Early Years Degree

[emma_lubylu]

Hi,
I've completed my level 3 at the start of this year and have been looking into maybe doing a Early Years Degree through the Open University.
After speaking to them today the lady informed me that I may need to do some voluntary work in a registered early years setting, bit confused as I thought my childminding setting was a registered EY setting?
Has anyone else done a degree and had to do voluntary work?
Not a problem if I do, but just left a bit confused as the lady I spoke to didn't really seem to know herself!! :huh:
Thanks in advance :-)

[Emma_Ski]

Hi Emma,

I started my online Early Years Foundation Degree with MNT Training earlier this year. I found them a lot cheaper than the OU. The pre-requisites of my course were that I had to be doing a minimum of 16 hours per week in a 'Childcare Environment' (either paid or voluntary) but that my current role as a childminder would be absolutely acceptable.

I certainly don't think it would have been possible for me to study if I had to volunteer too.

Hope this helps and best of luck with your studies :)

Emma,

[Simona]

Hi,
I've completed my level 3 at the start of this year and have been looking into maybe doing a Early Years Degree through the Open University.
After speaking to them today the lady informed me that I may need to do some voluntary work in a registered early years setting, bit confused as I thought my childminding setting was a registered EY setting?
Has anyone else done a degree and had to do voluntary work?
Not a problem if I do, but just left a bit confused as the lady I spoke to didn't really seem to know herself!! :huh:
Thanks in advance :-)

To do a degree students will need to work with children of all ages...CMs certainly fit that requirement and you are a registered setting....frustrating to say the least that it is not recognised.
It would not surprise me the woman did not know herself since the degree has been accessible to CMs for years.

it seems that these people invent new rules as they go along....the same problems are met by cms who want to do the new EYE qualifications and told they need to go and work in a nursery...all nonsense.
If you belong to an association do report this to them

[tulip0803]

Glyndwr university do a complete e-learning Foundation degree course in childhood studies with top-up to full degree. Lots of childminders have done it with no problems and recommend it. Glynd?r University - The Learning and Development of Babies and Young Children (http://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/Undergraduatecourses/TheLearningandDevelopmentofBabiesandYoungChildren/)

[emma_lubylu]

Thanks for your help and advise, and Emma I will look into that company.
I thought that maybe it was so you would were working with children from all different backgrounds and abilities, that a childminding setting may not always have, but seems not! I felt that I was being given a sales pitch and, as it's something that i would be dedicating myself to for 6 years, not to mention the money it would cost, I wasn't left with much confidence! (and they have been bombarding me with phone calls since :angry: )

[Emma_Ski]

Best of luck with it Emma.

I can strongly recommend MNT so far. It has been a while since I last studied but I am really enjoying it.

[dillydally]

Which works out financially better, glyndwr or mnt?