Supporting children’s development is an introductory course for anyone who is interested in children’s development, especially support staff in schools, such as teaching assistants. It builds on your knowledge and skills to develop a deeper understanding of children from the early years to school leavers. You will be introduced to some core ideas surrounding development and learning, behaviour, special needs and disabilities.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Have gained an insight into the varying perspectives of children from early years through to secondary school
• Be able to reflect on personal experience and practice, identify strengths and weaknesses, and apply this to your practice issues
• Understand how some theories attempt to explain children’s development
• Be able to reflect on the value of the work of teaching assistants, the support skills involved, and think about your future role.