Our degree in Early Childhood is one of our most popular courses. Applications are open until midnight on 12th September 2022. However, it is advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Some helpful tips to keep in mind when making your application:

Qualifications

• Have to hand any qualifications you have ready to submit as soon as you’re able. This course has flexible entry requirements though GCSE grade C in English and Maths will provide an advantage as well as an NVQ Level 3 in a related subject.
• You will not need to submit qualifications at the point of application but the quicker we receive any additional documents you wish to add, the quicker your application can be progressed!
• If you are able to submit proof of qualifications, please upload the official certificate you received. You can either scan a copy or take a photo and upload that to your applicant portal.

References

• Choose your referees early on. We will not need references at the point of application but it would be beneficial to prepare your referees early on to again speed the progress of your application.
• Another note to remember here is that we cannot accept references from family members.
• More information on choosing a referee can be found here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/courses/howtoapply/suitablereferee

Personal Statements

• Sell yourself in your personal statement! Like many personal statements within applications, whether it be for a course or a job role, this is your chance to tell the reader all about yourself.
• Think on points such as what led you to our course and what you would like to gain out of studying our Foundation Degree in Early Childhood. Are you currently in a role in which you work with children, would you like to develop your outlook on the subject of Early Childhood or would you like to work towards gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in this field?
• Be as informative and expressive about yourself as you can so we can get to know the person behind the application.
• Most importantly, we don’t want you to panic. This isn’t a test and it will not be marked. It is a way for the course team to learn more about you, to learn what drives you and what motivates you to study, so take a deep breath and don’t worry - it’s not an essay.
• We would recommend one typed A4 page.

Additional points to keep in mind

• We offer this course at two sites - The University of Warwick and North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College. The course is exactly the same on both sites and you will be a University of Warwick student whichever location you choose. The only difference to keep in mind here is location and time. Classes are held in the evening at the university but held throughout the day at the college, so this is an important point to think about when choosing your location. More detail on times can be found here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/courses/professionaldevelopment/early-childhood/earlychildhoodfdba/
• On the course, you will need to complete 150 hours practice, paid or voluntary, in a suitable early years setting (birth to 8) so we would advise you have in this place, if not already, throughout the progress of your application.
• Remember that upon successful completion of our Foundation Degree you can progress onto our BA (Hons) Early Childhood. This would take just over a further year to complete.
• If you are interested in becoming a teacher you could of course progress onto a teaching degree by continuing on to study our BA (Hons) Early Childhood which could then be followed by studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or other teacher training programmes. Other likely paths can include Early Childhood Leadership, Therapeutic work or further academia.
• The final point to keep in mind is to make your application in a relaxed setting. Don’t rush it and remember to take your time. Brainstorm possible ideas that you can add to your personal statement. Make a check list of what you will need to have in place throughout the application process such as referees, qualifications and organising a voluntary or paid position in an early years setting.
• And don’t be afraid to ask for help! Whether that be from somebody you know or from us at the Centre. You can contact us at this address clladmissions@warwick.ac.uk or you can contact the admissions tutor, Dr Charlotte Jones at Charlotte.E.Jones@warwick.ac.uk.

We look forward to receiving your application!