BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Birmingham City University
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families with Foundation Year at BCU. The foundation year supports students who may not have the typical entry qualifications, preparing them for degree-level study.
About this course
BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families with Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at BCU, based in City South Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Social work graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Nursing & Health, 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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 82% (2021-23; 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.
Foundation Year 6 modules
- Academic Skills for SuccessCore20 credits
Module details
This module is designed to support you in your transition to studying in a Higher Education environment at Birmingham City University. Through a range of class-based group and individual activities, discussions, debates, personal reflection and wider reading and research, you will have opportunities to consider academic conventions, which include: effective use of literature; sourcing and reviewing information; various forms of academic writing; developing reflective capacity. You will also rece
- Interpersonal and Communication SkillsCore20 credits
Module details
This module will focus on enabling you to gain a deeper understanding of the interpersonal skills and behaviours required to work in your chosen area. Through a range of class-based and student-focused activities, you will explore the different concepts of effective interpersonal and communication skills essential to your own personal development and progression. By engaging in this module, you will identify how beliefs and values and culture may influence interactions with others. You will also
- Negotiated StudiesCore20 credits
Module details
This module is designed to support you in your transition to studying in a Higher Education environment at Birmingham City University, allowing you the opportunity to negotiate learning of a bespoke subject. Under the guidance of tutors, you will be able to direct your learning and identify relevant learning opportunities that you feel enable you to learning more about a specific field of study. The subject area within this module is student-led, with guidance and facilitation from designated ac
- Equality and the ChildCore20 credits
Module details
This module is designed to help you gain awareness and understanding of current challenges around Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity and how these impact upon the children and the education and child support sector, preparing you for your future education and journey into practice. The module introduces the Equality Act 2010 as the current legislation that focuses on Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity, with a focus on how this legislation should be understood and should inform practice in the
- Policy and PoliticsCore20 credits
Module details
This module will be studied in Semester 2 and provides opportunities for you to develop an understanding of the politics and policies that impact society, childhood and education. Key aspects of working practice in the disciplines listed above are determined by the policies that come from the government; in the majority of cases, a government department oversees and regulates practice through its policies. This modules will explore the way in which the British constitution works, how policy maki
- Foundations of Child DevelopmentCore20 credits
Module details
The starting point for this module is the idea that child development is a key factor in how we educate and support the next generation. This module will provide you with foundational knowledge of child development as you prepare to undertake a degree course focused on working with children in various professional settings. During the module you will explore theories underpinning child development and examine some of the social, cultural, and historical contexts that shape perspectives on child
Year One 6 modules
- Self-Awareness for Personal and Professional GrowthCore20 credits
Module details
The starting point for this course is the premise that self-awareness leads to meaningful personal and professional development. Accordingly, this module aims to help you to deepen your understanding of who you are. You will be encouraged to explore your values, beliefs, and emotions, evaluate your own areas of confidence and learn how this influences your personal development, including the development of your future practice.
- Preparing to Study in Higher EducationCore20 credits
Module details
This module recognises that transitioning into higher education represents a significant milestone in a student's academic journey, signifying a period of personal growth. However, it can also present challenges, as students must adapt to a range of increased academic demands and expectations. The module is specifically designed to support students through this transition by equipping them with essential academic skills and strategies necessary for success in their undergraduate studies. Its pri
- Social Justice: Diversity, Equity and InclusionCore20 credits
Module details
This module aims to provide an understanding of social justice with a specific focus on the concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion and its impact on children, young people and families. You will learn about different forms of discrimination and inequality, as well as strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion. Theories of inclusion, social exclusion, and discrimination will be approached through a critical review of concepts and examination of local, national, and international pol
- Effective Early InterventionCore20 credits
Module details
Effective early intervention is at the heart of interdisciplinary practice and can maximise children's potential in their holistic development. Effective early intervention creates opportunities for social inclusion, participation, and development of key life skills and independence with long-term benefits for education and employment but perhaps also an important quality of life. Effective early intervention is noted as a set of services to allow intervention to support a child and their family
- Preparing for PlacementCore20 credits
Module details
This module examines the professional practices associated with working with children, young people, and families. Students will professionally prepare themselves to undertake a placement and examine the professional landscape which they will be working within.
- Professional PlacementCore20 credits
Module details
During this module, students participate in their first professional placement and critically reflect on their professional experiences during their placement. The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their practice in workplaces which involve working with children, young people, and families; as well as critically reflect upon how this experience informs their future practice in the sector.
Year Two 1 modules
- Reflecting on PlacementCore20 credits
Module details
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 80 hours of Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your practical skills. Your will also be able to showcase your personal and professional skills, attitudes and behaviours gained from this valuable practical experience. Furt
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 course combines a foundation year with a degree in working with children, young people and families, introducing you to nursing and health fundamentals before specialising. You'll usually start with core clinical skills, communication and anatomy and physiology, then progress to acute and long-term care, medicines management, and evidence-based practice. Placements run throughout, meeting the NMC standard for supervised practice. From year 2 onwards, you'll typically choose specialisations such as children's nursing, mental health, community and primary care, or leadership. In the final year, you'll focus on complex care coordination and consolidate your competence towards NMC registration, drawing on research and quality improvement methods.
Who it's for
This course suits those interested in supporting children and young people through professional practice. Most accepted students arrived with A-levels or equivalent; recent entrants typically held UCAS tariffs between 80–95 points. The foundation year makes it accessible to those whose prior qualifications fall short of standard entry expectations. You'll study in English at a public university with established teaching credentials.
Careers & job market
Across Nursing & Health courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 87% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National earnings data shows starting salaries (at 15 months) typically range from £27,000 to £30,500, rising to £27,200–£38,400 after five years.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time over 4 years at Birmingham City University, a public university located at City South Campus. Taught in English, the degree is nationally recognised and leads to eligibility for NMC registration. The university holds Silver status for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment. The university offers bursaries and scholarships; check their funding pages for details.
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.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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 (code L59F). 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 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. 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 BCU →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.
National funding for this subject
- NHS Learning Support Fund: Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied-health students can receive a non-repayable training grant. Official guidance
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 Nursing & Health 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 | £32,000 | £26,000 – £37,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £31,500 | £26,000 – £35,000 | 125 |
| 5 years after | £33,000 | £25,000 – £40,500 | 120 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Newly Qualified PractitionerPreceptorship / first post · 0–2 yrs
- 2Registered PractitionerAutonomous practice · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / SpecialistSpecialist or team lead · 5–10 yrs
- 4Advanced / Consultant PractitionerAdvanced practice or management · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Nursing & Health nationally
National figures for Nursing & Health 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: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. 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 Nursing & Health courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,506 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.
- Welfare ProfessionalsSOC 2020 246 · 55% of published destinations · ASHE median £39,047
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 15% of published destinations
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
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: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Nursing & Health 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 documentation and triage support
- Scheduling and records admin
- First-pass risk flags from data
- Standard reference look-ups
More human than ever
- Hands-on, compassionate care
- Clinical judgement and accountability
- Communicating with patients and families
- Ethics and safeguarding decisions
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Nursing & Health 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
- NHS trusts
- Private healthcare
- Care providers
- Community & mental-health services
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Nursing & Health graduates.
Nursing Home ManagerJarrodean Healthcare RecruitmentSenior Charge Nurse Uist Community Nursing teamNHS National Services ScotlandCare Assistant - Nursing Home | Flexible Hours, Weekly PayMpa RecruitmentCare Assistant (Nursing) - Nightshift - RatheaneMacklin Care Homes LimitedSenior Support Worker: Meaningful Care & Flexible ShiftsPotens GroupDental NurseBupa Dental CareIs 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
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.3 out of 10: NSS 87% · in work or study 80% · continued 82%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birmingham City University
Subjects allied to medicine across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around City South Campus
1,592 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 Nursing & Health right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by BCU; 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 BCU’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 BCU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BCU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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