Induction Schedule

Our aim is to ensure that you know what to expect from the course and provide advice and guidance on what you need to prepare for your studies. There will be activities that you may want to get involved in, both across the department and within Higher Education, and we will let you know more about these when you begin your studies.

To begin your preparation for the course, please read this web page which contains important information to ease you into life at Barnsley College University Centre and your course. If you require any further information specific to your course prior to starting, please feel free to contact us via the email addresses above.

You are required to attend a number of induction sessions, these will be sent to you with your enrolment information.

Study Skills

These books will also be very useful and are available in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) at our Old Mill Lane campus, though it is recommended that you purchase your own copy of at least one study skills text:

– Burns, T and Sinfield, S. (2003). Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University. London: Sage.
– Cottrell, S. (2008). The Study Skills Handbook (3rd Edn.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
– Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Media

Get up to speed on Education and Support matters by looking at newspapers such as The Guardian, Time Educational Supplement (TES) and Times Higher Education (THE).

The follow sites are also great sources of current news relating to the Childcare industry:
– www.theguardian.com/education/earlyyearseducation
– www.bbc.co.uk/news/education

Preparation and preliminary reading

Level 4

Theories of learning and development (core module)

Aubrey, K. and Riley. A. (2018) Understanding and using educational theories. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Beckett, C. and Taylor, H. (2019) Human growth & development. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Mercer, J. (2016) Thinking critically about child development: examining myths and misunderstandings. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Smith, P. K. (2015) Understanding children’s development. Chichester: Wiley.

Healthy teams supporting healthy children, families and communities

Bold, J., Williams, B. and Augustus, J. (2019) An introduction to mental health. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Faulconbridge, J., Hunt, K. and Laffan, A. Eds. (2019) Improving the psychological wellbeing of children and young people :effective prevention and early intervention across health, education and social care. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Holmes. E. (2018) A practical guide to teacher wellbeing. Los Angeles: Learning Matters.
MacBlain, S., Dunn, J. and Luke, I. (2017) Contemporary childhood. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Stewart, L. and Thompson, J. (2015) Early years nutrition and healthy weight. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

Creating an ideal learning environment

Palaiologou, I. Ed. (2016) The early years foundation stage: theory and practice. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Brock, A., Jarvis, P. and Olusoga, Y. Eds. (2018) Perspectives on play: learning for life. London: Routledge.
Keith. L. (2018) Developing young children’s mathematical learning outdoor: linking pedagogy and practice. London: Routledge.
Blank, J. and Mathews, G. (2017) Personal, social and emotional development: a key person approach to learning and development. London: Practical Pre-School Books.

Power, Inclusion and diversity of need (core module)

Goodley, D. (2017) Disability studies: an interdisciplinary introduction. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Norwhich, B. (2017) Experiencing special educational needs and disabilities: lessons for practice. London: Open University Press.
Price, D. (2018) A practical guide to gender diversity and sexuality in early years. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Robinson, K.H. and Jones Díaz, C. (2016) Diversity and difference in childhood: issues for theory and practice. London: Open University Press.
Whittaker, P. and Hayes, R. (2018) Essential tips for the inclusive secondary classroom: a road map to quality-first teaching. London: Routledge.

Enrolment checklist

Proof of qualifications

You must be able to produce certificates to prove that you have achieved the following:

• GCSE in English, minimum Grade C (or approved equivalent)
• Vocational qualifications e.g. Cache diploma, A Levels, Btec and/or other relevant certificates (where applicable)

Please be prepared to provide proof of all your qualifications (original certificates). You will not be able to fully enrol on the course unless these have been presented to Barnsley College University Centre and failure to produce these will delay any loan payments, if eligible, being paid. If you find that you do not have the original certificates, you will need to obtain copies from the awarding body as quickly as possible prior to enrolment. Please check with the school or college you attended for information on contacting the relevant awarding body.

Internet and online resources

The following sites are useful for becoming familiar with education policy:
– www.foundationyears.org.uk
– www.4children.org
– www.ncb.org.uk

Twitter

If you have a Twitter account, this can be an excellent source of up-to-date information on policy and practice, which will be crucial for your own knowledge and development. Below are some suggested Twitter feeds relevant to Early Years:

• Barnsley College – @barnsleycollege
• Department for Education – @eduactiongovuk
• Guardian Education – @GuardianEdu
• Childcare News UK – @ChildcareNewsUK
• Early Years Educator – @EYEearlyEd
• Foundation Years – @FoundationYears
• National Day Nurseries Association – @NDNAtalk
• Ofsted – @Ofstednews
• NCB – @ncbtweets
• Early Excellence – @EarlyExcellence

Preparation and preliminary reading

Level 5

Behaviour and learning in an interconnected world

Allen. V. (2018) Supporting behavior by building resilience and emotional intelligence: a guide for classroom teachers. St Albans: Critical Publishing.
Arnott, L. Ed. (2017) Digital technologies and learning in the early years. London: SAGE.
Birnie. B.F. (2017) A teacher’s guide to successful classroom management and differentiated instruction. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Hammond, S. and Sangster, M. (2019) Perspectives on educational practice around the world. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Kutscher, M.L. (2017) Digital kids: how to balance screen time, and why it matters. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Risks, rights and social justice in a sustainable society

Bottery, M. (2016) Educational leadership for a more sustainable world. London: Bloomsbury.
Cormier, A.A. and Sypnowich, C. Eds. (2018) Family values and social justice: reflections on family values : the ethics of parent-child relationships. London: Routledge.
Palmer, S. (2015) Toxic childhood: how the modern world is damaging our children and what we can do about it. London: Orion.
Hellawell, B. (2018) Understanding and challenging the send code of practice. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Parker-Rees, R. and Leeson, C. (2015).Early Childhood Studies :an introduction to the study of children’s lives and children’s worlds. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc.

Specialist co-ordinator roles

Cox, A. and Sykes, G. Eds. (2016) The multiple identities of a reception teacher: pedagogy and purpose. Los Angeles: Learning Matters.
Garvey, D. (2017) Performance management in early years settings: a practical guide for leaders and managers. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Glazzard, J. and Bostwick. R. (2018) Positive mental health: a whole school approach. St Albans: Critical Publishing.
Hadfield, M., Jopling, M. and Needham, M. (2015) Practice leadership in the early years: becoming, being and developing as a leader. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill Education/Open University Press.
Martin-Denham, S. and Watts, S. (2019) The SENCO handbook: leading provision and practice. California: Thousand Oaks.

Reflecting in research informed practice (core module)

Arnold, C. Ed. (2012) Improving your reflective practice through stories of practitioner research. Abingdon: Routledge.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Dockett, S. and Bottrell, D. (2015) Participatory research with children and young people. Los Angeles: SAGE
Mukherji, P. and Albon, D. (2018) Research methods in early childhood: an introductory guide. Los Angeles: SAGE.
Silverman. D. (2017) Doing qualitative research. Los Angeles: SAGE.