About the course
Thank you for your interest in our level 3 Children's Play, Learning and Development course. This course is designed to be a firm foundation in providing students with the principal skills needed to be responsible for the development, care, and education of children in the Early Years Sector.
Year 1 of this programme is the Foundation to Children's, Play Learning and Development and this is a stand alone qualification which is equivalent to studying for 1.5 A-levels. Successful completion of year 1 leads to the second year Extended Diploma for a full level 3 qualification and the equivalent 3 A- levels.
The full 2 years provides both the level 3 UCAS points for continuing into HE study in areas such as teaching, social work, educational psychology, and play therapy, or alternatively offering excellent employment opportunities. Our students have successfully secured employment in settings such as Nurseries, Primary Schools, Pre-Schools and Childminders as it includes the essential Licence to Practice, Early Years Educator qualification which meets the Government requirement for unsupervised responsibility in the Early Years sector.
The course units studied are designed to provide students with a detailed knowledge of the role of an Early Years Practitioner. Alongside this the substantial 750 hours workplace experience (450 hrs year 1 and 350 hrs year 2) which ensures students leave with significant confidence in their vocational skillset which is highly valued across the vast choice of sector opportunities and university courses.
Entry requirements
Entry is by interview. Applicants will need a minimum of five GCSE's Grade 4 or above, including maths and English at Grade 4.
Government mandate from November 2021 states employees will need to have maths and English at either Functional Skills level 2, or GCSE grade 4 to be employed in this sector.
Applicants will need to be organised and highly motivated to manage their own time effectively as this is a 5 day, full time course which requires 3 days in college per week and 2 days in work placement.
Learners will need to have a mature and responsible outlook as they will be required to manage a demanding workload with a high degree of independence, and be able to demonstrate a responsible and conscientious approach to supporting young children in work placement settings.
Benefits, skills and character strengths
Where will the course take me?
I'm interested. What should I do now?
The first step is to make an application for the course you are interested in. You will have the opportunity to discuss the programmes and ask any questions you may have at the interview stage.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Days & times
Starting September 2023