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Children, Schools & Families (Graduate Practitioner),

(with Foundation Year)
BA (Hons)
Duration
4 years
Start
September 2025
UCAS Code
1J48
Delivery
In-person

On this Children, Schools & Families with Foundation Year course you'll study subjects to give you a solid grounding for your future career. You'll learn about education, sociology, psychology, social policy and social work.

Why study with us

  • 5th
    in the UK for teaching on the course
    National Student Survey (Childhood and Youth Studies) (compared with unis in the Guardian University Guide)
    2023
  • You’ll have the opportunity to complete a Paediatric First Aid certificate and to follow the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies (ECGPC) route alongside your degree.
  • You'll be taught by an expert team of practicing social workers, researchers, and academic staff who's expertise spans education, social work, sociology, psychology and social policy.
  • Engage in interactive lectures and seminars, with two full days per week taking place in-person on campus, 100% face-to-face.
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What you'll do

  • We’re committed to giving you excellent support. From the start, you’ll be allocated a tutor who’ll oversee your progress and be there to help you.
  • Placements link what you’ve learned with real-world experience of working with children, young people and families.
  • Alongside compulsory modules, you can explore topics such as disability, gender, drugs and social pedagogy through our range of optional modules.
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Students enjoying a lesson
Students enjoying a lesson
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Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner

When studying this course you will also be able to work towards attaining a professional practice award that qualifies the student as a Level 6 Graduate Practitioner with Children. The ECGPC meets the statutory requirements for practitioners working with children under 8 years old in early years settings, schools, social care, working within family support.

Modules

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Visit us on campus

Book a student-led campus tour to explore our facilities and discover what university life is really like.

Book a campus tour

Meet the team

The Children, Schools and Families team span a range of disciplines and you’ll benefit from academic expertise informed by research and practice.

PN
Pat Norris
Senior Lecturer
Sarah Tatham
Senior Lecturer
Fiona Routh
Lecturer
GF
Gail Frampton
Senior Lecturer
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View the course facilities

Accreditations

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Hear from our students

I loved learning about a wide range of issues young people can face. I’ve made some great friends on the course.
Sarah Gaskell from the Skills Hub presenting Dominic's award at the Award Evening
Dominic Hawke
BA (Hons) Children, Schools & Families (Top Up)
Read more

Future careers

Our Children, Schools and Families with Foundation Year degree is a great first step towards a career working with children, young people and the services that support them.

Entry requirements

We will consider your educational achievements, predicted grades, work experience and personal statement. If you don't meet the grades for your chosen course, we will consider you for other programmes.

We know that many factors can influence the grades you achieve in school or college. If your life experience has affected your academic studies, we can take this into account. Use the UCAS Points Calculator below to check whether you are eligible.

Unsure if you meet our entry requirements? Contact our friendly Course Enquiries team to talk through your options.

  • UCAS: 64 points at A2 or flexibility for work experience
  • BTEC Extended Diploma: MPP
  • BTEC Diploma: MM
  • Pass Access Course: 64 UCAS points
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma: Pass including 64 points from Higher Level Subjects
  • IELTS: 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5
  • GCSEs: 5 at grade C/4 or equivalent. It is a requirement of the external body linked to Graduate Practitioner status that all applicants must have a Grade C/4 in English or equivalent in order to graduate from this course

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

Fees and funding

2025/26
UK
First year£5,760 for the first year
Full-time£9,535 per year
International
First year£17,250 for the first year
Full-time£17,325 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

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This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page