Childcare and Early Education

With huge demand in Scotland for qualified early learning and childcare workers, there has never been a better time to turn your dream of working with children into a reality.

Whether you want to work as an Early Years Practitioner, Early Years Support Worker, or Pupil Support Assistant, you will get to use the knowledge and skills learned on your college course to change the world, one little person at a time!

View all courses How to apply

Why choose Childcare and Early Education

Working with young children and helping them learn essential skills for life is very rewarding and worthwhile. Our courses combine theory and practical work experience, helping you develop an awareness and understanding of all aspects of children’s growth and development from birth.

Our wide range of courses will provide you with the transferable skills and practical work experience you need to advance in a career in early learning and childcare. And for those already working within this sector, our flexible work-based and part-time study options mean you can fit studying around work and family commitments. 

Our courses can lead to careers as an Early Years Manager, Lead Early Years Practitioner, Childcare Assistant and more!

What we offer

  • Early Learning and Childcare
  • Childhood Practice
  • Childhood Studies
  • Working with Communities
  • Introduction to Care Practice
  • Additional Support Needs

Progress to a degree

Did you know that an HNC or HND qualification is the equivalent of first year (HNC) or second year (HND) of a degree at university?

So depending on the subject studied, successfully completing an HNC or HND at Fife College could mean that you have the opportunity to progress on to Year 2 or 3 of a related degree course.

For example, the following route to a degree at Fife College is currently available to students of HNC: Childhood Practice:

Year 1: HNC: Childhood Practice    

Year 2: HND: Childhood Practice 

Year 3/4: BA (Hons): Childhood Studies

Studying at Fife College can be a cost-effective, local alternative route to a degree, in the same amount of time as studying at university!

Find out more about degree pathways.

Popular Childcare and Early Education courses

View all courses

Childhood Practice BA

The BA: Childhood Practice degree programme, delivered in partnership with Queen Margaret University, is designed to provide a rigorous, academic area of study, enabling you to develop the necessary skills and understanding to register as a Lead Practitioner or Manager of Childcare Settings with the Scottish Social Services Council. The degree meets the rules and requirements set out in the Standard for Childhood Practice (Revised 2015) and is jointly approved by the Scottish Social Services Council. The BA: Childhood Practice provides a practice-based examination of the theoretical approaches important to leadership and management within childhood practice. Central to the degree programme is an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on education, health and welfare, sociology, psychology, geography, history, children’s rights, law and justice, political and economic science, anthropology, social policy and philosophy. Theory and practice are combined to ensure that you reflect appropriately on your experience and draw upon recent and relevant research to evaluate and drive towards improvement. 

Childhood Studies Intermediate Certificate

Working with young children and helping them learn essential skills for life is very rewarding and worthwhile. The course is for you if you already have some experience of working with children and or certificated academic qualifications at SCQF level 4 or above. This SCQF Level 5 course combines theory and practical experience for working in an early learning and childcare setting, allowing you to develop an awareness and understanding of all aspects of children’s growth, development and the importance of play, from birth to 16 years. You will participate in a number of practical experiences, online learning opportunities plus a short work placement experience to develop your skills and understanding for working with children and young people. As part of your studies you will explore mental health and well-being that will develop your resilience and support your knowledge of this contemporary subject.

Kirsten Paterson

BA: Childhood Practice

“The lecturers have been very inclusive and taken my opinions and views on board, which has been fantastic."

Read more

Latest news from the department

View our courses

Want to know more?