University of Portsmouth
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.

Overall student satisfaction
92 /100
20 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of all UK Graduates of

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £22820 £18460 £20799
25-75 percentile range £17528 - £26934 £13130 - £23882 £14555 - £27277

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.

**You’ll be assessed through:** case studies reflective reports essays presentations group work You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Qualification requirements

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 Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

PTE Academic 54

An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.

TOEFL (iBT) 79

79 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.

Cambridge English Advanced

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.

Cambridge English Proficiency

Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.

Trinity ISE

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

This course is available to EU and International applicants who do not require a Student Route Visa
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Early Years Care and Education, FdA, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

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:

January 1, 2025

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)

University Rankings

Positions of University of Portsmouth in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of University of Portsmouth in related subject specific rankings.

Education

    • #21 
    • #33 
    Education
    CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
    [Published 08 June, 2023]
    • #61 
    • #77 
    Education
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #39 
    • #301 
    Education
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 19 October, 2023]
    • #47 
    • #401 
    Education
    GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 27 October, 2023]
    • #50 
    • #498 
    Education
    URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
    [Published 22 July, 2023]

See all 31 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

undergraduates:
18085
postgraduates:
5005
Total:
23090
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Where is this programme taught

Isle of Wight College
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