Top 30
UK university
out of 122 institutions
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95%
positivity that the course has developed your knowledge for the future
National Student Survey 2024
Top 10
for learning opportunities
National Student Survey 2024
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Overview
Master the skills to address growing health crisis in children
This course will develop your understanding of the underlying causes behind the growing issue of poor health and wellbeing in children.
You will study child development and behaviour and explore the ways in which family and environmental influences effect emotional and cognitive development. The programme will include discussions around identity and tackle important subjects such as loss, bereavement, risk and climate anxiety.
On this course, you will master the skills to address the current crisis in children’s mental health, developing effective communication skills while gaining an understanding of the importance of inclusive practice.
By the end of the course, you will gain a qualification which will enable you to work with children and families in this key area of current and growing need.
National Student Survey 2023
Overall average positivity
Organisation and management
Learning resources
The Course
Develop your skills and knowledge of working with children with health issues
The course provides the opportunity to gain professional practice experience making clear links between theory and therapeutic practice.
You will be guided through a thought-provoking range of modules that are specifically designed to increase your understanding of children’s health and wellbeing.
Study areas include:
- Children and Young People’s Mental Health
- Special Educational Needs
- Childhood, Poverty and Sustainability
- Working Therapeutically with Families
- Loss and Bereavement
Modules
Child Development
This module introduces the nature of developmental psychology and encourages a critical understanding of psychological theories in relation to children’s development.
You will explore implications for practice within Early Years curriculums and policy, and investigate the relationships between different domains, such as biological, social, emotional and cognitive.
You will be introduced to the idea that development is not fixed at ages and stages, but instead is influenced by social and historical contexts, and explore links between theories of child development and how they underpin and inform practice within the Early Years sector.
Introduction to Academic and Professional Skills
The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of professional and academic skills, including academic writing, reasoning, argument, and critical thinking.
You will be introduced to a range of literature and study various approaches to topics covered within their respective subject areas.
This module will develop digital literacy skills to support professional readiness and will include CV writing and employability skills.
Safeguarding and Integrated Practice
This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the child safeguarding agenda and underpinning legislation.
You will be introduced to current debates around children’s rights, within the current and relevant political frameworks. The complex inter-relationships between protection and rights will also be explored.
You will develop a clear understanding of their duty to safeguard and the reporting responsibilities that accompany this in practice.
Culture, Diversity and Challenging Prejudice
This module aims to develop cultural awareness, promote respect for diversity and develop an understanding of the roots of prejudice. Through discussion and activities, it will encourage you to reflect on personal attitudes and unconscious bias.
In this module, you will consider the impact of cultural heritage, poverty and diversity on education and lived experience and will make clear links to sustainable development goals.
Introduction to Health and Wellbeing
This module aims to introduce you to the concept of health and wellbeing, as well as the various factors that influence a child’s health. You will explore different perspectives on the definitions of health and wellbeing, gaining a deeper understanding of the holistic aspects of health.
There will be a focus on children’s developmental understanding of health and wellbeing, alongside an examination of the impact of both short-term illnesses and long-term conditions.
The module will also examine the overall health of children within the nation, identifying key areas of concern. You will explore health inequalities and the factors contributing to the decline or improvements in children’s health. Both the short-term and long-term consequences of children not achieving optimal health and wellbeing will be discussed.
You will be introduced to the roles of the multidisciplinary teams in the health and education sectors, focusing on how they support children’s health and wellbeing. Additionally, you will explore the connection between these practices and the health frameworks in both sectors, along with their alignment to government policies and initiatives.
By the end of the module, you will have developed a solid foundation of knowledge to support children’s health and wellbeing across education, social care, and health settings.
Children’s Play and Creativity
This module will explore the role of play and creativity in child development. This will include definitions and characteristics of play as well as different types of play. You will examine the theoretical perspectives and research that underpins the study of play in childhood. There will be guidance and encouragement to foster an awareness of how cultural, social, and historical contexts shape the nature and value of play and creativity.
Areas explored in the module will include the influence of technology on traditional play and the role of play in education including the impact of play-based learning on academic achievement. You will discuss barriers to play and the impact of over-scheduling and the decline of play in modern society.
Year Two
• Childhood, Poverty and Sustainability
• How to Research
• Understanding Children’s Behaviour
• Children’s Health and Immunisations
• Children, Families and Communities
• Children’s health – eat, sleep, move, relax
Year Three
• Independent Project with focus on Children’s Mental Health
• SEND
• Therapeutic Play / Digital Child
• Supporting Children’s Mental Health
• Crime and Childhood / Outdoor Learning
Teaching and Assessment
Supportive staff who are experts in the field
Teaching
You will learn from expert practitioners and accomplished academics with a wide range of experience within the field of Childhood Studies.
We bring new research together with established theory into the classroom through a mix of direct teaching, seminars, and activity-based learning.
Within your learning sessions, you will be challenged to go further and be encouraged to be proactive, responsive and responsible for your own learning and ideas outside of the classroom.
Our focus on group discussion and the consideration of the thoughts of others allow you to develop your own ideas.
Assessment
It is important that our assessments are designed to meet the various learning needs of students.
We offer a variety of assessment methods that include presentations, assignments, exams, academic posters and placement portfolios.
Experience
Discover facilities that help support your learning
Close community
Our commitment to a friendly and close-knit student community contributes to a high degree of success for our graduates.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Expert staff
Learn from expert and experienced teaching staff who are here to support your needs.
Subject specific librarians
If you have difficulty finding material for an essay, seminar or project, subject librarians will be happy to provide assistance.
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.
Students who have undertaken this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience to broaden their horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse themselves within a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure that you can get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Where this course can take you
The programme is designed with professionals from the industry in response to the growing crisis in children’s health and wellbeing.
Graduates with a specialism in children’s mental health will be uniquely placed to enter a workforce that is currently understaffed, achieving a qualification which addresses the skills desired by employers in the sector.
This course would offer career or post-graduate progression into:
- Social work
- Play therapy
- Teaching
- Mental health nursing
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
International fee
EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
EU/EEA students automatically pay the equivalent of UK fees via the EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Entry Requirements
UCAS
A Levels
BTEC
Cambridge Technical
CACHE Level 3 Diploma
T Level
Access to HE Diploma
IB
Contextual offers
We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background.
When we receive your application we consider your personal circumstances and the factors surrounding your achievements to see if you are eligible for a contextual offer. This is an offer with a reduced entry tariff – typically the equivalent of 16 fewer UCAS points (two A-level grades).
Find out more about our contextual offers.