Do you want to make a genuine and lasting difference to children’s lives, families and communities? Our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies is an opportunity to get experience and knowledge for graduate roles in education, health, and social care.

This course gives you the recognition of becoming an Early Childhood Studies Graduate Practitioner, enabling you to achieve practitioner status as a Level 6 graduate alongside the Level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) practitioner status if you do not already hold a practical qualification within the Early Childhood field.

You will become research informed and influential in becoming a reflective practitioner, as well as gaining knowledge within policy, practice, holistic child development, early childhood, care, health, and education, encompassing working with young children and their families. You will study a contemporary range of modules which will develop your understanding of theory and practice with real placement experiences. Real life learning lies at the heart of this course.

In addition, you'll benefit from excellent facilities, incorporated on course Continual Professional Development and lecturers who are experts within the Early Childhood sector.

Focus on the 0-8 age range

Be equipped to work with children and their families aged 0-8 years in the Early Childhood field.

95% of BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies students

say the course developed their knowledge and skills that they think they will need for their future (National Student Survey 2026).

Gain vital work experience

in Early Childhood Settings and put your knowledge into practice through placement days and blocked periods of placement in each year of the course.

Gain a dedicated award

called Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies which assesses your skills to leave University as a Level 6 Early Childhood Graduate.

This three-year Early Childhood Studies course will equip you with the necessary expertise to become a successful Early Childhood professional, with a key focus on children and their families aged 0-8 years. You will become research informed and reflective practitioner, as well as your policy and practice as a developing graduate in the Early Childhood sector.

Graduate Practitioner Competencies

You will also develop your graduate skills by completing a portfolio of evidence towards becoming an Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner. The Graduate Practitioner Competencies are a set of outcomes that you will evidence throughout your studies to show that you can practice the skills required at Level 6, as well as having the theoretical knowledge. The Graduate Practitioner Competencies ensures that there is a skilful application of knowledge to practice and practice to knowledge.

An Early Childhood Studies graduate who has achieved the Graduate Practitioner Competencies will have evidence to show their skills at Level 6, in the following:

Advocating for young children’s rights and participation

Work directly with children and families to promote wellbeing, safety, health, and nurturing care

Observe, listen, and plan for young children to support their early learning and transitions

Safeguarding and child protection

Inclusive Practice

Partnership with parents and caregivers.

Recognition of quality

In the UK for Childhood and Youth Studies in Complete University Guide 2026

Module information

A standard full-time BA (Hons) course is made up of 120 credits studied each year. Some courses may vary, however, and you can find information on the total number of credits achieved per module below.

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the

Year OneYear TwoFinal Year

ModulesExpand all +

Early Childhood Pioneers

An introductory module which looks at the history and context of Early Childhood and the practitioners' working environment which is informed by Pioneers of Early Childhood.

20 credits

Health and Wellbeing in Early Childhood

This module will explore health and wellbeing for children from conception to 8 years of age. This will respond to current agendas and policy drivers to support the health and wellbeing of children, and their families.

Childhood Development

Child development is essential knowledge for everyone working in early childhood. It makes sense of everything, and it enables better practice in supporting children. You know what is right for the child, you understand them and their individual needs, and you know how they will flourish and be happy.

The 0-8 Curriculum

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards required to ensure that all children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. You will also examine the national Curriculum in how it meets the learning needs of all children.

The Foundations of Academic Study

The foundations of academic study helps you to learn how to read, write and think critically to prepare you for the first year of undergraduate study and professional placement. It will prepare you for the challenges posed by different assessment methods and help you to organise your time effectively.

Your professional placement will help you focus on the core qualities you will need as a graduate such as, respect, sensitivity, patience, empathy, reliability, interpersonal skills.

The Role of Observations in Early Childhood

The role of observation is essential in supporting Early Childhood Professionals to identify a child's next steps. This module will develop the skills required to evaluate the effectiveness of observation methods to support children's progress and development.

Creativity in Early Childhood

This module will provide you with a range of opportunities to develop further knowledge and understanding of the role and value of creativity in early childhood.

Research Informed Practice

This module will explore research methodologies and the ethical practices which seek to involve the voice of the child through participatory methods, taking account of all children.

Safeguarding Children

This module is focused on a developing awareness of the legislation, policy and professional responsibilities regarding practice, whilst working with children and their families.

Sociology of Childhood

You will begin to develop an understanding of influences that shape current legislation and policy, influencing the concept of early childhood. You will explore children's rights and the effect on the pedagogy of play and examine local, national, and global perspectives of childhood.

The National and International Perspectives of Early Childhood

This module will explore education and care nationally and internationally. It will consider the changing landscape of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and explore international declarations (e.g., UNCRC, 1989) advocating ECEC to fulfil children's rights and build human capital.

Working with Parents, Carers and Professional Teams

This module will enable you to reflect on working effectively with parents and carers, and liaison with other child and family focused professionals. You will explore good practice when working in collaboration with parents and wider professionals as well as considering ways to develop positive relationships within Early Childhood settings.

Contemporary Debates

This module will help expose and explore dominant discourses that impact upon children's lives from maternity care though to starting school, including those which affect the workforce. The topics will require critical enquiry and reflective praxis to engage with the literature in order to consider the implications for practice.

Dissertation

This module will enable you to apply the methods and techniques that you have learned to review, consolidate, and extend so that you can initiate and carry out a project of an area of specific interest to you within the early years field developing an in-depth knowledge and understanding. It will enable you to apply your role as a pedagogical leader with a focus on the voice of the child.

40 credits

Research Agendas

This module will provide an opportunity to examine some of the research agendas within the sector (focusing on the practitioner rather than children) and how these agendas influence changes in practices, over time.

The Power of Leadership

This module will provide opportunities to engage with contemporary leadership debates within the Early Childhood sector, which will also resonate with other health or community-based roles.

It will present concepts such as the differences between leadership and management and the reality of the roles within the sector. A consideration of the interdisciplinary nature of the sector as well as being a pedagogical expert in your role as a developing graduate leader.

You will have opportunities to explore different approaches to leadership and the breadth of the sector.

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

Student experience

Ellie Ford

Early Childhood Studies student

“Have an open mind. The course is very broad and gives you lots of opportunities to learn and experience different aspects of the Early Years sector.”

Read Ellie's profile

Video Gallery

How you're taught

We've introduced flexible and innovative ways of learning, teaching and assessment to develop your study skills and understanding of the integration of theory and policy to practice. You'll take part in lectures, seminar discussions, tutorials and placements in ways that promote interaction.

How you're assessed

Year 1 coursework

Year 2 coursework / presentation

Year 3 coursework

Contact hours

You can expect 10 – 12 hours per week of contact time, which will be a mixture of Seminars, Lectures, and workshops. Over 90% of our teaching is in person with the addition of online tutorials at key points in our modules. The remaining time in each week will be dedicated to independent study, including group work. In addition to this, there are dedicated block weeks for placement attendance.

Who will teach you?

Aaron Bradbury

Principal Lecturer

Dr. Aaron Bradbury is Principal Lecturer for Early Childhood Studies, Childhood, Early Years Apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications in Early Years. He is a researcher on Early Childhood workforce, early years education, play and school readiness

Visit Aaron Bradbury's staff profile

Stella Smith

Senior Lecturer

Stella Smith is a Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Nottingham Institute of Education, Children and Youth, Nottingham Trent University.

Visit Stella Smith's staff profile

Meredith Hare

Meredith Hare is a Course Leader/Senior Lecturer BA Hons Early Years and part time PhD researcher in the Nottingham Institute of Education, Children and Youth at NTU.

Visit Meredith Hare's staff profile

Kerry-Ann Rawson

Kerry-Ann Rawson is the Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Childhood suite of degrees at the Nottingham Institute of Education, Children and Youth, Nottingham Trent University.

Visit Kerry-Ann Rawson's staff profile

Entry requirements

UK students

Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.

Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.

Other requirements: GCSE English C / 4 or equivalent for Early Childhood Studies (Early Years full and relevant qualification). GCSE English and Maths C / 4 or equivalent for Early Childhood Studies with Graduate Practitioner Competencies.

To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.

Additional requirements

Additional requirements for UK students

You will also need to complete an Enhanced with Barred List(s) DBS check; and a satisfactory placement suitability check.

Contextual offers

We consider every application in the context of your individual circumstances and educational background. This may include information about where you live, the school or college you attended, or experiences that may have shaped your educational journey. This is known as a contextual offer, and we use information provided through UCAS to help inform our decisions. By considering achievement in context, we can better recognise academic potential and ensure applicants are assessed as fairly and fully as possible.

Meeting our entry requirements

Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.

Other qualifications and experience

NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.

We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.

Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.

International students

Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A levels. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.

English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.

Additional international requirements

Additional requirements for international students

If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City Campus.

English language requirements

View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.

If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.

If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.

You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.

Sign up for emails

Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.

If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students - see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£10,050 per year

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students - see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

£18,400 per year

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees might increase from the second year of your undergraduate course, in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer international scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for a scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

See our advice on managing your money and the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham.

Paying fees

As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment as part of your offer conditions. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, in order to enrol on the course.

Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about your advance payment, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.

Enquiries

If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Your modules will point you to key textbooks and recommended reading. Many are available online, and in our libraries, but some students choose to buy their own copies. You’ll receive resource lists showing where to access eBooks, digital resources and physical copies. Our friendly Library team is always on hand to help you find what you need.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, phone the Student Money Team on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

Cost of living in Nottingham

Our student benefits and free services

Money advice for international students

Careers and employability

This course will equip you to work with children in a broad range of specialist areas including, community practice, charitable and local authority family support teams, maintained and private nurseries. The course will also prepare you to become a critical and reflective practitioner which will support you to progress into graduate policy roles, charity work or supporting the learning and development with children aged 0-8 years.

Graduate Practitioner Status

The course has the Graduate Practitioner Competencies embedded throughout the modules and placement opportunities. Leading Pedagogy will become a key focus whilst demonstrating a range of the competencies. The graduate competencies will, provide students opportunities to gain graduate skills and strengthen their practice, which will help to improve outcomes for children.

We involve industry experts in our courses in a number of ways.

We consult with employers when we design and update our courses

We ensure you are prepared to meet the demands of the workplace by continually checking the currency and validity of our courses with employers

You will have the opportunity to have a work placement (if not already in paid or voluntary employment)

Employers may input directly into your course through guest lectures, projects, and other work-related activities.

If you’d like to know more about NTU’s groundbreaking Employability Promise, and the support you’ll receive both during and after your course, visit our Careers and Employability page.

Employability Promise

Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have successful careers in organisations such as:

Nurseries

Infant and primary schools

Private education providers

Our graduates are…

Graduates from this course now work in a wide range of roles such as:

Primary school teachers

Early years practitioners

Healthy child programme practitioners

Special needs teacher

Paediatric nurses

Mental health and wellbeing practitioners

Assessed work-like experience

We’ve embedded at least eight weeks of assessed work-like experience into all of our courses. This gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, build your confidence, and develop the experience employers are looking for.

NTU Enterprise

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Where your course could take you

Discover how our students and alumni used their qualification to further their careers. Take a look at our other profiles and explore the possibilities awaiting you.

Ellen gained key experience through two valuable placements

Ellen’s residential and primary school placements broadened her skills and perspective, helping her grow academically and personally throughout her studies.

View Ellen Tarry's profile

Campus and facilities

You’ll mainly be studying in the Ada Byron King building, with access to facilities including our mock classrooms.

Our self-contained, community-focused Clifton Campus has been designed to keep our students busy between lectures. Catch-up with your coursemates in the Pavilion’s barista café and Refectory; brainstorm group presentations in chic and stylish study spaces; enjoy some proper R&R in The Point, home of our Students’ Union. The campus also hosts the multimillion-pound Clifton Sports Hub, offering great options for everyone — whatever your interests, and however competitive you’d like to get!

You’re also right next to the bright lights of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. All through termtime, a dedicated on-campus bus service will get you to the heart of the action (and back) in under 25 minutes. You’ll find a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.

Applying

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Interviews

All suitable candidates for this course will be required to sit an interview.

Apply through UCAS

You can apply directly to the University for an undergraduate course if you’re not applying to any other UK university in the same year.

If you are applying to more than one UK university, you must apply through UCAS.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

We advise you to prepare and apply as early as you can as Student visa processing time can vary.

We'll send you important emails throughout the application process. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam mail folder.

Apply through NTU portal

Personal statement guidance

You’ll submit a personal statement with your UCAS application – here are our tips on what to include and how to structure your personal statement.

Application support

If you have any questions about applying, get in touch through our online form or call us on 44 (0)115 848 4200.

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