Early Years Educator

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Highly trained professionals who play a key role in ensuring that young children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

Course Duration

21 months plus End Point Assessment

Qualifications:

Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship, the apprentice will be awarded the following:

• NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce

• Early Years Educator Apprenticeship Standards

• Functional Skills in Maths and English Level 2 (if applicable)

Details of standard:

Early Years Educators, and other job roles such as nursery nurse and childminders, are highly trained professionals who play a key role in ensuring that young children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. They work in a range of settings including full day care, children’s centres, pre schools, reception classes and as childminders. They may either be working on their own or supervising others to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements set by Government for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old.

An Early Years Education plans and supervises child initiated and adult led activities which are based around the needs and interests of each individual child. Supports children to develop numeracy and language skills through games and play. Has key person responsibility to help ensure each child feels safe and secure. Observes each child and shapes their learning experience to reflect their observations. Meets the care needs of the individual child such as feeding, changing nappies and administration of medicine. Works in partnership with other colleagues, parents and/or carers or other professionals to meet the individual needs of each child. With additional experience, an Early Years Educator can become the manager of an early years setting. Individuals will undergo all the checks as per the EYFS requirements to ensure suitability to work with children.

What is covered in the course?

In order to aid holistic delivery and assessment, we have structured the units around the following three themes:

Theme 1: Health and well-being

Support healthy lifestyles for children through the provision of food and nutrition
Support healthy lifestyles for children through exercise
Support physical care routines for children
Promote children’s emotional well-being
Understand how to support children who are unwell

Theme 2: Legislation, frameworks and professional practice

Understand legislation relating to the safeguarding, protection and welfare of children
Use legislation relating to the health and safety of children
Follow legislation relating to equality, diversity and inclusive practice
Working in partnership
Engage in professional development

Theme 3: Play, development and learning for school readiness

Understand the value of play in Early Years
Plan, lead and review play opportunities which support children’s learning and development
Promote enabling play environments
Developing children’s emergent literacy skills
Developing children’s emergent mathematical skills
Support children’s transition to school
Develop children’s cognitive skills
Promote children’s speech, language and communication
Promoting children’s physical development
Promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development
Support children with additional needs
Use observation, assessment and planning to promote the development of children
Use longitudinal studies to observe, assess and plan for children’s needs

The apprentice will be expected to complete 23 mandatory diploma units as listed in the above.

Job titles might include:

Practitioner in day nurseries, practitioner in nursery schools, practitioner in reception classes in primary schools and pre-school worker.

Entry requirements:

The requirement for Level 3 Early Years Educators (EYE) to hold GCSE English and maths A*-C, has been broadened to Level 2 qualifications, including Functional Skills. This will enable staff with an EYE qualification and Level 2 English and mathematics qualifications to count in the Level 3 staff: child ratios in childcare settings. This includes those who already hold an EYE qualification, began studying an EYE from September 2014 or will achieve an EYE in the future.

The apprentice must be aged 16 years or over, living in England and not in a full-time education. The apprentice will be required to undertake a DBS check, must be employed and working more than 16 hours per week.

Off-The-Job Training:

It is compulsory for the apprentice to spent 20% of their normal working hours on training. The training can happen every week, every month or in a separate block of time. The training can take place at the workplace, training provider or online.

Government guidance: How employers and training providers should meet the 20% off-the-job training requirement for apprentices, with some best practice examples. Click HERE.

Funding:

Employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy: For apprenticeships that start from 1 April 2021, the rate of co-investment is 5% of the total price of the apprentice’s training, with the government covering the remaining 95% of the cost, up to the funding band maximum.

Employers with fewer than 50 people working for them are able to train, at no cost, apprentices aged 16-18 or aged 19-24 who have previously been in care or who have a Local Authority Education, Health and Care plan. These employers are not required to contribute the 5% co-investment; instead, the government will pay 100% of the training costs for these individuals up to the
funding band maximum.

Employers who pay the apprenticeship levy: All funds that appear in the apprenticeship service accounts of employers who pay the levy expire 24 months after they appear in the account, if not already spent. Please contact us to discuss your apprenticeship strategies.

Policy paper for Apprenticeship funding can be found here.