Childcare - Early Years Education & Care Level 3

This course prepares you to work in childcare or education related careers. It provides you with the knowledge, skills and understanding required for working with children from birth to five years old. You will also meet the skills and competency range required to achieve ‘early year’s educator’ status. You will be required to complete 750 hours of work placement over two years and must cover the following age ranges:

• 0 - 1 year & 11 months
• 2 - 2 years & 11 months
• 3 - 5 years

Course Content

Topics you will cover include:

• Child Development from Conception to Seven Years
• Children’s Health & Well-being
• Play & Learning
• Understanding Children’s Additional Needs
• Supporting Emergent Literacy
• Providing Safe Environments for Children

The Diploma consists of 13 taught units and one practical placement unit which are delivered over two years. Units 1-7 are delivered as part of the Certificate in the first year, and units 9-14 and 16 are delivered as part of the Diploma in the second year:

Units 1-14 will be assessed with written assessments which are graded A*- D.

Unit 16 is assessed in placement through observation and work products and there are two externally set controlled assessments (one in each year). All full-time students are required to study maths and English at the appropriate level.

Qualification

Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care (Early Years Educator)

Duration

Two years

Entry Requirements

• Five GCSEs at grade 4 (grade C) or above including English and maths
• Successful interview and initial assessment
• It would be beneficial to have completed work experience or a voluntary placement with children aged birth to five.

Progression

Progression routes shown are dependent on the successful completion of qualifications and meeting entry criteria.

Study options may include:

• Foundation Degree in Early Years
• Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care
• Further training towards becoming a full-qualified nurse
• Primary Education with QTS

Employment options may include:

• Supervisory role (within a work setting after appropriate experience)
• Level 3 Teaching Assistant
• Private Nanny (home or abroad)
• Children’s Holiday Co-ordinator

Course Costs

Please note that any costs shown here are subject to change and that there may be additional material costs for your course. There are various bursaries available to support eligible students with course-related costs

Aged 16 – 18 years 
There are no tuition or examination fees

Aged 19 or over (at the start of the course)
Different fees apply depending on your individual circumstances and prior qualifications. Please telephone 01691 688029 to speak to somebody who will be able to help.

Additional Course Costs

The Additional Costs, payable to the College is: £100. You will be asked to pay this or to put arrangements in place to pay this, at enrolment.

Additional Costs are incurred to support teaching, learning and assessment resources. This includes the use of specialist and/or industry-standard equipment, visits, learning materials and course resources. We aim to give you a high-quality learning experience, fully preparing you for the workplace or the next stage in your education.

There are other costs you may need to factor in. You will need to purchase sufficient stationery. Courses that include work placements or work experience may incur travelling costs. We also offer students opportunities to participate in a range of optional activities and visits outside of their course. These would be charged for separately and usually run subject to demand.