Key points
• Train to support children and families in areas such as social welfare.
• Learn from lecturers with extensive professional and academic experience.
• Build your professional understanding with placements in areas such as nurseries.
• Choose the practitioner option for fully qualified status when you graduate.

What is childhood studies?
Childhood studies is the study of concepts in childhood covering a range of perspectives including sociological, psychological and educational models and how these models affect practice in the context of health, education and social care.

This course

Your studies centre around sociological and psychological approaches to the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of children and young people, as well as social policy related to children and families. You may not yet know what age range of children you would like to work with in your career, therefore this course allows you to study and gain some practical experience on a placement working with children from birth to 18 years old. 

You benefit from a team of lecturers with extensive professional experience in key services for children and families. Many are also published authors and active researchers, driving forward knowledge in their areas.

You use a range of learning approaches and learn to link academic study to professional practice. There are self-managed learning tasks such as guided reading and research, note taking, literature searches and action planning. You also take part in group work learning tasks, such as presentations.

You get the chance to apply what you’ve learnt in a professional context on placement. For approximately 25 days in your first and second year you are on placement in settings such as schools, early years settings and specialist support groups in the voluntary sector. This could be supporting children and young people with additional needs, who may also be looked after children or young parents.

Your first placement is working with children aged 0-7 years and your second is with children from 8-17 years. These placements are a great opportunity to gain more practical knowledge and build your CV to impress future employers.

As well as studying core modules, you can by choose option modules which reflect your interests and career aims. In your final year you may choose to focus on your preferred age range. 

In your final year, you also undertake independent learning to complete a research project on an aspect of childhood. Previous topics have included • children’s friendships • outdoor learning • literacy learning and gender • the impact of separation and divorce.

Key areas of study
You study linked themes including • childhood policy and practice • diverse childhoods • working with children • childhood research • sociology of childhood • safeguarding children and young people.

Related courses

• BA (Honours) Early Childhood Studies (Full-time)