Early Childhood Studies

Are you fascinated by how children learn and develop? Do you want to understand how adults can make a difference to their development, learning and wellbeing, and support them to have the best start in life?

Learning from research-active lecturers with extensive experience in the children's workforce, you'll follow a curriculum that reflects national and international policy, practice and research.

You'll develop an excellent understanding of what shapes children's personalities and behaviour, gathering theoretical knowledge of progress through the early years of a child's life and exploring what opportunities should be available for them to have the best possible chances in life to reach their full potential.

This degree offers the chance to explore a wide range of issues and theoretical perspectives relating to young children, from safeguarding and wellbeing to effective learning and development. You will explore how play is a vital component for young children’s holistic development. You’ll also examine the difficulties and problems children may face, from child protection issues to disability and specific needs.

In your first year you will learn how to support the wellbeing, learning and development of children through an introduction to play and its relationship to learning; safeguarding and child protection; child development; and health safety and care routines.

Your second year will build on this learning to extend your knowledge, skills and abilities and to explore your own ideas and thoughts on the topics studied. The focus of your final year of study is pulling together all of your knowledge and skills about society, diversity, children, families and education.

Throughout your course, you’ll have the opportunity to visit professional practitioners in a range of early childhood settings to support your knowledge and understanding of concepts.

This course also offers the opportunity to be recognised as an Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner through completion of Graduate Practitioner Competencies at Level 6.

Professional work placements Professional work placements form an integral part of your degree. Students have undertaken placements in schools, children’s centres, family welfare support groups, health clinics, the police, pupil referral units and hospitals. They have shadowed health visitors, social workers and police youth offending teams. Some students have completed placements in the USA, Australia, China and Europe.

Graduate opportunities You’ll be prepared for a wide range of national and international opportunities within the children’s workforce, including children’s centres, early years settings, schools, hospitals, family support services, medical centres, museums and leisure facilities. You can progress to postgraduate study at Leeds Trinity by studying one of our associated taught programmes or if you are looking for a career in teaching we offer PGCE teacher training degrees. This degree will also prepare you for further study in Play Therapy, Early Childhood Education or Social Work.