Early Childhood Care and Education

Applicants should have at least an upper second class honours degree in the cognate subjects of Childhood Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Psychology, Sociology or a National Curriculum subject (please click here for information about National Curriculum Subjects), or a second class honours degree in a non-cognate subject supported by evidence of significant experience in and aptitude for the subject applied for, or have equivalent work experience or training normally from within a work environment.

• GCSEs: All applicants must have grade C passes in GCSE English Language, Maths and a Science (or equivalent) before making their application. Key Skills, Functional Skills and the Certificate in Adult Numeracy/Literacy are not accepted in place of GCSEs.
• Practical Experience: Substantial work experience (at least 150 hours in the previous 12 months) in either the Early Years Foundation Stage or Key Stage 1 age range in a UK based school must have been completed prior to you making your application. One of the two Referees on your UTT form must be from an Early Years setting or KS1 school-based setting which confirms the time you have spent in the setting/classroom and comments on the contribution you have made.
• Professional Skills Tests: Applicants must have passed the Professional Skills tests in Literacy and Numeracy before starting the course. Further information about registering for and completing these tests can be found on the Department for Education website.
• You should look to complete both tests as soon as you have submitted your application. We encourage you to use the practice material available on the DfE website to help you decide whether you are ready to book a live test or whether you should undertake further preparation prior to taking the test.
• Selection Criteria: Due to the popularity of this course, we will use selection criteria based on your personal attributes, experience and/or commitment to the area of study using information derived from your personal statement and reference. These will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements, and only if you are successful at this stage will you be invited to interview. Suitable applicants will be invited to an interview as part of the admissions process - interviews will be held between December 2014 and March 2015. The interview process has two main purposes: *To establish whether you have the attributes that will enable you to cope with both the professional demands of the course and the related academic work; *To give you the opportunity to explain what attracts you to teaching as a career and why you think you are a suitable candidate. The interview will involve a group activity, an individual interview, and a written task which is designed to demonstrate your ability for critical thought. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about the course.
• Health and enhanced criminal history checks: Satisfactory health and enhanced criminal history checks will be required by all applicants prior to acceptance on the course. For further information on DBS checks, click here. The DBS in the UK is currently not able to conduct overseas criminal record checks. International applicants, those without British Citizenship and British Citizens with a significant period of overseas residency therefore require a criminal records check or certificate of good conduct from their home/overseas country prior to entry on to the course. A UK DBS check will be required after enrolment.