Early Years EducatorLevel 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator)
Woodland Adventurers' Early Years Educator course based in the South West (in Wiltshire - near Bath, Bristol, Chippenham and Swindon) has an emphasis on using the great outdoors to inspire children in their learning and development. An ideal Ofsted-recognised qualification for learners seeking the knowledge for a career involving the care and education of young children. For example, working as a childminder, nursery nurse or Early Years worker. Upon completing the course, you’ll attain practitioner status as an Early Years Educator. |
Study Hours
It takes around 600 hours to complete this course. This is less than an hour a day over the course duration.
Study Approach
Throughout this course, you may be expected to complete assignments, portfolio work, essays, research projects, presentations, video/audio recordings, and practical learning sessions to meet the requirements of your course. This information will be included in your course information and through your tutor, detailing exactly what you need to do to accomplish your objectives as a student.
Course Duration
You have up to 24 months to complete this course and we have included a suggested number of study hours. This is usually ample time for learners, even with full-time jobs and other commitments. Don’t worry if you go over though, we can organise an extension to your course for a small fee, which also extends your tutor support.
Course Assessment
Your progress will be assessed over several units of study. Each unit provides tasks and assignments carefully designed to aid your knowledge-based learning. You are required to pass all 23 mandatory units which will be internally assessed.
It’s also a requirement that you complete 350 placement hours in a childcare setting to gain the relevant skills-based experience and show competence in a real world working environment. Most students organise this placement themselves and are often already working in a childcare environment. During your placement, support of a suitable mentor is required. This would normally be a member of management within your placement setting who has sufficient experience in Early Years education. We recommend finding yourself a mentor.
You will be assigned an assessor / tutor. The assessor / tutor will communicate with you and your mentor at various points throughout the course including visits to the placement setting. The assessor / tutor may seek additional support from your mentor for various actions such as making direct observations of the learner working with children across the age range 0-5 years. However, this can be complemented by expert witness testimonies and reflective accounts (including prior knowledge and professional discussions to access knowledge, skills and competence outside of this age range).
Expert witnesses must only be used for observation where they have occupational expertise for specialist areas or the observation is of a particularly sensitive nature. It is not necessary for the mentor or expert witnesses to hold assessor qualifications, as a qualified assessor will be evaluating the testimony provided by the mentor / expert witness. However, we can offer training support for your mentor / expert witness, and your tutor will provide details if required.
It’s also a requirement that you complete 350 placement hours in a childcare setting to gain the relevant skills-based experience and show competence in a real world working environment. Most students organise this placement themselves and are often already working in a childcare environment. During your placement, support of a suitable mentor is required. This would normally be a member of management within your placement setting who has sufficient experience in Early Years education. We recommend finding yourself a mentor.
You will be assigned an assessor / tutor. The assessor / tutor will communicate with you and your mentor at various points throughout the course including visits to the placement setting. The assessor / tutor may seek additional support from your mentor for various actions such as making direct observations of the learner working with children across the age range 0-5 years. However, this can be complemented by expert witness testimonies and reflective accounts (including prior knowledge and professional discussions to access knowledge, skills and competence outside of this age range).
Expert witnesses must only be used for observation where they have occupational expertise for specialist areas or the observation is of a particularly sensitive nature. It is not necessary for the mentor or expert witnesses to hold assessor qualifications, as a qualified assessor will be evaluating the testimony provided by the mentor / expert witness. However, we can offer training support for your mentor / expert witness, and your tutor will provide details if required.
After Course
Upon graduation, provided you have your GCSE Mathematics and GCSE English, you’ll attain fully-qualified status in the sector as an Early Years Educator giving you an adult:child ratio.
Successful learners will be awarded a formal certificate of achievement.
To successfully complete this course, you’ll have needed to achieve work placement time working with children aged 0-2, children aged 2-3, and children aged 3-5. This is because you need to demonstrate that you have and can work with children of all ages.
Once complete, you can progress into various job roles in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors such as:
Other opportunities include gaining experience leading towards setting up your own Early Years setting.
Successful learners will be awarded a formal certificate of achievement.
To successfully complete this course, you’ll have needed to achieve work placement time working with children aged 0-2, children aged 2-3, and children aged 3-5. This is because you need to demonstrate that you have and can work with children of all ages.
Once complete, you can progress into various job roles in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors such as:
- practitioner in day nurseries
- practitioner in nursery schools
- practitioner in reception classes in primary schools
- pre-school worker
- home-based child carer
Other opportunities include gaining experience leading towards setting up your own Early Years setting.
Entry Requirements
- Minimum age is 19 years.
- Fluency in speaking and writing in English as it is a requirement that all delivery and assessment of this qualification is conducted in English.
- Computer literate - access to and ability to use commonly recognised word processing software packages (such as Microsoft Word), conversant in using internet search engines and websites (including creating and using confidential password access where appropriate) and use of email.
- Please note that to gain the standard adult to child ratio in your setting for the qualification of Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator) you will need GCSE level C or above in Mathematics and English.
