02 Mar 2021
Key Facts
Qualification Summary
The Diploma allows learners to undertake study related to early years education. Learners will have the opportunity to develop skills which will enable progression to a range of degree level programmes including a focus on health and wellbeing, education and learning and development. The Diploma also takes a wider view, focusing on topics such as safeguarding, society and environment which underpin most early years degrees.
Learners will complete mandatory units which cover an overview of child development and also childcare practice including the important topics of safeguarding and special educational needs but then they will be able to research an area of interest to them in more depth. They will study a range of optional units covering learning and development, nutrition and healthy eating and the importance of play in developing learning.
Ungraded units include units which will support access to higher education whilst supporting study and personal skills.
Learners who have followed these routes may need to develop their skills in specific areas as well as learning more about subjects in which they have an interest. If the learner has gone straight into employment, they may not have studied at Level 3 and so this Access to HE Diploma will help them to build on existing skills and provide a good grounding for further academic study.
Why choose this qualification?
The Diploma allows learners to undertake study related to early years education. Learners will have the opportunity to develop skills which will enable progression to a range of degree level programmes including a focus on health and wellbeing, education and learning and development. The diploma also takes a wider view, focusing on topics such as safeguarding, society and environment which underpin most early years degrees.
Learners will complete mandatory units which cover an overview of child development and also childcare practice including the important topics of safeguarding and special educational needs but then they will be able to research an area of interest to them in more depth. They will study a range of optional units covering learning and development, nutrition and healthy eating and the importance of play in developing learning.
Ungraded units include units which will support access to higher education whilst supporting study and personal skills.
Learners who have followed these routes may need to develop their skills in specific areas as well as learning more about subjects in which they have an interest. If the learner has gone straight into employment, they may not have studied at Level 3 and so this Access Diploma will help them to build on existing skills and provide a good grounding for further academic study.
Rules of Combination
Learners must complete 45 graded credits at level 3 from 'academic subject content' units. 30 credits must be taken from the mandatory group. A maximum of 6 credits must be taken from the Research optional group and the remaining 9 credits must be taken from the Early Years optional group.
Units
Learners must complete 6 credits from this group.
Research Project for Early Years - Methodology
Research Skills for Early Years
Learners must complete 30 credits from this group.
Child Development: Personal, Social and Emotional
Educational Studies: Curriculum Planning
Principles of Childcare Practice in Early Years Settings
Safeguarding Children, Young People and/or Vulnerable Adults
Special Educational Needs Awareness
Understanding Play as a Tool for Early Learning
Understanding the Importance of Physical, Intellectual and Language Development of Young Children
Learners must complete 9 credits from this group.
Assessment for Learning
Atypical Development and Abnormal Behaviour
Multicultural Education
Poverty and Social Exclusion
Teaching Resources
Understanding Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Learners must complete 12 credits from the Mandatory Ungraded group and 3 credits from the Optional Ungraded group.
Learners must complete 12 credits from this group.
Academic Writing Skills
Application of Number - Interpreting and Presenting Information
Being a Reflective Learner
Preparation for Higher Education
Learners must complete 3 credits from this group.
Academic Reading Skills
Communication - Speaking and Listening
Optimising Examination Performance
Promoting Wellbeing and Building Resilience
Study Skills
Work Placement
Intended learner groups
a) Adults who, because of social, educational or individual circumstances may have achieved few, if any, prior qualifications and wish to progress to HE
b) Adults who have gone straight into industry (perhaps following apprenticeship routes) who wish to progress to HE.
How this diploma meets learners' needs
The Diploma will provide learners with underpinning skills to support academic study and provide a level 3 qualification linked to their proposed HE study.
A broad range of knowledge will be acquired which support an understanding of child development and teaching and learning that will ensure that the learner is fully prepared for progression onto the relevant degrees.
The mandatory units include an introduction to child development and practices within early years settings. Optional units can be selected that will support progression onto the chosen degree programme and include learning and development, healthy living, the impact of socio-economic status and culture on child development. Learners will have the opportunity to research an aspect of early years practice which interests them.
What this diploma covers
The units include a balance of child development and early years practice which allow the learners to keep their options open until they have fully decided on their preferred route at degree level. The ungraded units have been chosen to support both progression into higher education and also to allow the learners to develop skills relevant to the subject area e.g. maths and English skills which will be important to support initial assessments for teaching programmes.
Delivery methods
Face to face
Blended learning
Work placements would also be beneficial and visits to different early years settings would widen opportunities.
Assessment methods include: Essays, projects, presentations, self-evaluation, case studies, structured questions, literature review, exams, reports, production of resources and schemes of work, academic posters, observation, timeline, glossary.
Progression routes
BA (Hons) Early Years
Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons)
BA (Honours) Early Childhood
Early Years Foundation Degree FdA
BA (Hons) Early Years and Special and Inclusive Education
BA (Hons) Education Studies and Early Years
BA (Honours) Childhood and Youth Studies
BA (Honours) Education Studies (Primary)
BA (Hons) Education
BSc (Hons) Education
BEd (Hons) Bachelor of Education Honours Degree Primary with QTS
In addition, progression could be onto a higher level or degree apprenticeship including:
Early Years Lead Practitioner (degree)
Early Years Senior Practitioner
Teacher
Provider approval criteria
No specific resources above provider approval criteria.
Progression route entry requirements
Learners will require a pass in maths and English at GCSE level to progress onto a degree course. They are likely to require a pass in a science subject if they wish to undertake a teaching degree course. Students will be required to pass the Professional Skills tests in literacy and numeracy before starting degree programmes leading to QTS.
During registration on the programme, students will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) barred list and criminal records check, and a Disqualification by Association.
Funding information
Learning Aims Search
The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Hub website
From 1st July 2021, the Hub will be replaced by a new Find a learning aim (FALA) service. This service is currently in BETA so if you experience any issues with finding funding details, please double check on the Hub above, or contact your account manager.
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website
How to find a learning aim
If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:
How to Use: Find a learning Aim
Additional funding information for Access to HE
- Access to HE is eligible for funding as part of the legal entitlement offer.
- Access to HE is eligible for funding via Advanced Learner Loans and appears on the Advanced Learner Loans catalogues published by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
- Access to HE Diplomas are designed for adult learners aged 19+ and the ESFA only funds young people on these programmes by exception, as stated in paragraph 149, page 39 of the Funding guidance for young people 2020 to 2021.
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.
The following support materials will help you deliver this qualification.
Information for Access Centres
Assignment briefs
Centres approved to deliver our Access to HE Diplomas can download assignment briefs for a selection of units in this Diploma. Assignment briefs can be downloaded by logging to Prism and locating the relevant unit. More assignment briefs are being added not all units currently have assignment briefs available.
The assignment briefs can be easily adapted to suit your needs. We recommend checking the rules of combination for the Diploma and adapting the brief accordingly.
To provide a flavour of what’s available, you can download the below samples for free: