BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies Bachelor's degree at Canterbury Christ Church University
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies at CCCU covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
Find out more about our degree in Early Childhood Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at CCCU, based in Canterbury. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Education graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £26,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Education & Teaching, 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)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 87% (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.
1 4 modules
- Introduction to Early Childhood: Children's Worlds15 credits
Module details
Get ready to dive into the fascinating field of Early Childhood and explore the world of the child, the world around the child, and the world at large. From before birth to age 8, children's lives are shaped by history, society, psychology, and global influences. In this module, you will be introduced to the many powerful interactions that influence young children's experiences and development. Plus, you'll gain insights into how children are perceived, how social and environmental justice issue
- Growing Up: Development and Learning in Early Childhood30 credits
Module details
Discover how young children co-create their everyday experiences and relationships, and explore the interconnected nature of children, adults, and their environments. You will investigate how children develop magnificent, complex life skills during their early years, as well as the various influences that shape their development from before birth through age 8. This module offers an engaging exploration into the complexities of Early Childhood Development, equipping you with knowledge, confidenc
- Keeping Children Safe: Safeguarding & Rights in Early Childhood30 credits
Module details
Safeguarding children is at the heart of Early Childhood practice in every context. In this module, you will be introduced to the concepts of 'community' and safeguarding for young children and their families. You will explore children's rights, protection, and participation through the lenses of national and international legislation, policy, and practice. You will develop an understanding of multi-agency working, equipping you with the curiosity, knowledge, and skills to play your part in keep
- Children at the Centre of Practice30 credits
Module details
We think we know what contemporary and inclusive Early Childhood practice looks like, but have you ever wondered how it could be different? This module will help you consider a range of practices that work to meet the needs of individual children. You'll consider key principles in a variety of child-centred approaches, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), outdoor pedagogies like Forest School, the Froebelian Approach to Early Childhood, and therapeutic approaches for youn
2 2 modules
- Constructing Childhoods: Identity, Community, Society30 credits
Module details
What makes us who we are, and how do we develop our sense of self? This module invites you to consider some of these very big questions. You will reflect on the ways that children's identities - and your own - are influenced by broader historical and social forces, such as race and ethnicity, sex and gender, and disability, that set Early Childhood as a foundation that shapes us into adulthood. This module offers a thought-provoking self-exploration of the factors that construct childhood identi
- Play With Me! Creativity & Learning in Early Childhood30 credits
Module details
All children, all over the world, play. Creativity and play are children's tools - tools to make sense of the world, tools to share their understanding with others, and tools to learn. However, play is not universally the same: how it may look is impacted by generation, additional needs, access, and culture. Play can even take many different forms - some of which can be risky or dangerous. This module exposes how children use creativity and play to engage with, assign meaning to, and create and
3 5 modules
- Re-imagining Early Childhood for Innovative Practice15 credits
Module details
Deepen your understanding of inclusive Early Childhood practice, and apply your developing leadership and advocacy skills in this module, which completes your journey within the key areas of child-centred practice: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), outdoor pedagogies such as Forest Schools, the Froebelian approach to Early Childhood, or therapeutic approaches for young children, such as play or art therapy. This module encourages you to think deeply about the methods of adapting
- Children Thriving: Opportunities and Well-being15 credits
Module details
Challenges and opportunities shape the experiences of young children in contemporary society, both locally and globally. In this module, you will investigate topics such as school readiness, poverty, parental separation, technology, and children's digital identities through the lens of children's well-being and development. This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to help children and families overcome challenges and thrive.
- Voices in Early Childhood Research30 credits
Module details
Early Childhood research is often written about children by adults. These 'voices' in research can give us clues about the ways in which children are thought of, and the assumptions that are made about them. In this module, you will reflect on and critique the voices present in Early Childhood research and consider how high-quality Early Childhood research can be co-constructed with young children. You'll put your learning into action by prioritising children's voices and engaging in co-research
- Leading the Future: Professionalism and Values in Early Childhood30 credits
Module details
Professionalism, leadership, and management skills are critical in bringing about changes in practice and policy for a more sustainable future for young children, their families, and communities. This module provides you with opportunities to engage with different leadership and management models, as well as skills and tools to hone your professionalism to facilitate positive change in your graduate environments.
- Research in Early Childhood: The Major Project30 credits
Module details
In this module, you'll be provided with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained during your degree to develop new knowledge. You will apply what you have learned through the ECS Research in Focus Framework to carry out an independent, in-depth project within Early Childhood and related professions. You will plan, research, and complete your project with personalised support from tutors, developing critical thinking, research, and time management skills. Workshops, discu
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 in Early Childhood Studies examines how children develop and learn, and how to support them effectively in educational settings. You'll usually begin with foundations of child development, learning theory and the organisation of schooling, alongside early school observation. In Year 2, you'll progress to curriculum design, pedagogy and inclusion, with sustained teaching placements building your classroom practice. Year 3 moves toward specialist options such as primary teaching, early years, SEND and inclusion, education policy, and QTS routes, culminating in a final placement where applicable. Throughout, you'll combine theoretical study with practical experience in schools, developing both subject knowledge and the professional skills needed for practice in the field.
Who it's for
This course suits those seeking to develop expertise in early childhood education and care. You'll engage with both theoretical foundations and practical application, preparing you for professional roles working with young children. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; accepted students typically came in with UCAS tariffs of 64–79 points. The course is taught in English.
University & format
Canterbury Christ Church University is a public university in Canterbury, Kent. This BA (Hons) degree is studied full-time over 3 years, taught in English. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; your qualification will be nationally recognised. The institution holds a Silver award for teaching quality from the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
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 | 53% |
| another higher-education qualification | 40% |
| Other | 4% |
| a previous degree | 2% |
| an Access course | 1% |
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 X310). 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 CCCU →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
- Teacher-training bursaries: Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships are available for selected shortage subjects. 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 Education & Teaching 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 | £26,000 | £21,000 – £30,000 | 2900 |
| 3 years after | £20,500 | £15,500 – £25,000 | 310 |
| 5 years after | £24,500 | £18,500 – £30,500 | 305 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,900. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in education & teaching · 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 Education & Teaching nationally
National figures for Education & Teaching 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.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,900. Cohort 2021-22. 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 Education & Teaching courses at the same study level.
Compared with 515 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Education & Teaching 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 Education & Teaching 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
- Schools & academy trusts
- Local authorities
- Education charities
- Tutoring providers
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Education & Teaching graduates.
Is 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
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £26,000. 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 8.4 out of 10: NSS 81.3% · continued 87%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Canterbury Christ Church University
Education and teaching across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Canterbury
1,800 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 Education & Teaching right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to CCCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by CCCU; 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 CCCU’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 CCCU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at CCCU
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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