Course Options:

Semester 1

ECS 301 Effective Practice

Effective practice within all early years settings can be determined by an experienced, knowledgeable practitioner's ability to lead and support all aspects of practice. Unit contents are as follows;

Theories of child development to enable learners to meet children's individual needs, develop learning, promote positive behaviour, and develop children's social and emotional skills through informed practice.

Understanding how policy informs practice to ensure high expectations for every individual child, establishing and sustaining: a safe welcoming environment that is stimulating; encouraging each child to develop and learn, and promotes equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice.

Planning for needs of each individual child, taking in to account how learning can be affected by a range of influences and transitions from inside and outside of the setting.

Current early years initiatives which focus on children's play and learning. The use of effective assessment, recording and reporting on the development of each individual child, utilised to develop learning and differentiation of provision, and identify children affected by difficulties and know when to refer them for specialist support.

ECS 302 Professional Development (Runs for two semesters)

This unit enables students to consider, explore and critically evaluate the skills, knowledge and attributes required to become an effective practitioner. Topics covered will include:

• Theories of collaborative working and use this to explore the challenges and opportunities of multi-disciplinary team working
• The route from principle to policy to practice
• The historical perspectives of current curriculum and practice frameworks
• Theoretical models of current professional practice
• The role of leadership and management

ECS 303 Communication and Relationships

This unit explores the Influences of parents/carers, and the impact of cultural, racial and social factors upon communication and relationships with children. You will consider relationships with children as individuals as well as relationships between children and staff, relationships with parents/carers and relationships between children and society in general in the context of Early Years policies. You will also examine the use of communication in positive relationships with all parties, critically evaluating strategies for developing and sustaining positive relationships between relevant parties.

ECS 304 Dissertation ((Runs for two semesters)

This unit is self-directed, and tutors will facilitate your development of reflective and critical learning skills. You will be allocated a personal supervisor who will meet with you by appointment on a regular basis to discuss, review and progress the research in relation to aims, objectives, research strategies, research methods and research conventions.

ECS 305 Management and Organisational Behaviour (Option)

This unit aims to introduce you to a broad range of current ideas regarding the ways in which people are managed and behave in those workplaces specially designed to support children and young people. In particular, the unit will critically examine:

• Introductory concepts
• The individual and work
• Groups and work
• Patterns of work
• Organisational structures and systems
• Divisions of labour
• Evolving organisations

ECS 306 International Perspectives of Childcare (Option)

This unit aims to enable the students to make comparisons between education systems and the practice of individual countries from around the world, whilst reflecting upon their own practice

• The history, philosophy and politics of a variety of models of early childhood services outside the UK
• The philosophical and ideological views and the pedagogical approaches to child care
• The role of the family in care and education
• Reflecting critically on own practice and how this is affected by knowledge from international comparisons