Early Years Care and Education FdA
University of Portsmouth
Key Course Facts
Student Reviews
Below you can see course specific reviews of 20 graduates of Early Years Care and Education FdA and other courses in Education at University of Portsmouth for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Education.
Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.
All Education courses of University of Portsmouth
Salary
Salary of all UK Graduates of
| 15 months after graduation | 3 years after graduation | 5 years after graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary | £22826 | £18756 | £21568 |
| 25-75 percentile range | £17532 - £26940 | £13509 - £23889 | £14787 - £27880 |
All Courses in the UK
Course Description
Overview
If you currently work with young children in an educational setting, have a level 3 qualification (such as a relevant Early Years NVQ), and you're looking to develop your career to university-level, this Foundation degree (FdA) in Early Years Care and Education will give you the professional recognition you need.
You’ll work with early years professionals to gain skills and knowledge that’ll serve you in helping young children realise their potential through fun, excitement and play.
You’ll be a student of the University of Portsmouth, so you’ll have access to all of our facilities and support.
After the course, you'll be ready to take the next step in your career as an early years professional. You could also go on to do a Bachelor's degree such as our BA (Hons) Education Studies or use your Foundation degree to do training that leads to Qualified Teacher Status such as Early Years Teacher Training.
- Build your expertise as an early years professional by exploring theories and contemporary issues within education, such as curriculum planning, safeguarding and cognitive and language development
- Learn in supportive study groups, alongside other early years professionals from different backgrounds, and discover practical ways to put your new knowledge and skills to work
- Be taught by expert staff with extensive experience, using dynamic and relevant teaching methods to help you get the most out of your studies
- Study full-time at Isle of Wight College
- Have the option to begin the course in year 2 if you already have sufficient experience or qualifications (assessed on an individual basis)
Endorsed by:
The Foundation Degree in Early Years Care and Education has been validated by SEFDEY (Sector Endorsed Foundation Degrees in Early Years Professional Association) as meeting the criteria for Sector-Endorsement.
Careers and opportunities
This Early Years Care and Education Foundation degree (FdA) will enable you to progress in your existing career as an early years practitioner, opening up opportunities across the education sector that help shape children's younger formative years or to go on to further study, such as teacher training.
What can you do with an early years care and education foundation degree?
Once you graduate, you'll be ready to take on roles in areas such as:
- teaching assistance
- learning support assistance
- nursery management
- childcare development
You could also progress to a relevant Bachelor's top-up degree, such as BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up). Following this top-up course, you could go on to do teacher training through PGCE, SCITT or Early Years Initial Teacher Training programmes.
Jobs & Career Perspectives
15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.
All Education and Teaching courses of University of Portsmouth
Entry Requirements / Admissions
Qualification requirements
M in T Level Health, Healthcare Science, or Science.
CLEARING INFORMATION – Our entry requirements may be different during Clearing, so please contact us on 023 9284 8000 to discuss your options.
A minimum of one Level 3 qualification, for example a relevant Early Years NVQ. Applicants are to be working in either a voluntary or paid relevant educational setting for a minimum equivalence of one day a week. All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
English language requirements
| test | Grade |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 |
| PTE Academic | 54 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 79 |
| Cambridge English Advanced | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | |
| Trinity ISE | |
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 |
| PTE Academic | 54 |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 79 |
| Cambridge English Advanced | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | |
| Trinity ISE |
Costs
Tuition Fees Early Years Care and Education FdA
| England UK | £9250 | year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250 | year 1 |
| Ireland | £9250 | year 1 |
Additional fee information
Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.
Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation
Average student cost of living in the UK
| Rent | £518 |
| Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) | £50 |
| Supermarket shopping | £81 |
| Clothing | £35 |
| Eating out | £33 |
| Alcohol | £27 |
| Takeaways / food deliveries | £30 |
| Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) | £24 |
| Holidays and weekend trips | £78 |
| Transport within city | £17 |
| Self-care / sports | £20 |
| Stationary / books | £13 |
| Mobile phone / internet | £13 |
| Cable TV / streaming | £7 |
| Insurance | £51 |
| Other | £95 |
| Average student cost of living | £1092 |
London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.
How to apply
Application deadline:
August 1, 2026
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Possible Entry Points:
- year 1 (Default entry point)
UCAS application code:
X310
University Rankings
of University of Portsmouth
among 379 universities in England UK
based on 33 different rankings
Positions of University of Portsmouth in top UK and global rankings.
Rankings of University of Portsmouth in related subject specific rankings.
Education
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-
- #31
- #42
-
- Education
-
CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
[Published 14 May, 2024]
-
-
- #66
- #84
-
- Education
-
The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
[Published 07 September, 2024]
-
-
- #37
- #301
-
- Education
-
THE World University Rankings by Subject
[Published 17 January, 2025]
-
-
- #46
- #401
-
- Education
-
GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
[Published 11 November, 2024]
See all 33 university rankings of University of Portsmouth
About University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is located on the United Kingdom’s only island city, Portsmouth. This public university, which was previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic, forms part of the University Alliance, an organisation whose aim is to promote growth and innovation in the UK by putting an emphasis on links with business and industry.
List of 234 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Portsmouth - Course Catalogue
Student composition of University of Portsmouth
-
Total number of students enrolled at University of Portsmouth by level Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
- undergraduates:
- 18085
- postgraduates:
- 5005
- Total:
- 23090
-
Number of students enrolled in courses of subject “Early Years Education”: 750 Academic year - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
Where is this programme taught
Show on map
Similar courses
| Program | University | Student satisfaction | Unemployed | Dropout | Tuition (UK) | Tuition (International) |  UCAS Tariff |
City | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Early Years Education FdA | St Mary's University, Twickenham | 78% | 0% | 10% | £6900 | £16320 | 75 | Twickenham |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years & Primary Practice FdA | University of Suffolk | - | 0% | 5% | £8220 £8220 | £13992 £14610 | 96 | Ipswich |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years Pedagogy (0-8 Years) FD | NESCOT North East Surrey College of Technology | 88% | 0% | 5% | £6300 | £6800 | - | Epsom |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years FdA | Calderdale College | 63% | 0% | 10% | £7950 | £7950 | - | Halifax |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years, Education and Practice (Work Based) FdA | Farnborough College of Technology | 64% | 0% | 10% | £6000 | £8000 | - | Farnborough |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
|
Early Years Care and Education FdA | University of Portsmouth | 13% | 0% | 5% | £9250 | - | - | Portsmouth |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years (Solihull College and University Centre) FdA | Oxford Brookes University | - | 0% | 0% | £7570 | £9900 | - | Oxford |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
|
Early Years (Abingdon and Witney College) FdA | Oxford Brookes University | - | 0% | 0% | £7570 | £9900 | - | Oxford |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
|
Early years (New College Swindon) FdA | Oxford Brookes University | - | 0% | 0% | £7570 | £9900 | - | Oxford |
On campus
Full-time
|
|
Early Years FdA | City of Bristol College | 93% | 0% | 20% | £6165 | - | - | Bristol |
On campus
Full-time
|
FAQ about Early Years Care and Education FdA University of Portsmouth
- Tuition fees for this programme are 9250 per year for UK students. In addition to the tuition fees you should also take into consideration the average monthly cost of living for students in the UK.
- 20 graduates rated the course 13. This means that 13% of graduates indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the course. See detailed ratings above and how these compare to the averages at other universities.
- University of Portsmouth achieved the highest ranking for Education. It is ranked #42 in CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject (Education). See all subject rankings for University of Portsmouth.
- Early Years Care and Education FdA is taught on campus and cannot be taken online at University of Portsmouth.
- It is very difficult to get accepted into this course. Accepted students had an average UCAS tariff score of which makes it one of the 0% most difficult courses to enter among all Early Years Education students in the UK.
Ranking publishers
The University League Tables
- Published:
- 14 May, 2024
THE Times Higher Education, UK
- Published:
- 17 January, 2025
- Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings by Subject:
- 37.4% Teaching (the Learning Environment)
37.6% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)
15% Citations (Research Influence)
7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)
2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)
The Guardian News and Media Limited
- Published:
- 07 September, 2024
ShanghaiRanking Consultancy
- Published:
- 11 November, 2024