- Location
- Cardonald Campus
- SCQF Level
- 9
- Start Date
- 25 Aug 2025
- Qualification Type
- PDA
- Course Type
- Part-Time
- Duration
- 2 Years (August to June)
Applications are now for a place on the waiting list.
Professional Development Award (PDA) in Childhood Practice Award at SCQF Level 9 will enable the development of the skills and knowledge required to manage services for children and young people.
It has been developed to support the professionalisation of the workforce to meet the requirement of the Standard for Childhood Practice, and SSSC registration as a lead practitioner/manager and is an equivalent qualification to the BA in Childhood Practice.
What will I learn?
The complete PDA Childhood Practice: Leadership and Management is worth 360 SCQF credits at level 7, 8 and 9 and is an alternative route to the degree level Childhood Practice award.
Course content:
- Developing services for children and young people
- Participatory partnerships: Working with families
- Children’s rights: Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Childhood practice: Leadership and management and workplace practice
Plus three mandatory optional units from the following areas:
- Developing a rights-based approach to service delivery
- Development of children (pre-birth to three)
- Early learning
- Playwork
- Family support
- Active leisure
- Leading professional development
The course is delivered as a part-time online evening class over two academic years. You will be expected to attend an online tutorial one evening each week at 7pm with asynchronous learning, such as further research and learning opportunities available via the College virtual learning environment, Canvas.
Further information on the PDA Childhood Practice: Leadership and Management at SCQF Level 9 can be accessed here.
Entry requirements (minimum)
Please note that this course will be delivered via a blended learning approach through remote online tutorials and digital learning approaches. If you require any support in learning digitally, please inform the Course Leader or Student Support team
- Entry to the PDA in Childhood Practice at SCQF Level 9 is through Recognition of Prior Learning and Experience (RPLE)
- You should already have qualifications in the sector that allow registration by the SSSC as a Practitioner at SCQF Level 7 and have relevant qualifications at SCQF Level 8.
- To undertake this PDA you must meet the entry requirements of 240 credits at SCQF Levels 7 and 8.
Entry requirement equivalency table
If you do not meet the entry criteria for your chosen course, you may be offered an alternative course in the same subject area, for example the PDA Plus Childhood Practice at SCQF Level 8.
Employer and industry links
The focus of the PDA in Childhood Practice: Leadership and Management is on leading learning and on supporting the development of workers in the sector. The qualification enables you to demonstrate that you have the professional knowledge, skills and values required of managers/lead practitioners in the childhood practice services.
The work-based learning and assessment require clear and robust arrangements for co-operation between the workplace, the learner, their mentor and the college.
Jobs and further study
This qualification will allow you to work as a Lead Practitioner or Manager and meet the requirements of the Benchmark Standards for Childhood Practice and registration with the SSSC as Lead Practitioner/Manager.
The PDA Childhood Practice at SCQF Level 9 may provide evidence or underpinning of knowledge for further leadership and management qualifications.
Making an application
For courses starting in August, you can make up to two applications.
Applications are made to a course and a first choice of campus. If the course is oversubscribed at your first choice you will be automatically considered for alternative sites and may be made an offer without a further application.
I've applied — what happens next?
When you apply
You will receive an automated email confirming that we have received your application (remember to check your SPAM folder).
Your application will be reviewed by the admissions team and you will either be:
- Invited to book an online interview session. You will be required to submit evidence of qualifications and an academic reference prior to interview. During the interview, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the course and the college. Interviews will take place from late April onwards.
- Advised that your application is unsuccessful – you have not met the entry requirements for this course and are advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
- We aim not to reject an application and if you don’t meet the entry requirements you may be referred to a different course or level.
If you are invited to interview, you will be informed of the outcome of your interview by email within 14 working days. The outcome will be one of the following:
- Unconditional offer of a place – you have met all the entry requirements and your place is guaranteed. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your place.
- Conditional offer of a place – your place is secured pending you meeting the entry requirements. This may mean achieving school or college qualifications which you may not be able to provide to us yet. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your conditional place. Once your conditions are met this will change to an unconditional offer of a place which you must accept before you can enrol on the course.
- Waiting list – you have met all entry requirements, and have been interviewed however, the course is now full so you have been placed on a waiting list. If any spaces become available you may be contacted, usually around the course start date. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Reserve list – following your interview, you have unfortunately not been successful in this round of recruitment. We have placed your name on a reserve list and your application may be reconsidered at a later date. This could happen any time up to the start date of the course but it is very possible that you will not be offered a place. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Unsuccessful – your interview has been unsuccessful. You may be offered a place on a course at a different level, or advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
Once an offer is received, you must reply within 14 working days or risk losing your place, as the system will automatically decline your offer after 14 days.
For up to date information on the fees and costs for this course, please use the Course Enquiry button or Course Contact.
You may be eligible to apply for a part-time fee grant from Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for the courses at SCQF Level 7, 8 and 9. For more information, contact SAAS.