from the chosen text. This provides opportunities for critical analysis and evaluation concerning the historic and current state of knowledge in this topic area and the text. You can engage with a specific set of issues, concepts, and theories that they determine are relevant and important through which to contextualise the text.

This module investigates the developing child and the changes that occur over time within the
context of the family and wider social systems that children inhabit. The module has a particular focus on the aspects of child development that influence and are influenced by social context. It will include the psychological development of babies, children and young people within the family, education and the wider social systems; it seeks to explain how the interaction between biological, social and cultural factors affect lifelong patterns of change in the individual. Some of the core concepts of psychology are introduced; physical, neurological, cognitive, social, and emotional development are considered in relation to universal outcomes and individual differences.

This module is also an opportunity to introduce you to education and the underpinning values of professional practice with a particular focus on the historical, international, and contemporary conceptualisations, policies and practices of education. You are encouraged to consider how the theoretical study of the child underpins the early years and primary curriculum and adult role. 

This module explores children's health, wellbeing and inclusion, as well as on promoting resilience, and enhancing children’s life opportunities from the earliest opportunity. This module also focuses on the theoretical, political and professional contexts that frame early help for children’s health, wellbeing and inclusion and their role in enabling children to flourish within a diverse and increasingly complex society. Within this module, you are introduced to a range of debates surrounding early help for children’s wellbeing and inclusion, and the evidence base for practice, considering the intersection of family structures, inequalities, and cultural contexts. There is also a focus on inclusive practice, recognising that inclusive strategies must reflect the lived realities of children and families from diverse backgrounds.

This module explores diverse and marginalised childhoods in critically examining the rhetoric
and reality of children’s rights. You will explore relevant legislation, like the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), as well as discuss their complexities and critiques. You will also be encouraged to consider the intersectionalities of children and young people’s lives when thinking about social policy, and the roles and responsibilities of nation-states, institutions, policymakers and adults (whether parents, practitioners or wider society). The module further emphasises the complexities, challenges and opportunities for advocating for children’s voice, agency and participation, particularly in relation to childhoods that ‘deviate’ from western or dominant notions of ‘ideal types’. While adopting this perspective, the module encourages you to rethink children’s rights, agency and political lives while
highlighting the importance for social justice, socially-responsive pedagogies and socially–just practices that may enable transformative futures for children.

This module introduces you to the foundational concepts of personal and professional development within the field of childhood and education. As future practitioners, researchers, or advocates in children’s services, students must develop self-awareness, interpersonal competence, and an understanding of professional values and expectations. Through reflective practice and collaborative learning, this module supports the development of the academic, emotional, and ethical competencies required for effective and responsible
engagement with children, families, and communities in professional capacities. It also lays the groundwork for professional standards and lifelong learning in the sector and explores how engagement with theory and research influences professional values and practice. It offers you the opportunity to reflect on theoretical knowledge gained in the first year of their studies.

This module will consist of initial school experience and teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to observe children and begin to understand the classroom environment. In the 10-day block placement, you will have the opportunity to teach some whole class lessons, with the support of the class teacher.
In addition to the general school placement, you will undertake 10 days of Intensive Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement. You will be provided with a coherent range of experiences and learning opportunities which, when taken together, build upon their skills and knowledge, laying the foundations for further development. 

This module will enable you to develop their understanding of current debates and issues around childhoods and education. The focus of this module will change from year to year based on current societal topics so that you can engage with current affairs. You will critically explore and evaluate how children navigate and participate in society and education and how current societal and political developments affect them and their childhoods. You will be introduced to key current topics and debates that are framed around children’s lives and education, and they will be given the opportunity to propose suggestions for policymakers, practitioners and families for further developments in these areas.

This module provides you with essential knowledge and practical expertise for conducting research with children in diverse contexts, like within the family, in schools and within their communities. The module focuses on establishing a strong foundation on research design, introducing key steps in research process, like identifying the research problem, reviewing existing literature, formulating research questions and operationalising key concepts in research design. You will develop a critical understanding of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies, as well as methodologies that relate to practice-based projects. As the module progresses, students will engage with the empirical stages of the research process, gaining hands-on experience in a variety of data collection methods such as surveys, interviews, and observations. They will also practise introductory data analysis techniques for a range of data in primary and secondary data research designs, as well as in practice-based projects. Throughout, the module emphasises the importance of ethical considerations when researching with children and families, encouraging you to reflect on their own positionality, power dynamics, and the impact of their research practices on participants.

This module is concerned with the management and practice of learning and teaching within schools. Within this module, you are introduced to key areas of practice including behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, professional behaviours and meeting the needs of all learners (including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities/English as an Additional Language/High Learning Potential). Through this module, you will be able to develop a strong understanding of a wide range of professional responsibilities within the whole school and classroom environments.

This module enables you to gain a secure knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in English (including early reading and phonics), mathematics and science. In addition, students focusing in Early Years will be able to gain a secure knowledge in teaching within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Students focusing more on Primary education will be able to obtain a basic knowledge of the EYFS. The central focus of this module will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

This module will consist of the first assessed teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to plan, teach and assess for a class of primary age children across the full primary curriculum. In addition to the general school placement, students will undertake 11 days of Intensive
Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement.

The primary purpose of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to examine and explore in depth a topic relevant to your studies that is of interest to you. This module is also designed to help you develop independence in their learning and will enable you to demonstrate an ability to evaluate and represent issues and ideas. You will be expected to draw from their wider subject base obtained from previous and current modules. It is anticipated that this project will enable you to explore a current issue, or debate in childhood and education. You will be encouraged to use a variety of resources and methods of delivery.

This Independent Project module provides final year students with the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of self-directed research or professional enquiry related to children and young people. It recognises the interdisciplinary nature of the field, drawing on education, psychology, health, sociology, social policy, and law. The module supports a flexible approach to research that reflects the complex realities of children’s lives and services.
You may choose to explore their project through qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods of research, undertake a rapid systematic literature review, secondary data analysis or complete a practice- or work-based project within a relevant setting. This flexibility allows you to align your project with personal interests, professional aspirations, or placement experiences while demonstrating academic rigor and ethical awareness. Ultimately, the module fosters your development as ethical, independent, and reflective practitioners and researchers, well-positioned to contribute to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families across a range of settings.

Within this module, you will explore a range of approaches to education, which could be considered alternatives to mainstream education, which take place for a range of individual and societal reasons, sometimes alongside mainstream education. This module will also provide you the opportunity to learn about and discuss a variety of creative approaches to education that are inherently inclusive and might form part of some of the alternative approaches or might be techniques within and outside of mainstream education. You will critically explore and evaluate how children participate in education in other ways apart from education within a mainstream school, while also discussing and considering the use of creative and inclusive approaches within all aspects of education.

Building on the Core Subjects 1 Module, this module enables you to embed your knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in English, Mathematics and Science. In addition, Early Years trainees will be expected to deepen their understanding of teaching within the EYFS. Primary trainees will be able to obtain a more developed knowledge of the EYFS while also focusing on Primary Languages and visiting a High School. The central purpose will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

Following Core Subjects 1 and Core Subjects 2 modules, this module enables you to gain a deeper and more secure knowledge of the pupils’ National Curriculum in a range of Foundation Subjects. In addition, trainees specializing in Early Years will be expected to gain a more secure knowledge in teaching within the EYFS. Trainees specialising in primary education will be expected to obtain a basic knowledge of the EYFS. The central purpose will be to examine strategies for the effective learning, teaching and assessment of each subject as well as to gain the necessary subject knowledge for teaching.

This module will consist of a final assessed teaching practice. The extended placement provides opportunities for you to plan, teach and assess for a class of primary age children across the full primary curriculum. This placement will take place in the ‘opposite’ key stage to the block placement in Year 2 to enable you to demonstrate that they can plan, teach, and assess across the primary age range.
In addition to the general school placement, you will undertake 9 days of Intensive Training and Practice blocks (ITaPs). These focus on specific and foundational aspects of teaching like behaviour management or questioning techniques. They are designed to give you a concentrated, hands-on experience in applying evidence-based teaching strategies—bridging the gap between theory and classroom practice. They are delivered through a mix of campus-based training and school placement.

This module enables you, to explore, in depth, a chosen text or body of literature within their chosen field of study. In this module, you have the opportunity to critically engage with content and themes embedded or emerging within the text. The theories and concepts examined throughout the degree can be applied to key themes arising from the chosen text. This provides opportunities for critical analysis and evaluation concerning the historic and current state of knowledge in this topic area and the text. You can engage with a specific set of issues, concepts, and theories that they determine are relevant and important through which to contextualise the text.