Name: Children, Schools & Families (Graduate Practitioner) (Top-up), BA (Hons)
Price: £9,250 per year GBP

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Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an autumn Open Day

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2025

UCAS Code

L591

Delivery

In-person

Our Children, Schools and Families (Top-Up) course builds on your existing experience in child-based education to help you develop a career working with children, families and the services that support them.

Our course is mapped to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmarks for Early Childhood Studies. The course draws upon education, psychology, sociology, social work and health. You'll gain a solid grounding for your future career working within the children and families workforce.

You’ll examine the services, systems, policies and work practices that relate to children and young people in schools, with families, and in care settings.

The programme integrates theory, policy and professional practice. You will conduct professional placements and work-based learning, ensuring you are well-prepared for the workplace.

Why study with us

You’ll have the opportunity to complete a Level 3 Paediatric First Aid certificate.
You'll be taught by an expert team of practice based academic staff and researchers. Their expertise spans education, early years, youth work, social care, family support and health.
The course is built around a minimum of 560 assessed placement hours. This will develop your professional practice expertise, so that you can excel in a career focused on supporting children and families.

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What you'll do

Professional placements will embed what you have learned in the classroom to real-world experience.
You will attend campus two days per week, plus one day on professional placement.
Learn about children and childhood, safeguarding and legislation, trauma informed practices and disability and inclusive practice.

Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner

From September 2022, studying this course works towards attaining the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGP).

The ECGP Competencies meets the requirements of the Department for Education. This ensures the degree is 'full and relevant.' Students who achieve the nine competencies and pass an assessed practice can be included in Level 3 EYFS ratios.

Students will meet the nine competencies through a combination of assessed observations during their 80 days/510 hours of practice, work-based tasks and academic assessment.

Modules

This module will provide you with an overview of critical issues for children, families and young people, taking into account a variety of factors and including the views of service users and carers, theoretical concepts, research evidence and relevant policy and legislation. This module recognises and critically discusses the prominence of children, families and ‘youth’ in Government policies.

Module code: SW3033

On this module you will understand the professional practices of an Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner. You will become an advocate for young children’s rights and participation and recognise that young children are active co-constructors of their own learning. You will critically apply high-level academic knowledge of pedagogy and research evidence, to the holistic development of infants and young children (0-8), in a practice context that is respectful of the child, their family and community.

Module code: CI3109

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Senior Lecturer

Senior Lecturer

Lecturer

Senior Lecturer

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image overlay — The Library (Preston Campus)

students-library — The Library (Preston Campus)

Future careers

Our graduates work across the spectrum of children and families settings, including children’s centres, schools, national charities, nurseries and family and community support.

Entry requirements

We will consider your educational achievements, predicted grades, work experience and personal statement. If you don't meet the grades for your chosen course, we will consider you for other programmes.

We know that many factors can influence the grades you achieve in school or college. If your life experience has affected your academic studies, we can take this into account. Use the UCAS Points Calculator below to check whether you are eligible.

Unsure if you meet our entry requirements? Contact our friendly Course Enquiries team to talk through your options.

Pass Foundation Degree or HND in a relevant subject, eg Children Young People and their Services, or Early Years
GCSEs: 5 at grade C/4 or equivalent. It is a requirement of the external body linked to Graduate Practitioner status that all applicants must have a Grade C/4 in English or equivalent in order to graduate from this course
A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) is required for this course

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Not got the grades?

Our courses with a foundation year could be exactly what you're looking for. They provide an alternative route to study for this degree.

Find out more about our courses with a foundation year.

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,250 per year

International

Full-time£17,325 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Care Leaver Bursary
Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Care Leaver Bursary
Estranged student support
Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Estranged student support
Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Financial support package
If you are from a low income household our Financial Bursary may be able to help.
Find out more about Financial support package

This degree will give you a mixture of theoretical knowledge and practical learning opportunities. You’ll be taught by staff who are experts in various fields, including education, social work, sociology, psychology and social policy. Their academic expertise is informed by research and practice. The timetable for this course is designed to give you the opportunity to attend classes on campus for one working day. You’ll learn through a combination of teaching, group debate and discussion, practical experience and independent research. Lectures will be supported by a range of audio-visual and online resources which will support your own independent study. The group activities, workshops and discussions will help you to share and apply information, ideas, values and experience while also enhancing your problem-solving skills. We’ll assess you through a variety of methods including essays, content analysis, portfolios, presentations, workbooks, a research proposal and a final year dissertation. We’ll support you every step of the way. When you arrive, you’ll be allocated a tutor who will support you throughout your degree and help you to get the most out of your time at University.

Children, Schools and Families course if you meet one of these requirements:

Applicants who hold a University of Central Lancashire Foundation Degree in Children, Young People and their Services will be admitted with advanced standing up to 240 credits (directly into Year 3)
Applicants who hold a Foundation Degree in a relevant discipline awarded by other higher education institutions will be considered positively
We also give consideration to non-traditional qualifications and relevant work experience. We encourage applicants to produce evidence of their potential to benefit from the course.

If you believe you may be eligible for Accreditation of Prior Certificated and/or Experiential Learning (APCL/APEL) for certain modules then we’ll take this into consideration on an individual basis.

On this course you’ll benefit from our Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership (CVCL) which enables you to get involved in projects which make a positive difference to people’s lives. They offer a range of volunteering projects in the UK and Internationally so you’re bound to find something that inspires you.

Interested?

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This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Your saved courses

Children, Schools & Families (Graduate Practitioner) (Top-up)

Why study with us

What you'll do

Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Accreditations

Future careers

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Dependants Bursary

Financial support package

Children, Schools & Families (Graduate Practitioner) (Top-up)

Why study with us

What you'll do

Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner

Modules

Year 1

Visit us on campus

Accreditations

Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)

Future careers

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Additional costs

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Dependants Bursary

Financial support package

Learning and assessment

Further information