Working with Children, Young People and Families with a Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Birmingham City University

BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People, and Families is a course with social justice and equality at its heart. It is an exciting, contemporary degree which will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to work effectively with children, young people and families in a range of professional settings. The ethos of social justice is woven throughout the theoretical and practical aspects of the course. We will provide you with a range of teaching and learning experiences to build on your motivations and existing skills so that you can contribute positively to a changing society, particularly with services who work with, or for, vulnerable children, young people, and their families. We recognise the importance of giving you the autonomy to shape your academic path. Alongside essential core components which will ensure you explore the breadth of this subject, you will have choices in your placement settings and optional modules, which will enable you to tailor your degree to your career aspirations as they evolve.Practical placements are an important part of the course, in each year of the programme you will gain valuable hands-on experience working in a professional setting. This will allow you to apply the theoretical knowledge you have gained in classes to real-life situations, developing the practical skills and competencies essential for you to work in the field. You will have the opportunity to observe and learn from experienced professionals, gaining insight into best practices, techniques, and approaches used in the field. Your time in practice will also give you the chance to build professional networks and make connections that may prove beneficial when you are looking to move into employment after graduation.Overall, this course will provide you with a rich and rewarding learning experience that will be invaluable to a range of potential future careers in areas of work with young people, community development and education, youth engagement and inclusion, community cohesion, as well as postgraduate study. Whatever path you choose to pursue on completion of the course, you will take with you a professional practice grounded in the theory and practice of community-based, informal education.

The BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families with a Foundation Year course has been specifically designed to support your transition to degree-level study in Education. As a student, you will undertake a foundation year situated at level 3 study, which has been designed as a prelude to your chosen degree course, providing opportunities for you to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding. Your learning journey through your foundation year will provide a secure platform on which you can build throughout your academic career in higher education.As part of the foundation year, you will explore and develop number of essential academic, interpersonal and professional skills that will help you succeed in your future degree level studies.On successful completion of your foundation year, you are guaranteed to progress on to the first year of the BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families degree. If you are interested in progressing on to one of our other Education and Social Work degrees, this will be subject to space available on those courses and on meeting the relevant entry requirements, which may include passing an interview.