Taking it further: Books and courses

One of the children from Child Of Our Time

When a house is not a home

For many children in the UK, there's little in the way of home comforts.

Courses

If you have an interest in child development, it could prove to be the door to a whole new life - a new career, new outlooks. Why not discover what the Open University has to offer?

Openings

Not sure where to start? Returning to education, or seeking an introduction to studying with the OU? This level could be perfect for you:

Understanding Children
A course focusing on children up to the age of 11, Understanding Children follows a family growing up in the modern world and considers the choices and rights of the children. If you’d like to know more about this course, why not try our taster activities?

Or, try a larger taste of the course. An example unit from Understanding Children is available to try online - for free - as part of OpenLearn, showing the sort of assignments, feedback and course materials: Sample Understanding Children with OpenLearn.

Foundation Degree in Early Years

The Open University’s Foundation Degree in Early Years is suitable for those who have been working directly with young children (0-8 years), in care and education settings for at least two years. It is recognised as a SureStart Unit Recognised Early Years Sector-Endorsed Foundation Degree offering a new level of professional practice known as Senior Practitioner. It can also offer a route into an Honours Degree and qualified teacher status. This Foundation Degree will prepare you to engage with further study, enquiry and practice where knowledge of early years is required.

Completion of the first two courses in the Foundation Degree, Working with children in the early years and Supporting children’s learning in the early years, leads to a Certificate in Early Years Practice which is included in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority National Qualifications Framework at Level 4. This framework is recognised by Ofsted in registering and inspecting early education and care provision.

Foundation Degree in Working with Young People

The Foundation Degree in Working with Young People provides a distance-learning route to qualification in order to meet the needs of a wide variety of people, who will be engaged in current work – paid or unpaid - with young people, aged 13-19, within an informal education setting. The foundation degree is vocationally focused and leads to a professional qualification in youth work validated by the National Youth Agency (NYA) on behalf of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), so is a recognised professional qualification.

Completion of the first two courses in the Foundation Degree, Introduction to working with young people and Introduction to working with young people in practice, leads to a Certificate in Working with Young People which is recognised on the National Qualifications Framework and as such is also recognised as a National Youth Agency-endorsed Youth Support Worker qualification.

BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies

This degree is designed for those who work or intend to work with children and young people, and for those who have more general interests in the interdisciplinary field of childhood and youth studies. You will develop a broad understanding of childhood and youth in its social and cultural context. This will build on knowledge, insights and methods from the social sciences and humanities, as well as from studies in health, education and social welfare, social policy and children’s rights. You can take a range of pathways through the degree, according to your interests and your plans for the future. The degree can extend your knowledge and skills in a specialised area of study such as child development, or it can have a more vocational leaning towards professional work with children or young people.

Child Development
A second-level undergraduate course, covering the whole field of developmental psychology.