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FdA Early Years and Education

How to apply

Introduction

With a focus on current issues within the education sector, our foundation course will give you up-to-date knowledge and skills to start or advance a rewarding career working with young children, or move on to further qualifications, including teaching degrees.

Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2023 logo

Study at an award-winning university

We're the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

As an FdA Early Years and Education student at ARU, you’ll learn about the education sector, child development, play, safeguarding and equality, focusing on current issues that are affecting early years and education services, to ensure your knowledge will be up-to-date and relevant to your future career.

The course encourages you to adopt an approach to understanding your own work context through investigating aspects of your practice.

Our Education courses ranked seventh in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2024, and scored 90% for the Teaching on my Course in the National Student Survey 2023.

Course options

Course options

Key facts

Looking for different course options?

Entry Requirements

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Fees and Paying for University

Careers

As an FdA Early Years and Education graduate, you’ll have an advantage when applying for roles in early years and school support. As well as an up-to-date understanding of child/young person development, the issues affecting the education sector and an appreciation of your own role within it, you’ll also develop many important transferable skills, including critical and creative thinking, team and independent work, verbal and written communication, and increased self-confidence.

You might also choose to go on to further study, and use your credits to top up to a full honours degree, such as our BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies.

Symone

"Having an opportunity to study in a different setting will give me a chance to learn new skills and meet new people."

Symone

FdA Early Years and Education student

Want to talk to someone?

Do you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.

We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.

Studying at home

Living at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on student life. There’s loads of opportunities to have fun, make friends, and get involved.

Student life at ARU

Apply now for FdA Early Years and Education

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