Early Years: Teaching & Learning BA (Hons) top-up
Subject and course type
- Education and Teaching
- Undergraduate
Are you a professional working in Early Years looking to top-up your foundation degree and elevate your professional and theoretical knowledge of young children's learning and development? With this one year course, you can combine work-based learning with academic study to advance your practice.
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Make a difference to your local community and the early years sector
Top up your foundation degree in Early Years (or equivalent) to gain a full BA (Hons) degree.
You might be a Childminder, Early Years Educator, Teaching Assistant or other professional who advocates for babies, children and families. With this Early Years: Teaching & Learning BA (Hons) top-up, you can advance your working practices and Early Years competencies by combining work-based learning with one twilight teaching session per week.
Teaching takes place at Kingston Hill campus, which features an outdoor learning environment where trainee teachers lead curriculum-linked natural sciences activities with children. It includes a specially built 'cubby-house', outdoor pond, beehive and nature trail, and offers Early Years students the opportunity to simulate teaching and learning with natural materials.
There are a number of teaching rooms set up to replicate actual classrooms. Each classroom is subject based – such as an art room and a science lab – and is equipped with all the relevant facilities you will need to practise your lessons before taking them into school.
Our library also has an excellent range of teaching resources to help you plan and teach your lessons. It includes a range of children's topic books, music and nursery rhymes on CD, as well as artefacts and kits that can be used to illustrate historical periods, different religions, science, mathematics and music.
I have been challenged in the best ways, adding to the enriching experience.
Why choose this course
The Early Years: Teaching & Learning BA (Hons) top-up degree at Kingston is extremely valued by employers and will be a mark of your professional excellence and expertise.
The course has been developed to build upon your working practice through the examination of social, political and cultural aspects of early education. As part of this blended programme, you'll become an advocate for children and consider how creativity and play act as tools for children's learning.
You will position yourself as a leader of practice and learn how to make critical decisions that can transform practice. The course offers you an opportunity to explore multi-disciplinary working, deepen your knowledge and understanding of transitions that occur in childhood and examine current issues in early education.
Graduate Practitioner Competencies Pathway
The Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC) Pathway offers you the opportunity to be assessed in practice to demonstrate you meet the nine Graduate Practitioner Competencies required by the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) as part of your Professional Practice in the Early Years module.
Course content
The course covers the following areas:
- effective Early Years practice
- play-based pedagogies
- a range of transitional experiences
- current issues in education and multidisciplinary working
- inclusive practice and differentiated approaches
- creativity across the curriculum
- planning for critical issues
- research design and methodology
Modules
Core modules
30 credits
This module is an exciting opportunity for students to engage with an in-depth child study. It provides a forum in which to reflect upon the child and his/her transitional process within the context of the Early Years environment. It explores theoretical frameworks and current thinking about transition and how this can inform and enrich practice. This module offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of how the process of transition can have a positive or negative impact on a child's identity. Students are encouraged to identify elements of their practice that can be enhanced to increase wellbeing and transformation for children and their families.
30 credits
This module introduces students to different perspectives of 'creativity' and the impact on curriculum practice. It considers the role of creativity and critical thinking in extending a child's conceptual and creative development. It also explores the interplay between the child, adults, the environment (physical and emotional) and legislation when considering the impact on creativity through themes including humour, music, role play, Forest School, mark making and art. Teaching and learning is explored through creative interpretations and analyses underlying issues that may provide barriers to learning. Students are encouraged to explore their creative skills and to relate underpinning theory to their practice.
30 credits
This module explores a range of theoretical perspectives including leadership and management theories. Students are introduced to key factors that affect change in their work environment. It explores current issues and dilemmas facing practitioners in the field of Early Years and identifies strategies that may support personal and professional development. Key policies, legislation and statutory frameworks are critiqued. The module provides an overview of recent and relevant intrapersonal, inter-professional and multi-professional factors that impact provision, including safeguarding and child protection.
30 credits
This module introduces students to a range of methodologies, which will enable them to design and implement a small-scale enquiry, which is relevant to their interest, role and work place. Students will gain an understanding of the philosophies and practices of systematic enquiry in Early Years-related fields and its application within their professional and pedagogical contexts.
0 credits
(Non-credit bearing)
This module will provide opportunities for you to evidence your developing reflective practice throughout the year, linked through your other modules. It is guided by the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (Early Childhood Studies Degree Network, 2020) and the Early Childhood Studies Subject Benchmarks (2022).
You will build the Professional Practice Portfolio (PPP) by engaging in a range of practice-based tasks and activities throughout the year with the support of your tutors, peers and Critical Professional Associate (CPA) (mentor). You will be expected to use the PPP to collate evidence showcasing your ability to critically reflect on your work to enhance your skills, knowledge and understanding of the best early years practice, in line with the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGPCs).
As a mature student, the specialised focus on Early Years Education within the BA top-up has been invaluable. It has allowed me to dive deep into the intricacies, so I can relate more with the children and their families I work with.
Future Skills and Career opportunities
Graduates from the Early Years: Teaching & Learning BA (Hons) top-up course can continue to postgraduate study and continuing professional development, including Qualified Teacher Status and/or a Master of Research (Education). Alternatively, they can take on many roles within the sector, such as:
- Early Years Manager
- Children's Centre Manager
- Early Years Lead Practitioner
- Family Outreach Worker
- Assessor/Tutor
- Play Worker
- Early Years Advisor
- Early Years Group Leader
- Early Youth Educator
- Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Boost your career
Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, the Future Skills programme will help you to become a future-proof graduate. It will provide you with the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.
As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills. It will also equip you to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge.
At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it
For more information on how Kingston prepares you for the future job market, visit our Future Skills page.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching includes a weekly taught twilight session, with occasional Saturday seminars. The sessions include lectures, work-based learning activities, tutorials, online learning, workshops and seminars. You will also be supported by a work-based professional advocate.
Outside the scheduled learning and teaching hours, you will learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, preparing for and completing your work for assessments. Some independent study work may need to be completed on-campus, as you may need to access campus-based facilities such as studios and labs.
Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at Kingston and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 120 credits across a year (typical for an undergraduate course) would equate to 1,200 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below for each year of study. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- Year 1: 31% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
Types of assessment
- Year 1: Coursework 100%
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Scheduled teaching takes place one evening per week between 5pm and 9pm, with occasional Saturday seminar days.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| £9,535* | |
| Franchise continuing rate | £7,525 |
This fee applies to students studying for the Early Years BA (Hons) top-up in the 2025/26 academic year.
Please note that a reduced fee of £7,525 will apply to foundation students from our franchise partners only. This only applies to students who directly progress from the FdA to the top-up, if there is a break between the two courses then the full fee will apply.
* Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body.
Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying this course at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Courses involving placements or direct work with vulnerable groups may require a DBS check or other security checks.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students and graduates say
Despite the challenges of juggling work, family life and studies, my degree has strengthened my determination as I continue to complete my Early Years PGCE and Masters. I am passionate and believe my continued study demonstrates my commitment to improving my practice and the lives of the young children and families I work with.
