Level 3 Diploma for The Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator)

This Ofsted-recognised qualification - Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator) qualification prepares learners to become Early Years Educators, enabling them to work with children from birth to 5 years and gain knowledge of children aged 5 to 7 years.

Upon achievement of this qualification, it is intended that learners will be able to enter the workforce as Early Years Educators.

With fully qualified sector status, this qualification will enable you to gain a licence and right to practice as an Early Years Educator in wide range of care settings.

Aims of the course

These are to:

• Earn Early Years Practitioner status when you complete the course
• Gain knowledge, understanding and skills to support healthy lifestyles for children and promote children’s emotional well-being
• Gain knowledge and understanding required to support the safeguarding, protection and welfare of children
• Enable learners to understand of the value of play in Early Years in preparation for practical experience.
• Develop skills that will enable learners to plan, lead and review purposeful play opportunities that support children’s learning and development.
• Gain knowledge, understanding and skills required to support children with additional needs
• Develop employability skills

Structure

The units for this programme have been selected to offer learners the best opportunities for progression both academically and professionally. In order to achieve the Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator) learners must gain a total of 61 credits. To do this, they must achieve all 23 mandatory units.

The units are structured the units around three themes:

Theme 1: Health and well-being

Unit 1.1- Support healthy lifestyles for children through the provision of food and nutrition

Unit 1.2- WB Support healthy lifestyles for children through exercise

Unit 1.3- WB Support physical care routines for children

Unit 1.4- WB Promote children’s emotional well-being

Unit 1.5- Understand how to support children who are unwell

Theme 2: Legislation, frameworks and professional practice

Unit 2.2- Understand legislation relating to the safeguarding, protection and welfare of children

Unit 2.3 WB- Use legislation relating to the health and safety of children

Unit 2.4 WB- Follow legislation relating to equality, diversity and inclusive practice

Unit 2.5 WB- Working in partnership

Unit 4.1- Engage in professional development

Theme 3: Play, development and learning for school readiness

Unit 3.1- Understand the value of play in Early Years

Unit 3.2- WB Plan, lead and review play opportunities which support children’s learning and development

Unit 3.4 WB- Promote enabling play environments

Unit 3.5 WB- Developing children’s emergent literacy skills

Unit 3.6 WB- Developing children’s emergent mathematical skills

Unit 3.7 WB- Support children’s transition to school

Unit 3.9 WB- Develop children’s cognitive skills

Unit 3.10 WB- Promote children’s speech, language and communication

Unit 3.11 WB- Promoting children’s physical development

Unit 3.12 WB- Promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development

Unit 3.13- Support children with additional needs

Unit 3.14- Use observation, assessment and planning to promote the development of children

Unit 3.15- Use longitudinal studies to observe, assess and plan for children’s needs

Experience in the Workplace

Learners will need to be working, volunteering or on a practical placement as an important part of the assessment process involves evaluating skills in real working situations. We recommend 350 hours across the age ranges.

How the course is delivered

This Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (Early Years Educator) is delivered via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which provides access to case studies, learning materials and activities, presentations and web links. Online tutor support and guidance is provided throughout the course, where learners can interact with the tutors, get feedback on their progress and submit their work electronically. This helps you to build the relevant skills progressively, as you receive feedback and support from your tutor during this time. As the course is delivered online, this enables learners to study any time, any place through immediate access to VLE.

Assessment

All units will be internally assessed using a range of methods. This could include direct observation within the workplace, a portfolio of evidence, written assignments

To gain this qualification, the learner will need to achieve the following:

Pass in all units

All units in this qualification are mandatory. Units will be internally assessed. We have created innovative non-mandatory tasks for all units, with the exception of Unit 3.15 (see Longitudinal Study below). These can be found in the Learner Handbook and Tutor Guidance documents on our secure site.

Longitudinal Study

This will be a mandatory task set by us. It will be internally assessed. Detailed guidance can be found in the Tutor Guidance on our secure site.

Competence in a real work environment

Full achievement of the qualification will not be possible until all components are complete. Unit certification will be available.

This course is for learners who want to develop a career as:

• practitioner in day nurseries
• practitioner in Nursery schools
• practitioner in reception classes in primary schools
• pre-school worker
• Private nanny or childminder

• Learners must be aged 16 or above
• An appropriate level of skill in the English language. International learners will be required to have ILETS 5.5 or equivalent.

Learners who achieve this qualification could progress to Level 4 Certificate for the Early Years Advanced Practitioner or other higher level early years qualifications.

Job roles you can apply for on completion

• practitioner in day nurseries
• practitioner in Nursery schools
• practitioner in reception classes in primary schools
• pre-school worker
• Private nanny or childminder