BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education

Meet Hannah. Hannah found her current role whilst on placement, and her ambition is to open her own early years business.

Hannah’s favourite memories

Hannah didn’t want to live too far from home when she was deciding where to study. Herts’ campus was only a 50-minute drive from where she lived, so she could commute or live on campus. In the end, she decided to do both.

Hannah says, ‘Some of my favourite memories from my time at Herts were making friends at my on-campus accommodation. We had some great times together. We went out every night during Freshers’ Week, we had movie nights in our rooms, and we often spent time together in local pubs.’

‘I am still friends with people I met at Herts. We have a group chat where we talk a lot and share memories from our time at university.’

Using her degree

Hannah is now a Trainee Deputy Manager at an outdoor day nursery, a childcare provider she was introduced to during her placement at Herts. Hannah says, ‘Once I completed my degree, the owners of the nursery asked me to come and work for them. Within a few months, I interviewed to become a Duty Manager and I got the role!

‘The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education programme prepared me well for my current job. The course gave me a deep insight into early years education, and during my studies we explored the benefits of outdoor learning. I have been able to put this knowledge into practice, which has helped me excel in my current role.’

Hannah’s ambition is to one day open her own early years setting or business.

Her advice

Hannah’s advice to current students is to, ‘Enjoy your time at university. Work hard, keep on top of everything, but enjoy it while it lasts.

‘If you are in your final year, don’t panic. I was asked often what my plans after university were and, honestly, I didn’t have a clue. It somehow fell into place, and it will for you too.’

Meet Charly. After graduating top of her class, she now supports children with their mental health and wellbeing.

A home away from home

Charly has a passion for working with children. She remembers fondly those who helped her thrive as a youngster, and as an adult she wants to have that same impact on the next generation.

Charly chose Herts because of its quality teaching and the high likelihood of employment post-degree. Herts was also close to home, which allowed her to commute easily to campus. Charly adds, ‘I visited Herts for an open day and found the environment very welcoming. Compared to the other universities I visited, I felt more at home at Herts, and I could see myself studying here.’

Flexible learning

One of Charly’s favourite aspects of the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education course was its flexibility. Charly says, ‘We were always given different options on how to learn, from the way lectures were structured to being offered a choice of topics for our assignments.

‘There were plenty of opportunities to be hands-on too and have fun. I remember one lecture where we had to think like a child and just play! We used playdough, did some painting, played with Lego, and all sorts. It was a memorable and fun session, and it helped me understand the value of play in childhood.

‘One of my favourite memories from Herts was graduation. I graduated top of my class and won a university prize, which was an amazing end to my time at Herts.’

‘I also met a lot of new people at Herts, including one of my best friends. I’ve just asked them to be a bridesmaid at my upcoming wedding!’

Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing

Charly is now an Education Mental Health Practitioner, who visits schools to provide mental health and wellbeing support for children and their families. She also works closely with the schools to provide staff with mental health training, help them shape their school’s mental health policies, and aid in the design of school environments to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

Charly believes her course prepared her well for her current role. She says, ‘I was taught modules on children’s wellbeing and SEND (special educational needs and disabilities). I work with lots of children with special educational needs, and my course at Herts taught me how to adapt as a professional to best support them. The module on interprofessional work also prepared me well, as I now work alongside many different agencies.’

Charly enjoys the work she is doing now, and although she is not quite sure where she’ll end up in the future, she knows that she wants to continue supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing. Charly adds, ‘I don’t think children’s mental health and wellbeing is spoken about enough in schools and we need to do more to change this. I’d like to find myself in a role where I have the authority to make significant changes in schools and make a real difference.’

Charly’s advice

Charly’s advice to future Herts students is to enjoy your time studying. She says, ‘University is hard, but it does give you some of the best years of your life.

‘If you are in your final year, my advice would be to ask for help if you need it. Your tutors are there to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask for support. Everyone wants you to succeed as much as you want to succeed!’

A Week in the Life of an Early Childhood Education undergraduate student.

Hi! My name is Sarah, and I’m a first-year university student studying at Hertfordshire Uni.

I’m studying an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education, and I hope to become a nursery teacher in the future!

When I was considering which universities I wanted to apply for, I found it helpful to know how each day would look on the course, partly so I could see how many days I needed to commute as I was looking to stay home while studying. So, I thought it might be helpful to show you what my normal week looks like.

Monday:
After commuting via train to the De Havilland university, I check my online uni schedule to see what lecture room I’m in and make my way there. (students can use the Herts app for directions).

On Mondays I have a 10am start. During these Monday lectures, we have been covering a module which involves creating an activity plan for children aged 0-3 or 3-5. We often have the opportunity to have interactive learning in our lectures to help us with ideas. For example, our class were provided with various outdoor learning equipment to experiment with- it was so much fun!

At around 1pm, my friends and I then have lunch. Sometimes we go to the food court on campus. Each week there are different options available to buy. Some days that may be burgers and fries, other days it could be stir fry or mac and cheese! Herts recognises that we are all broke students, and so their food prices are really cheap- I highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat from there.

After an hour lunch break, I return for a final lecture. This usually involves a ‘seminar’ which is a discussion about what we learnt that day. Sometimes it involves group work to keep us engaged.

Finally, it’s time to go home at 4pm!

Tuesday:
On Tuesdays my lectures also begin at 10am. On this day we cover a separate module all about our identity- both personal and professional. For this assignment, we need to submit a short video, rather than a written essay! I love how the course tries to make each assignment as engaging to complete as possible. (Tip: make lots of notes during lectures, as this can really come in handy when completing your assignments).

After a couple of hours of lectures, I go to the Starbucks on campus as they have really comfortable seating and great music! They serve a range of hot lunch foods like toasties, and also many things that a normal Starbucks wouldn’t have- like a whole pizza for £5! They have lovely hot drinks too if you’re feeling cold or sleep deprived.

Finally, after another lecture from 2-4pm, we go home.

Wednesday:
On Wednesdays, I have a day at home to complete uni work. This sometimes involves completing extra reading that our lecturers have asked us to look at, or writing my assignments.

Thursdays + Fridays:
On these days I work at my local nursery- I have found that working in a childcare setting whilst completing a childcare related degree really helps put things into perspective and supports you to become more experienced.

Because of my experience, I can now use examples from my work in my assignments, and find it easier to understand some aspects of the course.

And that’s a week in my life as a student at Herts university! Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you will consider this university and course, I can’t recommend it enough.

If you have any questions about this course, the university in general or just about being a student at Herts, feel free to drop me a message and I would be more than happy to answer.