Early Childhood Education, MA

You will be joining a community of learners which includes students studying on our MA Education, which offers opportunities for professional dialogue across disciplines and peer learning. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds and we are privileged to be able to be part of a community that includes so many diverse perspectives.

Our teaching team is made up of academics who are passionate about their subject and discipline and are active researchers in their areas of specialism. You will become part of a vibrant community where individual’s prior learning and experience, interests and passions are all valued and used as a starting point for learning. There will be opportunities to follow your interests and to get involved in the wider postgraduate and early childhood communities at CCCU through events such as open lectures, seminars and conferences. These can enrich your experience and are regularly advertised on Blackboard – our virtual learning environment.

Study Support 

As you embark on your MA  journey, you’ll be fully supported to ensure you get the most out of your learning experience. During Induction Week, you’ll take part in academic skills sessions, meet your module tutors, and attend IT induction sessions to help you navigate the digital tools essential for your studies. You’ll also be introduced to our Virtual Learning Environment, which will be central to your learning, and be informed about the wide range of student support services available, including dedicated mental health and well-being support. At the outset of your course, you’ll be assigned a personal academic tutor who will guide you throughout your studies, offering both academic advice and pastoral support.

You’ll also have access to the Learning Hub, an online platform packed with resources to help you develop key academic skills. The hub has been developed by Learning Developers and Learning & Research Librarians with your needs in mind. Here you will find a range of modules with tips to help you develop your study, academic and research skills. To further enhance your success at Level 7, we offer a range of academic skills sessions designed to strengthen your writing, research, and critical thinking abilities. Beyond the classroom, you will have the opportunity to engage with a wide range of university events, including postgraduate conferences, guest speaker lectures, and networking opportunities. These events will enrich your knowledge, expose you to new perspectives, and deepen your understanding of the topics you are exploring. With a strong support network and access to valuable academic and professional experiences, you’ll have everything you need to thrive in your studies and achieve your goals.

Before you start on your course, try keeping a research journal – a simple notebook is fine. Writing reflectively and reflexively is important in academic writing at Masters level. In here you can store your ideas, questions and thoughts relating to early childhood education. It can become a place to jot down notes about interesting things you hear on the radio or TV, and somewhere to keep articles you read in newspapers or professional journals. It can also be a place to record conversations or observations of events that happen in practice. This will be a really useful resource which you can develop as you move through the course.

A key task for ALL students is to write a 500-word reflection on WHY you have come to study for your MA and what you hope to achieve. You might find the following book to be helpful:

• Bassot, B. (2020) The Reflective Journal 3rd Edn. London: Red Globe Press

Your welcome and induction will be w/c 15 September 2025 - we look forward to meeting you then.

As you prepare for Masters level study, we would invite all students to engage with some key reading on Early Childhood Education. Here are some interesting websites, with links to recent policy publications and research, that you might like to look at before you start.

Websites:

• Revised EYFS outlines the changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum from September 2021
• Rethinking Childhood is managed by Tim Gill. Tim is interested in the changing nature of childhood. His work - which embraces writing, independent research, consultancy and public speaking - aims to have a positive impact on children's everyday lives
• OMEP (The World Organization for Early Childhood Education) is an international non – governmental and non-profit organisation with Consultative Status at the United Nations and UNESCO. Founded in 1948, they defend and promote the wellbeing and education of children from birth to eight.
• TACTYC (The Association for Professional Development in Early Years) promotes and advocates the highest quality professional development for all early years educators in order to enhance the educational well-being of the youngest children.
• https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/learning-skills-hub The hub has been developed by Learning Developers and Learning & Research Librarians with your needs in mind. Here you will find a range of modules with tips to help you develop your study, academic and research skills.

Research:

• Effective Pre-School, Primary & Secondary Education (EPPSE) is the first major study in the UK to focus specifically on the effectiveness of early years education. The EPPSE project is a large-scale, longitudinal study of the progress and development of children from pre-school to post-compulsory education. It considers the aspects of pre-school provision which have a positive impact on children's attainment, progress and development.
• National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) contributes to the evidence base through a range of research and evaluation projects. It includes an early years interest group, which creates a forum for sharing knowledge and provides professional development opportunities for colleagues.

It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.