In your first year, we’ll teach you the personal and professional skills needed by a range of early years practitioners.  You’ll reflect on your childhood and you’ll examine your own beliefs and values.  How could your background impact your future work with children?  You’ll develop inclusive activities and observe and plan lessons.  You’ll visit early childhood settings to see how practitioners engage young minds through play.  We’ll teach you the current issues in childhood development and education from a global and national viewpoint.  You’ll learn about the impact of government policy, culture and economics. We’ll teach you research skills and you’ll learn how to collect and interpret data.  By the end of this year, you’ll have the theoretical insight and growing self-awareness to see the potential of this rewarding career.   

In your second year, you’ll choose your own path.  If you want to gain real life practical experience, you’ll benefit from work placements with employers.  If you want to specialise in research, you’ll immerse yourself in theory and analyse its impact through work-related learning.  Together we can explore the psychology of children and adults in early childhood settings.  You’ll design stimulating learning environments and observe children as they play and learn.  What do you notice?  You’ll gain the skills and knowledge to design effective interventions.  We’ll teach you how chronic illness, special educational needs and disability can affect how a child develops.  You’ll question your assumptions and theories.  You’ll see every challenge as a chance to think creatively.  By the end of this year, you’ll feel confident in the area you want to specialise in.     

In your third year, you’ll investigate a range of concepts central to early childhood.  These could include children’s rights or cultural, political and economic factors.  We’ll teach you how to develop effective partnerships with child development professionals, parents, families and communities.  You’ll learn how to work with parents from all cultures and backgrounds, so everyone is included in the child’s development.  You’ll explore the philosophy of education.  You’ll design fun activities to teach mathematics, language and literacy.  You’ll learn how to support children with Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia and hearing impairments.  You’ll delve into an independent research project.  By the end of this year you’ll have everything you need to support a child’s development.   

Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.  

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.  

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.