Early Years Education And Leadership

Early years education and leadership is a professional field focused on supporting children's learning and development from birth to five. It draws on developmental psychology, pedagogy, child welfare, and the policy frameworks that govern early years provision, asking practitioners to think carefully about how young children learn, what they need in order to thrive, and how high-quality early years settings can be designed, led, and managed to make a real difference in children's lives.

This part-time foundation degree at Edge Hill University is designed for people who are already working in or who want to enter early years settings, giving you the knowledge and tools to become the best practitioner you can be while fitting your study around your professional and personal commitments. You will develop your understanding of child development, attachment, play-based learning, inclusion, safeguarding, and leadership within early years contexts, engaging with theory and policy alongside the practical realities of working with young children and their families. The part-time mode means you can apply your learning directly in your workplace, reinforcing and deepening your understanding through real professional experience.

Early years practitioners with this qualification are well placed to progress into senior practitioner roles, room leadership, nursery management, childminding, and leadership of early years settings. Many graduates go on to top up to a full honours degree in early childhood studies or a related subject, and the foundation degree also provides a platform for working towards Qualified Teacher Status in the early years. The skills and knowledge you develop are also valued in family support work, health visiting, educational psychology, and roles in children's services more broadly.