Early Years workers prepare the children of today for the world of tomorrow. Fuelled by curiosity and wonder, two great traits, children are fast learners. Which is why they need careful guidance to ensure their interactions and experiences are positive, insightful and bring out the best in them and their future. Learning can be fun, inspiring, and fulfilling. An Early Years Practitioner qualification can help make that happen.
What’s Involved on the Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner?
Early Years Practitioners (EYP) support the crucial social and physical development in early childhood, 0-5 years. Studying online, you will begin by covering the responsibilities of an Early Years Practitioner, key procedures, professional development, and reflective practice. Once you understand the basics of the position, you’ll explore the importance of health and safety, equality, and the welfare of children. You’ll study various care routines and learn the benefits of play. The aim is to plan and deliver purposeful activities to aid childhood development.
Early Years Practitioners support the social and physical development in early childhood
In the second half of the course, you’ll learn about wellbeing, dieting requirements and physical activity. Some children require additional support, such as those with disabilities, so you’ll determine the best way to care for them. You consider strategies, biological factors, as well as short and long-term needs. A positive environment is vital to maximising a child’s development. So, you’ll look at promoting positive behaviour in Early Years settings and partnerships, such as working with parents. Finally, you’ll learn how to prepare children for school.
To achieve this qualification, you must be working, volunteering or on practical placement as you will need to show competence in both knowledge and skills. You’ll need to complete over 250 hours of placement whilst undertaking this qualification. Your placement must allow for skills application with babies and young children to meet the assessment criteria for this qualification. You must be 16 or over to enrol.
Why Choose this Course Over the Current Level 3?
You may be examining the difference between the two diplomas, as neither require prior skills to enrol. Put simply, if you hold an English and Maths Level 2, such as GCSE or Functional Skills, we recommend studying for the Level 3 Early Years Diploma. If you don’t, we recommend the Level 2 Early Years Diploma.
Why? Well, to attain full Early Years Educator status, you will require your Level 2 in English and Maths. Without them, you will not gain all the privileges associated with Level 3 status until you achieve them. That’s why we suggest our Level 2 Early Years Diploma if you haven’t acquired your Maths and English. This is because you’ll gain Practitioner status and a strong qualification that’ll improve your ability to gain employment.
If you intend to progress onto our Early Years Educator, we do advice bundling your course with our Functional Skills English/Maths. If only to gain the relevant knowledge needed to advance your career.
What Can I Do With a Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner?
Once your course has been completed, you’ll be a qualified Early Years Practitioner with NCFE CACHE certification. What this means is you can start working, under supervision, with children up to the age five. You’ll also have extended knowledge of working with children up to the age of seven. The qualification allows you to count towards the Level 2 ratio as a qualified Level 2 Early Years Practitioner across the Early Years Workforce.
You may work under supervision in a variety of roles such as:
- Nursery practitioner
- Classroom assistant
- Pre-school practitioner
Potential Progression Routes with Oxbridge
Gain insight into the world of children from birth to aged seven, with applied knowledge in the Early Years, 0-5 years.
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A formal qualificationThis course is a formally recognised RQF qualification and is recognised throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.
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Study with winnersWe’re an award-winning learning provider and have been recognised for our cutting-edge learning techniques.
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Unlimited Tutor SupportGet as much help and support as you want from your personal course tutor via email and phone.
- Awarding body: NCFE CACHE
- Our course code: X226
- Qualification code: 603/3723/0
- Official Qualification Title: NCFE CACHE Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner
CACHE stands for the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education, and are the leading specialist Awarding Organisation for the Care and Education Sector.
Study Hours
The guided learning hours to read and understand all your course materials on this course is 293.
The total learning hours, including practical learning, work-based experience and assignments is 370.
Study Method
This qualification sets out understanding and skills that a practitioner must demonstrate to achieve an Early Years Practitioner (Level 2) qualification and be considered as qualified to support young children aged from birth to five in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
You may be expected to complete assignments, essays, research projects, presentations, posters, mind maps, video/audio recordings, and practical learning sessions to meet the requirements of your course. Your study pack will tell you everything you need to know to pass the course successfully.
Course Duration
This qualification will take approximately 12 months to complete. Don’t worry if you go over the year though, we can organise an extension to your course for an additional fee, which also extends your tutor support.
Assessment
How are you assessed?
Your progress is assessed over the course of 14 units of study. Each unit provides tasks and assignments carefully designed to aid your knowledge-based learning. Skills based outcome must be achieved with reference to a real work environment and must include direct observation within the workplace.
Do you need to be working to take the qualification?
Learners will need to be working, volunteering or on a practical placement to show competence in both knowledge and skills. Learners are recommended to complete 250 placement hours in a childcare setting to gain the relevant skills-based experience.
During your placement, observation by an assessor or qualified teacher is required.
We recommend finding yourself an assessor, but they will need to be suitably qualified and evidence of this will be required. If needed, your tutor can provide information, support and training for your chosen observer to fully understand the requirements of observation. Find out what is required of an assessor here. If you are unable to find a suitable assessor, we can send one of our tutors to complete the observation for an additional fee, just let us know.
Your learner journey will be tracked with an Evidence Record and Record of Assessment Cycle form.
Assessors and Internal Quality Assurance
Staff involved in the assessment and internal quality assurance of this qualification must be able to demonstrate that they have (or are working towards) the relevant occupational knowledge and/or occupational competence, at the same level or higher than the units being assessed and internally quality assured. This may be gained through experience and/or qualifications.
To support Early Years Settings, the UKCIS Education Working Group has developed two documents to help Early Years Settings managers and staff consider their practice and to take steps to safeguard both children and adults online.
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of the qualification, learners can be counted towards the statutory framework for the EYFS staff: child ratio at Level 2. Learners will be awarded a formal certificate of achievement by NCFE CACHE. Read more about NCFE CACHE.
This qualification allows a learner to count towards the Level 2 ratio as a qualified Level 2 Early Years Practitioner across the Early Years Workforce.
Learners may work under supervision in a variety of roles such as:
- Nursery practitioner
- Classroom assistant
- Pre-school practitioner
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Additional Information
Official Qualification Title - NCFE CACHE Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner
Difficulty - Level 2
Entry requirements - You must be working, volunteering or on practical placement as you will need to show competence in both knowledge and skills. You need to complete over 250 hours of placement whilst undertaking this qualification. Your placement must allow for skills application with babies and young children to meet the assessment criteria for this qualification.
Minimum Enrolment Age - 16 years
Credits - 37
Course Content
- Responsibilities, boundaries, skills and behaviours of the Early Years Practitioner
- Policies and procedures within the Early Years setting
- Effective communication within the Early Years setting
- Professional development and reflective practice within the Early Years setting
- Legislation and legal requirements for health and safety in the Early Years
- Lines of reporting
- Guidelines for good practice
- Common childhood illnesses
- Equality, diversity and inclusive practice in the Early Years Settings
- Legislation and codes of practice
- Types of abuse and neglect
- Safeguarding legislation, policies and codes of practice
- British values and prevent
- Policies and procedures
- Child development from birth to seven
- Influences on the expected pattern of development
- Transitions in the Early Years
- Support care routines for babies and young children
- Care routines
- Play and child development
- The benefits of different types of play
- Play and child development
- The benefits of different types of play
- Support well-being of babies and young children for healthy lifestyles
- Planning a weaning programme
- What do they need?
- Effects of poor diet on babies and children
- Special dietary requirements
- The benefits of exercise and physical activity
- National initiatives to promote physical activity
- Support the needs of babies and young children with special educational needs and disability
- Attachments and key person approaches
- Transitions in the Early Years
- Effects of transitions
- Working with others to meet children’s additional needs
- Promote positive behaviour in Early Years settings
- Partnership working in the Early Years
- Reporting lines
- Benefits of working with parents/carers
- Encouraging parents to take an active role
- Support the needs of the child in preparing for school
- Strategies for developing emergent literacy
- Developing emergent mathematical skills
Frequently Asked Questions
We have some answers to common student questions, but if you can't find the answer you're looking for then please contact us and we will do everything we can to answer your questions.
At some point, you will need to be observed by a qualified assessor or teacher. You can find an assessor yourself, but we will need evidence of their qualifications to assess. In addition, we can observe you for an additional fee. Please contact us to find out more.
If you decide to opt for an Oxbridge assessor to come and observe you, there will be an additional cost. Please contact us to find out more.
You will have access to your personal tutor, via email and telephone, who will mark your assignments and guide you through the course. In addition, you will be supplied with a comprehensive Study Guide which will help you through the study and assessment process. Your personal tutor will be highly experienced in their subject area and qualified to teach.
You don’t need any prior skills in the subject area to start. However, as with all of our courses, we recommend a reasonable level of English reading and writing ability.
We provide all the specially written learning materials you require to study this course at home. The course fee also includes tutor support for the specified duration of your course.
No, this course is assessed by coursework alone.
No, all of the study materials are supplied within your learning pack.
Most students finish comfortably within the course duration period given. However, if you do need more time, your personal tutor support can be extended for an additional fee.
That’s fine, this course can be studied anywhere and is completed by submitting Tutor marked assignments (TMAs).
Please check our main FAQs section or Contact Us, we have experienced course advisers who will be delighted to help!