MA Childhood and Youth Wellbeing Studies
Start Date: 8th September 2025
- Length 1 year
- Study Full-Time
- Location Teaching Development Centre
- Price £6,000 Fees, Finance and Funding
More about the course
The MA Childhood and Youth Wellbeing Studies is designed to offer students a broader underpinning knowledge of children and young people in a variety of theoretical and practical contexts. Specifically, the programme draws upon historical and contemporary ideas and explores children and young people through education, social and health policy in relation to physical and mental health and wellbeing. Our teaching staff are vocationally experienced having worked in sector for many years. You will also learn from leading academics that are developing research in their respected fields.
This course is for graduates from a range of disciplines wishing to extend their knowledge and professional capacity in working with children and young people. It is also for professionals aiming to extend their knowledge through research and specialise in a particular area of childhood and/or youth wellbeing.
You may already have a professional qualification in social work, health, teaching, youth work, early years or related fields and wish to specialise further in the field of childhood and youth studies. This MA presents an ideal opportunity for leaders, project managers, policy officers, and general practitioners to extend their knowledge and employment options in a range of settings that support and promote children and young people’s wellbeing.
Whatever your level, this MA provides an excellent step into doctoral-level study in any academic discipline or profession concerned with childhood and youth.
Get In Touch
Meet our staff and students
Sonia Gray
Lecturer - Childcare"I have worked in the childcare sector for over 15 years as a Nursery Manager, SENCo and a Safeguarding Lead. Over this period, I have supported students within the sector to gain skills, experiences and knowledge which supported their placement experiences."
Gemma Thompson
FdA Children and Young People"My course content is really relevant to a broad range of roles within the childcare industry, but with enough flexibility for me to tailor my studies to my ideal job as a teaching assistant. As a parent, I think I know everything about children until one of the nursery kids I teach does something to take me by surprise - that daily dynamism is something I find really enriching about Childcare, and I'm proud to help them achieve the skills they'll use for the rest of their lives."
Childcare at Newcastle College
Good to know
Levels Explained
What can I do with a qualification in Childcare?
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals
Special needs education teaching professionals
Nursery nurses and assistants
Childminders and related occupations
Playworkers
Teaching assistants
Educational support assistants
Care escorts
Higher Education Teaching Professionals
Further Education Teaching Professionals
Daily tasks:
- Assists with or plans and develops curriculum and rota of teaching duties.
- Discusses progress with student, parents and/or other education professionals.
- Supervises teaching assistants and trainees.
- Undertakes pastoral duties.
- Teaches simple songs and rhymes, reads stories and organises various activities to promote language, social and physical development.
- Supervises students and maintains classroom discipline.
- Maintains records of students.
- Prepares students for external examinations and administers and invigilates these examinations.
- Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises and examinations to record and evaluate students.
- Prepares and delivers courses and lessons in accordance with curriculum requirements and teaches a range of subjects.
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Daily tasks:
- Discusses student.
- Updates and maintains students.
- Liaises with other professionals, such as social workers, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
- Supervises students in classroom and maintains discipline.
- Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises to record and evaluate students progress.
- Encourages the student to develop self-help skills to circumvent the limitations imposed by their disability.
- Develops and adapts conventional teaching methods to meet the individual student.
- Gives instruction, using techniques appropriate to the student.
- Assesses student.
- Creates a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment for students.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Communicates with parents and colleagues on children.
- Writes reports on children.
- Reads stories, organises counting games to help develop language and number skills.
- Plans and organises games and other activities and supervises children.
- Supervises young children at mealtimes.
- Baths, dresses, prepares feed for and feeds babies, changes babies clothing whenever necessary.
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Daily tasks:
- Complies with regulations set by OFSTED and their inspection requirements.
- Maintains appropriate records of children.
- Takes older children to and from school.
- Takes children to participate in play groups or on appropriate outings.
- Provides, supervises and participates in children.
- Mends, washes and irons children.
- Plans, prepares and serves children.
- Changes babies.
- Assists children to wash and dress.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Liaises with parents, carers and colleagues and keeps appropriate records.
- Puts away equipment and cleans premises after use.
- Organises and supervises children.
- Organises and supervises children on excursions.
- Encourages children.
- Provides play areas and prepares materials for a wide range of children.
- Supervises children.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Helps with outings and other out-of-classroom activities.
- Makes simple teaching aids and constructs thematic displays of educational material or children.
- Assists children with washing or dressing for outdoor and similar activities.
- Listens to children read, reads to them or tells stories.
- Looks after lesson materials such as paper, pencils and crayons.
- Assists teacher with preparation or clearing up of classroom.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Provides feedback to teachers and completes and maintains records.
- Attends to child.
- Helps and encourages child to communicate.
- Implements care programmes, as appropriate.
- Identifies signs of distress and offers reassurance.
- Helps child understand instruction through a variety of means and encourages self-confidence and independence.
- Supports schoolwork under teacher.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Supervises and accompanies children who are taking part in a theatrical, television or film production.
- Communicates with colleagues and maintains accurate records.
- Supervises contact between parents and separated children.
- Organises toilet and meal stops, as appropriate.
- Supports and secures chair bound clients.
- Transports clients safely and securely between approved destinations.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Undertakes research, writes articles and books and attends conferences and other meetings.
- Directs the work of postgraduate students.
- Participates in decision making processes regarding curricula, budgetary, departmental and other matters.
- Provides pastoral care or guidance to students.
- Advises students on academic matters and encourages independent research.
- Prepares, administers and marks examinations, essays and other assignments.
- Prepares, delivers and directs lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Powered by EMSI
Daily tasks:
- Liaises with other professional and commercial organisations to review course content.
- Assists with the administration of teaching and the arranging of timetables.
- Arranges instructional visits and periods of employment experience for students.
- Prepares, administers and marks examinations, essays and other assignments.
- Prepares, delivers and directs lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Powered by EMSI
What can I do with a qualification in Childcare?
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals
Daily tasks:
- Assists with or plans and develops curriculum and rota of teaching duties.
- Discusses progress with student, parents and/or other education professionals.
- Supervises teaching assistants and trainees.
- Undertakes pastoral duties.
- Teaches simple songs and rhymes, reads stories and organises various activities to promote language, social and physical development.
- Supervises students and maintains classroom discipline.
- Maintains records of students.
- Prepares students for external examinations and administers and invigilates these examinations.
- Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises and examinations to record and evaluate students.
- Prepares and delivers courses and lessons in accordance with curriculum requirements and teaches a range of subjects.
Powered by EMSI
Special needs education teaching professionals
Daily tasks:
- Discusses student.
- Updates and maintains students.
- Liaises with other professionals, such as social workers, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
- Supervises students in classroom and maintains discipline.
- Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises to record and evaluate students progress.
- Encourages the student to develop self-help skills to circumvent the limitations imposed by their disability.
- Develops and adapts conventional teaching methods to meet the individual student.
- Gives instruction, using techniques appropriate to the student.
- Assesses student.
- Creates a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment for students.
Powered by EMSI
Nursery nurses and assistants
Daily tasks:
- Communicates with parents and colleagues on children.
- Writes reports on children.
- Reads stories, organises counting games to help develop language and number skills.
- Plans and organises games and other activities and supervises children.
- Supervises young children at mealtimes.
- Baths, dresses, prepares feed for and feeds babies, changes babies clothing whenever necessary.
Powered by EMSI
Childminders and related occupations
Daily tasks:
- Complies with regulations set by OFSTED and their inspection requirements.
- Maintains appropriate records of children.
- Takes older children to and from school.
- Takes children to participate in play groups or on appropriate outings.
- Provides, supervises and participates in children.
- Mends, washes and irons children.
- Plans, prepares and serves children.
- Changes babies.
- Assists children to wash and dress.
Powered by EMSI
Playworkers
Daily tasks:
- Liaises with parents, carers and colleagues and keeps appropriate records.
- Puts away equipment and cleans premises after use.
- Organises and supervises children.
- Organises and supervises children on excursions.
- Encourages children.
- Provides play areas and prepares materials for a wide range of children.
- Supervises children.
Powered by EMSI
Teaching assistants
Daily tasks:
- Helps with outings and other out-of-classroom activities.
- Makes simple teaching aids and constructs thematic displays of educational material or children.
- Assists children with washing or dressing for outdoor and similar activities.
- Listens to children read, reads to them or tells stories.
- Looks after lesson materials such as paper, pencils and crayons.
- Assists teacher with preparation or clearing up of classroom.
Powered by EMSI
Educational support assistants
Daily tasks:
- Provides feedback to teachers and completes and maintains records.
- Attends to child.
- Helps and encourages child to communicate.
- Implements care programmes, as appropriate.
- Identifies signs of distress and offers reassurance.
- Helps child understand instruction through a variety of means and encourages self-confidence and independence.
- Supports schoolwork under teacher.
Powered by EMSI
Care escorts
Daily tasks:
- Supervises and accompanies children who are taking part in a theatrical, television or film production.
- Communicates with colleagues and maintains accurate records.
- Supervises contact between parents and separated children.
- Organises toilet and meal stops, as appropriate.
- Supports and secures chair bound clients.
- Transports clients safely and securely between approved destinations.
Powered by EMSI
Higher Education Teaching Professionals
Daily tasks:
- Undertakes research, writes articles and books and attends conferences and other meetings.
- Directs the work of postgraduate students.
- Participates in decision making processes regarding curricula, budgetary, departmental and other matters.
- Provides pastoral care or guidance to students.
- Advises students on academic matters and encourages independent research.
- Prepares, administers and marks examinations, essays and other assignments.
- Prepares, delivers and directs lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Powered by EMSI
Further Education Teaching Professionals
Daily tasks:
- Liaises with other professional and commercial organisations to review course content.
- Assists with the administration of teaching and the arranging of timetables.
- Arranges instructional visits and periods of employment experience for students.
- Prepares, administers and marks examinations, essays and other assignments.
- Prepares, delivers and directs lectures, seminars and tutorials.
Powered by EMSI
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