Name: Children, Schools & Families (Graduate Practitioner) (Top-up), BA (Hons)
Price: £9,535 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, young people and the services that support them.

This course draws on subject areas including education, sociology, psychology, social policy and social work to give you a solid grounding in your career.

You’ll complete compulsory modules which examine multi-professional and international perspectives on children’s lives, examining the services, systems, policies and work practices that relate to children and young people in schools, with families and in care settings.

You’ll also complete a work placement as part of your degree. This involves taught sessions which allow you to get a better understanding of how policy translates into practice and how you can make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Why study with us

You’ll have the opportunity to follow the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGPC) route alongside your top-up degree.
Childhood and Youth courses at the University of Central Lancashire are ranked 13th in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2022).
Staff expertise spans education, social work, sociology, psychology and social policy. Teaching is informed by their research and practice.

Interested?

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What you'll do

You will engage with placements, which link what you’ve learnt with real-life experiences of working with children, young people and their families.
You will develop a set of key transferrable skills to support employability, including enhanced communication, digital confidence, problem solving skills and self and team management skills.
You will engage with your experienced and knowledgeable tutors who will oversee your progress and support you throughout your final year.

Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner

From September 2022, students studying on this course will also be able to work towards attaining a professional practice award that qualifies the student as a Level 6 Graduate Practitioner with Children. The ECGPC meets the statutory requirements for practitioners working with children under 8 years old in early years settings, schools, social care, working within family support.

Students will gain Level 6 recognition through undertaking an assessed placement alongside the course, that focuses on the topics learnt throughout the degree. The Graduate Practitioner Competencies (Level 6) is recognised and endorsed in the Department for Educations career progression mapping.

Students who achieve the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner competencies will meet the nine competencies through a combination of assessed observations during their 80 days of practice, work-based tasks and academic assessment.

The Early Childhood Graduate Competencies are:

Advocating for young children’s rights and participation
Promoting holistic child development
Working directly with young children, families and colleagues to promote health, well-being, safety and nurturing care
Observing, listening and planning for young children to support their well-being, early learning, progression and transitions
Safeguarding and child protection
Inclusive practice
Partnership with parents and caregivers
Collaborating with others
Professional Development

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.

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I loved learning about a wide range of issues young people can face. I’ve made some great friends on the course.

Sarah Gaskell from the Skills Hub presenting Dominic's award at the Award Evening

Dominic Hawke

BA (Hons) Children, Schools & Families (Top Up)

Future careers

Our graduates have gone on to enjoy a wide range of successful careers working with children and young people. Many have achieved professional status in teaching, early years and social work.

This course will prepare you for a range of careers in educational settings including children’s centres, schools, nurseries, and family and community support. Many former students go on to become family support workers, learning mentors, child minders, nursery managers, youth workers, social workers and teachers.

You could also progress to further study. You may be interested in our MA Social Work and MA in Contemporary Practice with Children and Young People courses.

Many students have progressed to external teacher training courses relating to primary and secondary school teaching.

Academic expertise

Fiona Routh

Lecturer

Dr Jacqueline Williams

Course lead Doctor of Professional Practice (Dprof) Community and Social Care: Policy and Practice.

Dr Kelly Bracewell

Senior Research Fellow

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£9,535 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.

You can apply to study on our 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.

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

View the course facilities

Accreditations

Hear from our students

Future careers

Academic expertise

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

Book a campus tour

View the course facilities

Accreditations

Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)

Hear from our students

Future careers

Academic expertise

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