Why choose the School of Sport, Psychology and Social Science
In the National Student Survey 2025, our childhood and youth studies courses scored student satisfaction rates over 90% for teaching, learning opportunities, academic support, and organisation and management.
In the Complete University Guide 2026, our childhood and youth studies courses rank in the UK top 3 (2nd) in their subject field for student satisfaction.
Completing this two-year Foundation degree opens the way to achieving a full Honours degree, entering in the final year of a related course such as our Childhood and Youth Studies BA (Hons).
About the course
This Foundation degree enhances your skill set and improves your employment prospects while you continue to work or volunteer in the child and family services sector*, putting the theory you learn into practice in your workplace. The course offers up-to-date teaching in areas such as policy and practice, and expands your understanding of child development and welfare. Its strong vocational element means real-life practice informs the curriculum and your work.
*To take this course, you must be employed or volunteering with children or young people for at least 14 hours a week; you will also need a work-based mentor to support you with your studies.
Facilities and equipment
For further information, visit the Bedford College Group
Partnerships & collaborations
This course is offered in partnership with the Bedford College Group
Your student experience
Study a course with the underpinning belief that children, young people and families should have equal access to services and opportunities, regardless of social difference.
Benefit from academic support and a workplace mentor system that help you get the most out of your studies and workplace development.
Develop highly desired skills such as critical thinking, effective communication and collaborative working that enhance your future employability.
Complete a final-year, work-based project with the support of your academic team.
Access to the University of Bedfordshire’s Luton and Bedford campuses for library resources, study visits, and to take part in our Study Hub workshops and drop-ins.
Get involved in our exciting #SASS Change Maker initiative, which works with local charities, policymakers and community influences to raise awareness of topical issues in society.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
Studying our Child and Family Studies Foundation Degree will equip you with the in-depth knowledge and skills around child development and welfare that will allow you to provide high-quality services to children, young people and families. As an important foundation to your study, you will be given an Introduction to Working with Children, Young People and Families in Practice. This unit will equip you with the concepts, theories and skills needed to work with children, young people and families within the framework of human services and government policy. Building on this you will develop your understanding of theories of childhood, youth and education in our Narratives of Childhood and Youth unit while also looking at theory around children and young people’s development with a focus on identity formation and perception in our Perceptions and Discourses of Childhood unit.
Our Law, Society and Controversy unit will introduce you to foundational knowledge of the legal system, its institutions and practices in the UK and internationally. You will consider the relevance of law and how it impacts society and orders social life by examining key issues and debates at the centre of law and society. You will draw from this legislation in our Working Together: Inter-Agency Approaches to Child Welfare Assessment and Intervention unit to consider the historical and current approaches to child welfare and multi-agency working. This will be particularly useful in allowing you to advocate and challenge decisions to support the needs of children and young people.
You will also be given an opportunity to enhance your overall skill and understanding of working with users of education, health and social care in our Management and Applied Experience within a Work-Based Learning Environment unit. Moreover, you will be able to enhance your insight into the field of health and social care provision for children and adults, policies and procedures and how this impacts service delivery. Finally, you will have the opportunity to complete an independent, situation-specific project in our Researching Children and Family Practice (Work Based Project) unit where you will be supported by a supervisor across one-to-one tutorials.
The overall strategy of the Foundation degree seeks to reflect the breadth of study possible, as well as ensuring that you have the opportunity to build on areas of particular interest or relevance to themselves.
A range of appropriate and effective assessments will enable you to demonstrate your acquisition of knowledge and skills. The assessment methods used across the course include:
Written assignments – these will vary in style and will include essays, reports, reflective accounts as well as other written tasks that we will prepare you for.
Examinations: These will be a range of multiple choice computer examinations. Throughout your two years (three years if you decide to take the ‘top up option’ at level 6) there will also be several in-class tests allowing you to apply and use the theory and knowledge that you have gained through your studies.
Oral and Poster presentations that demonstrate verbal and presentation skills through sharing information and knowledge with others in innovative ways.
Group work will allow you to demonstrate your skills of research in a group; it will develop your skills in collaborative and multiagency working and group management. Even though you will be working in a group you will be assessed on an individual basis and will receive an individual grade based on your input and performance.
The assessments will develop across the course and will allow you to gain skills and acquire knowledge, receive feedback on your progress that will allow you to implement knowledge and feedback into further assessments. For example, at level four the learning of the skill of report/essay writing will take place before you write your first essay or report. At level five assessments will allow you to demonstrate your understanding and the application of relevant and up to date knowledge to the field of children, young people and family services.
Working in groups is an important attribute that underpins the ethos of multi agency and multi disciplinary working and collaborative practice and as part of the assessment process you will work in groups with peers and colleagues. However, your contribution will be individually graded and you will receive a grade based on your contribution to the assessed group work.
Assessment will be a part of the learning process to develop your knowledge and skills in order to become a highly effective practitioner by the end of your studies.
Careers
On completion of this course, you will have developed the skills and knowledge required to support your career prospects within the sector. You are likely to progress into the following areas:
- educational welfare
- family support/family centres
- youth remand centres/prisons
- residential social work
- special schools
- statutory schools
- children’s rights/complaints
- outreach and community-based project work
- early-years provision.
If you would like to continue with your studies, completing this Foundation degree allows you to enter the final year of the University of Bedfordshire’s BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
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