module specification

This module prepares students for their professional placement and offers them the opportunity for assessed practice in a work setting in order to gain occupational practice recognition in early childhood. During the professional placement students undertake a range of observations and hands on practice supported by setting mentors and university supervising tutors. The taught element focuses on pedagogy, roles and responsibilities within the multidisciplinary context of early years settings.

The module and placement experience will enable students to:

• Meet the professional standard for early childhood care and education.

• Become a proficient and critically reflective practitioner.

• Further develop the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to observe, plan, deliver and review their practice across the early year’s curriculum.

• Plan for and implement a holistic and anti-bias approach to children’s play and learning.

• Work collaboratively with parents and have an understanding of working effectively in teams and with other professionals.

• Meet and promote children’s health, welfare and safety needs and the conditions that enable them to flourish.

No

The module will provide students with opportunities to develop essential skills in professional practice with children from birth to six years old through work-based experience and attendance at professional studies sessions. These sessions will focus on key aspects of practice in early childhood, with communication skills, the use of ICT and working with others threaded through each topic. Students will have opportunities to reflect on their placement experiences with focussed feedback and target-setting and will collect evidence to demonstrate that the professional standards are being addressed.

The placement offers practical experience with regular observation and feedback by setting-based mentor and supervising tutor as well as observation of other practitioners.  There will be regular meetings with the setting-based mentor during the practice experience.

The weekly professional studies lectures and seminar sessions will provide opportunities for the students to discuss their practical experiences, helping them to constantly make links between their practical and their theoretical understanding, as they further develop their pedagogical approach.

Placement requirements are essential to this module and equates to 400 hours (No placement at level 4) over the academic year.  This is usually undertaken as:

      a. 2 days per week at placement plus block placements

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate that they have achieved the professional standards for Early Childhood Care and Education (See Early Years Educator (Level 3) Criteria.

2. Reflect constructively on their professional learning and set targets for the future development of their professional knowledge and skills.

3. Take initiative in observing, planning, delivering and reviewing their practice across the early years’ curriculum, taking account of children’s diverse family and cultural backgrounds.

4. Form and promote mutually respectful relationships with families, colleagues and other professionals.

5. Form and promote the necessary depth and strength of relationships with individual children and facilitate the building of relationships with and between children in groups.

Assessment A: Assessment will be undertaken in the setting in which the student is placed. Setting-based mentors and university supervising tutors will complete regular observations, with formative feedback given on each occasion.  Triangulation occurs between the setting-based mentor and university tutor at the final observation. This ensures a moderated grade is awarded. Full attendance is expected on professional placement experience.

Assessment B: Students will also complete a portfolio to include observations, activity plans, analysis,  reflective diary exracts and a critical and reflective analysis of selected aspects of early childhood practice that have been significant in the placement experience. 

In order to fully reflect the link to professional practice and employability within this module and include the relationship between theory and practice, students cannot pass this module on aggregate.

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