University of Winchester, DipHE, Creative Writing and Education Studies (Early Childhood)

This is a joint Honours programme which allows the student to study 2 subjects in equal proportions; education studies (early childhood) offers in-depth study of educational processes and practices and specialises in analysing how themes including gender, race, citizenship, representation and power apply to education of the young child both in schools and in the wider culture; in addition, the student tailors the content by choosing from a range of optional modules employing specific critical approaches to the study of early childhood, including the philosophical, sociological and psychoanalytic; the creative writing course is practice-based with workshops designed to encourage students to evolve as writers in new and individual ways; it approaches writing in relation to wider literary and cultural contexts, as the best writers are also the best readers and the most critical thinkers; writing creatively is an expressive art that can be improved by the development of critical skills, including the ability to make an informed appraisal of one’s own work and the work of others; the programme seeks to move the student progressively through a structured series of writing assignments and exercises; it aims to develop the student’s own writing by giving positive critical encouragement and direction; this is enhanced by providing an environment in which they form a critical understanding of their own writing and the writing of others; guidance is given on audience (for example editor, agent or publisher) expectations from a critical perspective; the student is helped to locate their own writing within various contexts, including those of current academic debates.