ED2FCW: Leadership in the Children's Workforce

Module code: ED2FCW

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Ms Pamela Cottrell, email: pamela.cottrell@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module looks beyond the role of the practitioner, to examine the role of leadership in early years/educational settings (0-11 years). Some of the students may already hold leadership positions in the workplace, and for others, attaining this qualification may open up leadership opportunities.
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The module will explore the principles and practices of effective leadership and how skills might be acquired and implemented within the workplace. Students will consider the importance of professional development and lifelong learning.

Aims

The aims of this module are to develop knowledge and understanding of leadership in early years/educational settings (0-11 years) through:

• Identification and evaluation of the skills and qualities associated with effective leadership and leadership behaviours
• Identification of strategies to develop those leadership skills and qualities
• Analysis of the range of professional roles and perspectives within the Children’s Workforce
• Reflection upon and evaluation of one’s own role in terms of professional practice and leadership

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify relevant principles and concepts in relation to leadership and leadership behaviours
2. Examine the principles of leadership and leadership behaviours within the context of promoting quality in the children’s workforce
3. Reflect on their own approach to leadership and leadership skills and their impact on developing professional practice when working collaboratively with colleagues in the children’s workforce

Module content

• Principles of effective professional practice
• Importance of appraisal, review and ethical practice
• Professionalism – definitions, discussions and critical analysis
• Contemporary issues impacting the early years/education practitioner
• Role of professionals in the Children’s Workforce
• Advocacy for children, families and early years/education sector
• Ongoing professional development – CPD and the self-evaluation processes
• Principles of effective leadership
• Strategies for effective leadership

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, discussion groups, tasks, research, work-based activities. Work-based learning will provide an essential contribution to achievement of the outcomes.

Study hours

At least 13.5 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Work-based discussions with the mentor, plus tutorials and workplace experience all contribute to formative assessment.

Reassessment

Additional costs