Liverpool John Moores University, BA (Hons), Education Studies and Early Years

The early years part of the course explores all the most recent developments in early years provision from Sure Start and the new children’s centres to the changes that are taking place internationally; the course also examines issues relating to young children’s learning, poverty in the early years, social exclusion, early years curriculum development as well as play and child development; the course is multi-disciplinary in its approach to young children and education with learning and the child at its centre; although the education aspect of the degree is not a teacher-training course, it explores education at the individual, school, community and global levels; key ideas (history, sociology, philosophy and psychology) are taught in the context of the ever increasing changes that are taking place within the English education system; at the heart of the course are the needs and entitlement of young children; the student learns how to recognise and understand these needs; the programme is designed to develop the transferable skills that allow the student to operate creatively in an increasingly complex world, including: the ability to evaluate and analyse information; the development of interpersonal skills; computer literacy; oral and written skills; the ability to work effectively in demanding contexts.