BN (Hons)

Nursing (Child) Apprenticeship

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If you are a caring and compassionate individual our BN (Hons) Nursing (Child) – Nursing Degree Apprenticeship will help you become a skilled and highly sought-after graduate nurse, caring for a wide range of people with child health needs.

Adult holding baby hand

Course overview

Placing the needs of patients, carers, family’s students and adult nursing practice at its centre, this is a dynamic and interactive professional course. We will support you to realise your potential to become a compassionate, competent and autonomous nurse who is able to deliver and lead mental health nursing care within an ever-changing health and social care environment.

The programme enables you to develop and display the values required in modern healthcare: working together with patients; respect and dignity; commitment to quality of care; compassion and improving lives. It also addresses contemporary challenges such as the ageing population, increasingly prevalent long-term health conditions and public health.

Drawing on the most up-to-date research and evidence, you are supported to develop not only your nursing skills but also the graduate attributes required to succeed in the modern workplace.

Your time is split equally between learning theory on campus and applying your knowledge during placements alongside experienced professionals. You study a range of academic core modules across all areas of nursing as well as field modules which focus on mental health nursing. As you progress through the course and as your knowledge grows, programme content becomes increasingly complex and more specific to mental health nursing.

What you need to know

Course start date

September

Location

On-Campus

Course length

3-4 years Part-time

Apply

Apply online

Typical offer

See Entry Details

Fees

No Tuition Fees

Course features

  • Make a difference with people and learn how to optimise an individual’s health care in a safe, stimulating and person centred environment
  • Learn from supportive and accessible lecturers and gain real insights from experienced professionals who have worked in child nursing
  • Bring your learning to life through practice placements with partner organisations and people with child nursing needs under the supervision of individuals and experienced practitioners
  • Develop and enhance excellent compassionate care and communication skills, competent clinical knowledge and courage in leadership skills to prepare you for a commitment to future professional life
  • Join a dynamic programme underpinned by the NHS Leadership Academy
  • Undertake Mental Health First Aid and the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach to enable you to use every opportunity to improve patients’ health and wellbeing
  • Learn the principles of Lean thinking to find the least wasteful way to provide better, safer healthcare to your patients
  • Be eligible to seek admission to Part 1 (Child) of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register on successful completion of this programme

Course details

Learning and teaching

The University aims to shape 'confident learners' by enabling students to develop the skills to excel in their studies here and be transferable to further studies or the employment market. Staff and students form a community of learners who, together and independently, seek to generate and exchange knowledge. Over the duration of the course, students develop independent and critical learning, building confidence and expertise progressively through independent and collaborative research, problem solving, and analysis with the support of staff. Students take responsibility for their own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.

In addition to the formally scheduled contact time (i.e. lectures, seminars etc), students are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team, personal tutors and the wide range of services to students within the University.

The course uses the NHS Leadership Academy Maximising Leadership in the Pre-Registration Healthcare Curricula Framework to build leadership skills through a spiral curriculum.

Digital Literacy

There is ongoing and building of digital literacy throughout the programme.

Digital literacy is important in all professions. In healthcare it is now seen as a vital tool and is used for managing patient records, assessment, research and education. It is also the most common and the preferred way the Programme Team will communicate information to student cohorts.

All students are expected to have digital literacy skills and use these throughout the programme and become proficient in the use of commonly used software. Training and support for this will be available to students.

Digital platforms will be used for the submission of assignments, access information and conduct research. All students will have access to computers and a university email address.

Assessment

At the University of Winchester validated programmes may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.

We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used in the programme you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day/Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.

Feedback

We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.

Location

On campus, University of Winchester.

Modules

Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions

Entry requirements

See Entry Details

GCSE A*- C or 9-4 pass in English Language and Mathematics is required (certified alternatives, such as Functional Skills level 2 will be considered).

You will need to provide original certificates to the University. If you only hold a ‘statement of provisional results’ and do not hold original certificates, please contact the relevant awarding body to obtain a ‘certified statement of results’ as soon as possible. Further information about obtaining a replacement exam certificate is available on the gov.uk website.

Study in a science or social science graded at a C (A Level) / Merit (BTEC/CTEC/Access) or above is desirable, but not essential.
International Baccalaureate: 104-120 points to include a minimum of 2 higher level IB certificates at grade 4 or above.

Other relevant non-UK qualifications, such as Irish FETAC/QQI pre-nursing courses will be considered.

If English is not your first language - IELTS 7.0 overall is required, with writing at a minimum of 6.5 (no other element below 7.0)

Relevant Experience

We will look for evidence within your application of a commitment to the nursing profession and that your personal values align with the NHS Constitution and the University. Also desirable, is prior care experience in a paid or voluntary capacity to demonstrate an informed decision to embark on a career in nursing.

An enhanced DBS (undertaken by the employer) is required prior to the commencement of the course and at progression points an update will be required. It is advised for the learner to register for the update service.

Occupational Health clearance by the employer is required prior to the commencement of the programme and on an annual basis throughout.

Course enquiries and applications

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Visit us

Explore our campus and find out more about studying at Winchester by coming to one of our Open Days.

Additional Requirements

  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance
  • Occupational health clearance

To find out more about applying as an International student, visit out International Apply Page

To secure an apprenticeship you will need to apply for a full-time position with one of our partner employers. To gain a place on this programme you will have been successful on application and interview as conducted by the sponsoring business in conjunction with the University of Winchester. Alternatively, you may be seeking career enhancement within your current role. In this case you will need your employer to support you by offering a Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Winchester.

In the absence of formal learning qualifications applications are welcomed from persons who can demonstrate relevant work experience, including work in a voluntary capacity. The course structure actively supports claims for Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning (APCL) and Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

2025 Course Tuition Fees 

Costs to Student/Apprentice

  • Apprentices are full-time employees and will be entitled to a wage and paid time off to study
  • There are no tuition fees

Read What are Degree Apprenticeships? for more information.

Costs to Employers

How much will it cost an employing business per apprentice?

The apprentice will remain employed by their existing employer throughout the programme, who will continue to pay their salary. The funding you are eligible for is determined by the number of people you employ, the annual payroll of your company and the age of the learner.

Read Information for employers for the latest information.

Additional costs

Additional costs

As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.

There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:

Mandatory:

A full set of uniforms will be provided at the beginning of the programme. If you require additional uniforms later on, you may need to pay for these. Indicative cost: £30.

The University will pay for an occupational health assessment; however, you may need to pay for immunisations if they are not covered by your GP.

You will need a pair of suitable comfortable shoes while on clinical placement. Indicative cost: £40–£60.

You will need to purchase some of your own clinical items, for instance a stethoscope and fob watch. Indicative cost: £30.

You will need to be able to travel to your placement ‐ travel costs will be associated with this and paid by your employer. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance check is required which will be undertaken by your employer when applicants accept their offer for a place on the course.

Where a module specifies core texts these should generally be available in the library in hardcopy or electronic copy. Some students may choose to buy their own and these can be purchased from any source. Indicative cost is £10-£50.

There are placements in each year of the programme that are organised by the University with our local healthcare provider. Insurance for students on placement and the necessary immunisation/vaccination is provided by the University. Students will need to travel to placements/arrange accommodation. In some situations, there may be costs incurred here for travel and accommodation.

Printing and Binding: The University is pleased to offer our students a free printing allowance of £20 each academic year. This will print around 500 A4 mono pages. If students wish to print more, printer credit can be topped up by the student. The University and Student Union are champions of sustainability and we ask all our students to consider the environmental impact before printing. Our Reprographics team also offer printing and binding services, including dissertation binding which may be required by your course with an indicative cost of £1.50-£3.