Liverpool Hope University, BA (Hons), Early Childhood Studies and Law

Early childhood studies Level 1: The student studies an introduction to the philosophical and historical background to the early years tradition; the pioneers identified here will remain central to the course, providing the student with a historical understanding of current good practice that incorporates working closely with the family in relation to the needs of the child; this is followed by a holistic examination of child development in relation to physical, social and emotional development. Level 2: this level develops by looking at how young children think and learn and considers the links between cognition, language acquisition and playful learning; this sets the scene for studying how young children learn in the foundation stage, in comparison to international models; a range of other modules is offered which may include: motivation and well-being in young children; creativity and the young child. Level 3: a key area of study at this level is legislation, policy and strategy for early managers, in relation to early years settings and young children; legislation and social policy are constantly developing and the student examines these in relation to early years provision and leadership within a multi-agency workforce; a range of other modules are offered which may include: research project; surviving change, loss and grief in young children’s lives; using information and communication technology creatively. Law Level 1: The student is introduced to the foundations of the English legal system and builds on that knowledge by studying constitutional and administrative aspects of law; as no prior knowledge is assumed, key academic skills are integrated at this level to give the student a toolkit which acts as a strong foundation on which to build their future studies. Level 2: at this level the student explores the civil aspects of law by studying contract law; the student considers the substantive issues posed by the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union; these modules further develop the student’s key academic skills and introduce the student to key professional skills such as negotiation and drafting which develop through seminar work. Level 3: the student studies criminal law and tort law along with an introduction to other professional skills, such as advocacy and conferencing skills, which again develop through seminar work.

This is a combined Honours scheme which allows the student to combine the 2 subjects; early childhood studies is an academic subject that is a dynamic response to the government’s plan to integrate early years education and childcare provision; the student works towards achieving the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) as required by the Children’s Workforce Development Committee (CWDC); throughout the pathway, the student is required to experience early years via a placement so that 1st-hand observations of practice can be made in relation to early years pedagogy; to study law is not only to study a challenging subject but is to study the rules which underpin society in a national and international context; the course has been designed to give the student a theoretical grounding in law as well as the ability to engage in its experiential study and application; key skills such as analysis, argument construction, research, critical thinking and academic writing are developed and applied throughout this course.