Early Years Care and Education (Add-On) – BA (Hons)

This module aims to introduce students to the real-life marketing opportunities and challenges of operating a sustainable childcare business. It aims to equip students with key marketing skills and tools to effectively promote and deliver high-quality, child-centred Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).

Aistear’s defines children’s wellbeing as a combination of their physical, mental, emotional and social health. Designing a childcare facility involves a multifaceted approach towards the creation, stimulating, and developmentally appropriate safe environment for children. This module will cover a broad spectrum of topics and introduce the student to the philosophy, models and principles of health and safety theory and application in an Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) setting, to develop competence in the management and organisation of this childcare facility. Learners will develop expertise in environmental criteria for designing to standards of best practise pertaining to emergency planning and environmental safety awareness in a Childcare Management setting, culminating in the preparation of a detailed safety statement. Learners will also critically evaluate indoor and outdoor design criteria in terms of health & safety, focusing on the physical and cognitive development of the early years whilst being cognisant of the benefits of the creation of Risky Play Conditions for early years to help develop a child’s self-confidence, resilience, executive functioning abilities and risk-management skills.

This module will equip students with an understanding of strengths and challenges for children (birth-3yrs;3-6yrs) with special needs. The module will enable students to appraise evidence-based interventions and strategies required for the provision of an inclusive environment that values diversity. It will provide students with an opportunity to develop an anti-bias approach to the education and care of children. The module draws on the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines for ECEC (DCYA,2016). Relevant principles and standards found in Aistear and Siolta are embedded in the module.

The aim of this module is to provide students with opportunities to develop their professional expertise and knowledge to an advanced level, in preparation for their professional practice placement in ECEC and non-practice settings (policy development/advocacy agencies). Students are required to gain professional practice placement experience with all age groups over the course of the degree programme: babies and young children (birth to eighteen months) (18 months to three years) and older children (3-6 years).

Against the backdrop of a competent system, this module explores the concept of pedagogical leadership in the ECEC setting. It supports students to reflect on their understanding of pedagogical leadership and its relationship to enhancing quality practice in ECEC. This module prepares students for professional practice placement.

In this module, students will complete an applied research project on a current or emerging area of work in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector or settings related to ECEC work. This will include conducting primary research in the ECEC sector or settings related to ECEC work. Students will write up a research project, 8,000-10,000 words, and complete a research poster presentation.

This module helps to consolidate students’ professional knowledge, skills and practice when working with children aged birth to six years. Students will synthesise and make connections between theories, concepts, legislation, policies, curricula and pedagogy pertaining to ECEC and non-practice policy/advocacy settings. They will demonstrate mastery of a range of professional skills when working with children, families and relevant stakeholders, and appreciate and apply pedagogical leadership in practice as a means of motivating team members and enhancing ECEC quality.

In this module, students will complete an applied research project on a current or emerging area of work in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector or settings related to ECEC work. This will include conducting primary research in the ECEC sector or settings related to ECEC work. Students will write up a research project, 8,000-10,000 words, and complete a research poster presentation.