Foundation Degree - is this the option know level 4 axed
 

hope someone can help if the CCLd level 4 in childrens care learning and development has been axed as tutu mentions on he 21st December

what are the options surely not from a Level 3 straight to a Level 5 Foundation Degreee that has to be something in between

if not if there going to be funding available for Foundation Degrees, ie the money that was recently put into level 4 as i know many have been funded through Surestart etc

Any thoughts appreciated as previously tried to do Foundation Degree and there was no funding, however went on to do level 4 the indepth knowledge required i cant see how someone can go from level 3 to 5

plus the fact its work based and the foundation Degree is to my knowledge not as much

Hi, When I did my foundation degree. I was level 3 qualified. At the interview I was told that the first year was level 4 and the following two years were level 5. that was with de montfort uni. Also at de montfort you had the option of just doing the first year if you didnt want to carry on to level 5.
Bishop Grot uni foundation degree is only two years but the same applies first year level 4 second level 5. Both of these foundation degrees are worked based. Not sure about the funding. But hope some of this helps.

I don't know anything about funding, but I do know that to do the Foundation degree, you must be working at an Early Years setting - it was one of the criteria for funding (from the CDWC) the degree.
You cannot do the degree without practicing, the assignements are intertwined with your work based knowledge and you often have to implement what you are writing about, complete studies, prepare and present Power points using your setting and sometimes have to survey from your setting's families.

Your mentor and personal tutor will visit your setting to see that everything is in place and will then visit you termly (in your setting). Everything has to be 'complete' before you start, usually you have an interview at university (taking in your original exams certificates), required to take English and Maths tests ('O'/GCSE levels grade c and above are a basic requirement) but a degree is academic where you will be required to read, reasearch and study on your own (it is not all lectures) - degrees have to be earnt.

I saw that students who did not have good 'A' levels results who struggled with many leaving in the first year, some always just scraped through, and more left each term, the class got a lot smaller in the third year (going onto the degree after the Foundation degree). Many students realised this as soon as they started the Foundation degree when told (and helped) that their English was not up to scratch to write or understand academic assignments. Your work is marked down if your English is not at the standard expected.

Lecturers, tutors, mentors etc will help, but ultimately it is down to the student to prepare themselves. if anyone is thinking of enrolling next september, do yourself a favour and prepare. I know one or two students who realised they were going to struggle and prepared by doing academic writing, going to English classes to brush up and doing their maths GCSE before applying and reading their reading list before starting their degree.

If everything is left to the last minute you are on the 'back foot' already - not good, as the pressure becomes greater, not less. If you think you have no time to read upto a dozen books before you start, then add many more on each week/lecturer, journals, research on the internet etc and it gives you a rough indication of what is ahead.

Having said all this, if anyone really wants something so badly, they will pepare and make it happen, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but you must have knowledge and like acamdemic work and study.


Yes, the jump from NVQ's (whatever level) is huge as they are what they stand for 'Vocational' and practitoners can do them without any exams, they were created for those that do not want to do academic exams for whatever reason - and for a degree you can't get help from any forum - you can ask, but you'll find that when you are asked to do an acamdemic assignment of upto 5-6000 words, the best you can hope for is for someone to suggest a book title or two or some words of encouragement, but not the donkey work.

We are a setting with two EYPs, but I encourage all staff to aim high to provide best practice. I'd be interested in whether there is funding for other employees in my setting.

thanks you both for your response and i totally agree with you in prepartation is the key and if you want something badly you have to have the determination and ability to take the workload on board