We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College!
We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Early Years & Childcare at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn more about sensory play and its importance in child development then have a look at the Channel 4 documentary 'The Secret Life of 4,5 and 6 year olds'!
If you have any questions about the course please get in touch, email -AskBusinessLawCare@Sparsholt.ac.uk
Be sure to take a look at all the extra-curricular activities you will have the chance to do at Andover and investigate all the additional support we can offer at Andover College through our Careers and Wellbeing teams!
About the course
Our Early Years & Childcare courses explore the concept of educating children through understanding the role of the Early Years Practitioner, supporting emergent maths and literacy, observation and planning in the Early Years setting. They also consider the development of the child and how relevant theorists link to this. As the Level 2 and 3 have mandatory placement hours they will be developing skills to gain a Licence to practice in Early Years.
As a department both students and teaching staff have been involved with Children in Need - our present total for years of fundraising is £27,000!
The Early Years & Childcare department have created an interesting presentation focusing on the importance of sensory development and sensory play for child development. Following this we have provided various recipes for you to try at home.
The Importance of Reading in Children's Development
DBS Checks: Important Information
Anyone who works with children or vulnerable people must have a complete and in-date DBS check. At Andover College as a Early Years & Childcare student you will undertake various work placements throughout your studies. This will provide you with invaluable practical experience demonstrating how your academic studies can be applied for a career in the field.
As a result of this you will need to have a DBS check certificate. When you join college lecturers will talk to you about this and help arrange for your DBS to be completed. At present you do NOT need to worry about applying for a DBS certificate as the College will help you with this process when you join your course.
Please take a look at the document below which will explain the process further and get in touch if you have any queries or concerns.
Early Years & Childcare Documents: Download Available
Additional Resources
Interested in a career working with children? Take a look at the video below for an insight! Why not ask yourself, what do you expect from the placement? and what 5 key things should you remember about going into a setting?
Learn more about the importance of 'Messy Play' for child development here.
Learn more about leading Child Theorists and Their Theories in Practice here.
Interested in learning more about 'What influences children's development?' and 'How psychologists study the physical and cognitive changes that occur during childhood?', then take a look at the Open university free course 'Introduction to Child Psychology' available below and here.
How does the environment children encounter impact their learning and development experience- take a look here.
Just how much can children be involved in the decision making process? Learn more with the free course on 'Children and young people’s participation' available here.
Our Courses:
NCFE CACHE Level 1 Diploma in Caring for Children (1 year)
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner (1 year)
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Diploma in Childcare and Education Early Years Educator (2 years)
Careers Guidance
Our careers guidance aims to expand the horizons of all students enabling you to make informed career decisions in order to progress both during and after college.
Carol is our dedicated Careers Advisor for Andover College!
We also have our Sun Progression Mentor Anna!
Anna works alongside the Southern Universities Network (SUN) to help students recognise the routes of progression available to them, and to continue their journey in education!
We recently launched the new Careers Hub located in the College library so come and say hello to Carol and Anna!
Student wellbeing and support
At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible.
We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including;
- Counselling
- Carer support
- Childcare support
- Confidential one-to-one services
We also have at the college Romeo our therapy dog! Romeo is part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to wellbeing provision for students. Romeo is based on campus with his owner throughout term.
Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present.
The Secret Life ...
The Channel 4 documentary series focusing on the ups and downs of life at playschool can provide an interesting insight for Early Years & Childcare applicants. Take a look at the documentary by using the link below.
Social Media
We love to post about all our students on our platforms including their achievements, trips and excellent work - take a look at some of the highlights below and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!