Develop your understanding of how children learn and grow while continuing your career in education.
This Foundation Degree connects university-level study with your everyday practice, helping you build the confidence, knowledge and skills to make a greater contribution in your setting.
Delivered by Activate Learning and validated by the University of Reading.
Full Time
14 September 2027
19 June 2029
TBC
2 Years
£8,590 per year
Home/EU students.
International students not accepted.
480 hours
720 hours
Turn your experience of working with children into a deeper understanding of effective educational practice.
Designed for practitioners working with children and young people from birth to 18, this course allows you to develop professionally while maintaining your existing work commitments.
You will explore the ideas behind children’s development and learning, consider different approaches to supporting them, and reflect on how these can inform your own practice.
Learning draws on your workplace experience, giving you opportunities to connect academic study with the situations you encounter in your role. You will also exchange ideas with fellow practitioners, bringing perspectives from different educational settings.
Year 1 – Level 4
Year 2 – Level 5
Modules are indicative and subject to confirmation for the year of entry.
Teaching
You will learn through lectures, seminars, tutorials and group activities, connecting your studies with your experience in the workplace.
College attendance takes place each week alongside your relevant employment or volunteering.
Assessment
Assessment relates to professional practice and may include essays, case studies, presentations and a research project.
Support
You will have a range of support made available to you, including academic and pastoral support, learning support and access to additional support funds (if eligible). Please see our Support Pages for further information.
You will be provided with a suitably equipped place to work when attending college, which will include access to specialist staff, IT facilities and other learning resources which will be appropriate for the nature of work you will be required to undertake.
Additionally, the college offers a wide range of other resources and facilities including additional learning support, which will be available to you, further details of which can found in the Higher Education Student Handbook.
Additional study support
Whether you have a recognised disability, specific learning difficulty, or not, you will be eligible to access additional learning support in all the following areas:
Applicants for the Foundation Degree in Children’s Development and Learning will normally be expected to possess at least one of the following:
Relevant work experience:
Applications from students returning to education who do not possess the formal entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant industry experience, will be considered on merit but would normally be expected to have achieved a Level 2 Maths and English qualification.
All applicants will be interviewed prior to a decision being made.
English language requirements:
To ensure that each applicant can demonstrate their capability to learn and be assessed at the relevant level in English, students who are non-native English speakers and who have not carried out their final two years of schooling in English will be required to demonstrate their ability at a standard equivalent to:
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2
PTE Academic 51, or IELTS 5.5 (reading and writing must be at 5.5).
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
We welcome applications from people with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
If you do not meet the formal entry requirements above but have relevant work experience, training, or alternative qualifications, you may still be eligible to apply through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.
This process allows us to recognise the learning you have gained through professional practice, previous study, or other experiences when we assess your RPL application.
If you need any further advice or guidance, please see our How to Apply for a Higher Education Course, or send an enquiry through our Contact Us page.
Admissions Information
Our Admissions Policy outlines our commitment and responsibilities to applicants, while the Admissions Procedure for Higher Education explains the application and enrolment process.
All applicants are also encouraged to read our Higher Education Terms and Conditions, which provide important information and reference the relevant policies and procedures that apply to applicants and enrolled students. These can be found at the bottom of our Higher Education Policies page.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 5.5, or an accepted equivalent.
Contact us if you would like to discuss your qualifications or experience before applying.
This course can help you prepare for greater responsibility within your setting, including opportunities in leadership and management.
After successful completion, you may apply for a one-year top-up programme at the University of Reading to progress to a BA degree, subject to its entry requirements.
Further study and professional training may open routes towards Early Years Teacher Status or Qualified Teacher Status. The Foundation Degree itself does not confer either status.
Please note:
Tuition fees are published for the first year of entry only and may increase in subsequent years for new students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Office for Students.
There are a variety of funding options available to help finance your studies. If you are a UK (Home) student, you don’t have to pay your tuition fees up front. The government provides loans to cover your full tuition fee. You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan to help cover living costs. Alternatively, your fees may be paid by your employer, or we could arrange a payment schedule if you are paying your own fees.
There are no additional costs for this course, but students may wish to consider purchasing a laptop (£300 – £500) to support any remote learning.
Please read these important documents before applying for this course.
