BA (Hons) Working with Children, Families and Communities Bachelor's degree at Anglia Ruskin University
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Families and Communities at Anglia Ruskin University combines core theory with research methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project and professional skills development.
About this course
Work in services such as education, wellbeing and social care, which offer integrated support to children, young people and families, with this degree at ARU. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Families and Communities is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Anglia Ruskin University, based in ARU Chelmsford Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £29,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Sociology & Social Sciences, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 78% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Critical Skills for Higher Education
- Perspectives on the Child 1: Childhood as a Construct - Physical and Social Development of Children
- Contemporary Issues in Social Work
- Safeguarding in Context
- Into ARU
- Foundation in Humanities, English, Media, Social Sciences and Education
Year 2 5 modules
- Perspectives on the Child 2: Childhood Cognitive and Language Development
- Reflective Practice in an Interprofessional Context
- Studying Research in an Interprofessional Context
- Working with Communities: Identifying and Responding to Needs
- Ruskin ModuleOptional15 credits
Year 3 4 modules
- Sustainable Social Work
- Perspectives on the Child 3: Inclusion, SEND and Developmental Difficulties
- Special Focus Project
- Working with Communities: Engaging the Community
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This degree prepares you to work in education, wellbeing and social care services that offer integrated support to children, young people and families. You'll usually start with foundations in sociology, social problems and policy, and research methods. As you progress, a course like this normally moves from social theory and applied streams, such as criminology, social policy, gender and identity, and migration, towards specialist options in your final year. You'll typically engage with contemporary debates through research-led seminars and complete a substantial dissertation or research project of your own.
Who it's for
This course suits graduates and professionals seeking to formalise or extend their expertise in working with children, families and communities. Most entrants hold another higher-education qualification; over recent years, 51% of accepted students came in with prior higher-education experience. The part-time structure accommodates those balancing study with work or other commitments.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 85% of Sociology & Social Sciences graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with 55% in highly skilled work or further study. National earnings data (Graduate Outcomes and LEO) shows starting salaries of £23,000–£30,000 at 15 months; after three years, £20,400–£28,800; and after five years, £24,650–£34,800. These figures reflect the broader graduate population, not a guarantee.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied part-time at Anglia Ruskin University, a public university based at ARU Chelmsford Campus. Instruction is in English. The degree is awarded by a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification is nationally recognised. ARU holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Most entrants hold another higher-education qualification.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| another higher-education qualification | 51% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 37% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| an Access course | 4% |
| Other | 2% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Anglia Ruskin University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Sociology & Social Sciences graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £29,000 | £22,000 – £33,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £28,500 | £23,500 – £32,000 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £30,000 | £20,500 – £37,000 | 30 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sociology & social sciences · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Sociology & Social Sciences nationally
National figures for Sociology & Social Sciences graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Sociology & Social Sciences courses at the same study level.
Compared with 751 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Welfare ProfessionalsSOC 2020 246 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £39,047
- Other Educational ProfessionalsSOC 2020 232 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,130
- Teaching and Childcare Associate ProfessionalsSOC 2020 323 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £20,261
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 95; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Sociology & Social Sciences graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Sociology & Social Sciences graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Local authorities
- Charities & NGOs
- Research organisations
- Government & universities
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Sociology & Social Sciences graduates.
Sociology AdjunctCommonwealth Of VirginiaSociology ECT - High-Achieving Secondary School in BrightonMarchant RecruitmentHead of Psychology and SociologyTeacherActiveIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £29,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 79% · in work or study 95% · continued 78%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Anglia Ruskin University
Social sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around ARU Chelmsford Campus
1,663 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Sociology & Social Sciences right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Anglia Ruskin University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Anglia Ruskin University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Anglia Ruskin University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Anglia Ruskin University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Anglia Ruskin University
Sociology & Social Sciences at other universities
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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