Course Description

BA (Ord) in Early Childhood Care & Education

Portobello Institute



Course Details

This level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Care & Education degree is delivered through blended learning, you can work full-time and complete this degree. Upon completion of this Level 7 degree, you will be eligible to gain the higher capitation grant from DCEDIY for your role in an early years setting.

Overview

This newly designed level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Care & Education degree aligns with the requirements of the Qualifications Advisory Board as meeting the requirements of the professional award criteria and standards guidelines.

You can complete this programme in two academic years if you currently hold a QQI ECCE Level 6 award also available through Portobello Institute. Delivered by blended learning, you can study this degree in your own time, with a combination of webinar tutorial seminars and online learning. You can join the large network of early years practitioners on this learning journey. There is an easy payment plan designed to make this degree affordable. These factors, together with the one-to-one tutorial support, offer you a level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Care & Education degree that is accessible, affordable and achievable.

Here are some reasons to choose to study with Portobello:

  • Career-focused qualifications – our courses lead to awards that offer you the opportunity to immediately advance your career.
  • Notable professional standards recognition – QAB and DCEDIY recognise this programme as meeting the requirements of professional awards criteria and standards for the early years sector and for higher capitation grant purposes.
  • Individualised support – we fit your learning model with support available when you need it throughout your learning journey.
  • Industry expert tutors – our tutors are all early years practitioners connecting research and theory with practice throughout their lectures.
  • Condensed scheduling – we value your time by ensuring your timetable is optimised for delivery, helping you maintain a work/life/study balance.
  • Flexible delivery – we deliver theory sessions online whilst also recording the session simultaneously offering you a choice of when and how you learn.
  • Affordable payment options – all our courses offer you the option to choose an easy payment plan supporting you to spread the cost out over your learning journey.

Why should I study this course?

If you hold the ECCE full major award and are looking to further your qualifications, we have designed this level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Care & Education degree for you. It is delivered by blended learning to support your work-life balance and offers you a path of progression to level 8 BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Care & Education right through to a level 9 MA in Early Childhood Studies.

As an early years graduate, working as a manager in an early childhood setting is a natural career progression. There will also be new career options available to you. Upon successful completion of this degree, you will be eligible to apply for more diverse roles such as those within community projects and public health.

If you hold this QAB-approved level 7 degree, you are eligible to gain the higher capitation grant from the DCEDIY (formerly the DCYA) for your role in an early childhood centre. Visit page 9 of the DCEDIY list here to view details.

Broaden your professional network

Many graduates tell us they learn as much from each other as they do from tutors. Attending the webinars is key to meeting fellow students, engaging in discussion and exchanging ideas.  Meeting fellow students gives you the opportunity to create your study network for the duration of your learning journey. This network can prove extremely useful afterwards during your professional career.

Who will recognise my qualification?

Upon successful completion of this programme, you will be awarded a BA (Ord) in Early Childhood Care & Education from the University of Essex. This award is mapped and aligns at level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

This programme is approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board (instituted to review Level 7 and Level 8 Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care Sector) as meeting the requirements of the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines standards.

Who is QAB and why does it matter?

The Qualifications Advisory Board (QAB) has been jointly instituted by the Minister for Education and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on a non-statutory basis to review Initial Professional Education (Level 7 and Level 8) Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care (ELC) Sector. This is in support of Ireland’s plan for the development and upskilling of the Early Learning and Care workforce between now and the year 2028. It follows the publication in April 2019 of the Professional Award Criteria and Guidelines (PACG) for Initial Professional Education (Level 7 and Level 8) Degree Programmes for the Early Learning and Care (ELC) Sector in Ireland as agreed by the two Ministers and published on the website of the Department of Education.

The Qualifications Advisory Board is tasked with:

  • reviewing programme proposals and confirming their coherence with the PACG through the provision of expert reports.
  • advising the Department of Education and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs whether a programme, once validated as a professional award, can be considered for inclusion on a revised list of professional qualifications for the Early Learning and Care sector

This programme is approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board.

 

This Level 7 BA (Ord) Early Childhood Care & Education is also recognised by DCEDIY for the purposes of the higher capitation grant.

Qualifications Frameworks in Ireland and the UK

The Irish and UK qualifications authorities have collaborated on initiatives that promote the transparency, recognition and mobility of qualifications between our respective jurisdictions. The qualifications authorities in the UK and Ireland have agreed on the qualifications frameworks in operation, Brexit will not impact this agreement.

 

During this course, you will learn about play, development and learning in children, from birth to twelve years old in a socio-cultural context and the implications of this for practice in early childhood settings.

You will consider a range of local and international perspectives including children’s rights, children’s health and well-being, pedagogical and curriculum approaches, diversity, and inclusion.

You will explore a range of disciplines such as psychology, sociology and social policy, education, and health. Learning the links between theory and practice is key to your development as a professional Early Years Educator.

 

This programme is structured for delivery over 2 academic years. There are 2 Saturday workshop, and four evening webinars per term as well as some sessions with your placement tutor.

The Saturday workshops are held online from 10am to 1 pm with breaks throughout. The evening webinars are 1-1½ long and are scheduled between 7 and 9 pm to accommodate students who work full-time. All sessions are recorded so you may review the session at a later stage should you be unable to log-in at the scheduled time.

Students take four modules in Year 1 and 5 modules in Year 2, including one placement-based module each year. The three-semester structure will ensure you can focus on one module per term while also working on your professional practice portfolio.

The course will open with a module which will help you to develop the skills which you will need to achieve success at a degree level, such as sourcing credible information, academic writing, referencing, computer skills, basic research methods, time management and planning, emotional aspects of studying and at higher education level and student well-being.  Completing the module will build a solid base for your further professional and academic development throughout the programme.

Webinars & Tutor Support

The webinars are held at the start of each module and mid-way through each module, designed to guide and support you throughout the module. These webinars lay out the module for you and the content you will cover. The assessment and expectations for successful completion are covered in detail as is where and how to access the information on ePortobello. You will be encouraged to connect with fellow students and can create your study network for the duration of your learning journey.

You can email your tutor at any stage during the module to ask a simple query and there will be scheduled opportunities to submit a draft of your assignment. Our programme management team are always available to offer you telephone and email support and if you need to, you can arrange to meet them for further one to one guidance. For more information about our team, click here. Many of our past graduates have found it is the opportunity to ask a simple question, seek direction and submit a draft of their assessment that supported them most to successful completion.  This level of one-to-one support is unique to blended learning and is a particular benefit to choosing this mode of study. Portobello Institute has invested in a team of programme managers and tutors who are experienced early years practitioners as well as qualified and knowledgeable educators. They are available to assist you at every stage of this programme.

Online Learning Portal – ePortobello

During the induction seminar, we will show you how to navigate and find what you need with all of the information you need to complete this programme uploaded on to ePortobello. The content of this programme is set out in an easy to follow format with a combination of notes, articles, podcasts and other materials that will help you to understand the subject and complete your assessment.


Course Code EYEH-B-DS
College Name Portobello Institute
Course Category Early Childhood Education, Education
Course Type Blended Learning - Mix of Classroom & Online
Course Qualification Ordinary Bachelor Degree
Course Location Dublin, Ireland
Location Postcode Dublin 1
Course Start Date 6th May 2023
Course End Date 31st March 2024
Course Fee 2995 per Academic year
Course Duration 2 years
Course Times There are 3 intakes per year - Spring, Summer and Autumn
Title of Awarding BA (Ord) in Early Childhood Studies awarded by University of Essex
Entry Requirements Entry to this course is by direct application to the college. You will be required to hold a QQI Level 6 major award in ECCE or have achieved an equivalent qualification. The ECCE level 6 award is available to study by blended or part-time study at Portobello Institute. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Portobello Institute has mapped the learning outcomes of the awards listed below thereby gaining recognition of prior learning (RPL) with the University of Essex for students holding the following qualifications: • QQI Level 6 Early Years Care & Education • QQI Level 6 Advanced Supervision in Childcare
For information about Portobello Institute, please visit our college page on www.nightcourses.com by clicking here.

Course Provider

Portobello Institute



43 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

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43 Lower Dominick Street, Dublin 1
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