Diploma for the Early Years Educator – Level 3

This qualification reflects the highest standards for those wanting to work with children from birth to five years of age. It provides a licence to practise and the status of being an Early Years Educator.

You should be working/volunteering in a childcare setting across the age ranges:

• Birth – 1 year 11 months
• 2 years – 2 years 11 months
• 3 – 5 years

You should have a minimum of 20 hours working with babies and you are required to be observed working across all age ranges.

You must have a satisfactory DBS check and should have both English and Maths GCSE at grade C or above.

You will study mandatory units:

• Support healthy lifestyles
• Support physical care and emotional wellbeing
• Understand, use and follow legislation
• Plan, lead and review play opportunities
• Develop emergent literacy and numeracy skills
• Promote speech, language and communication
• Promote physical, personal, social and emotional development
• Support children with additional needs
• Use observation and longitudinal studies to observe, assess and plan for
children’s needs.

You will learn on-site

The cost for the course is £1,500 invoiced or £2,880 with a student loan. 

You will be assessed through a range of written tasks and observed practice. You will be allocated an assessor who will visit you in the workplace to action plan your progress, observe you in practice and assess your portfolio. You will also attend College weekly for vocational programme delivery.  

Upon completion of the programme, you will be qualified to work as an Early Years Educator in a range of childcare settings. You can also progress to a Foundation Degree in Children and Young People’s Services, taking the Early Years pathway which is delivered at Derby College, or you can progress to the Foundation Degree in SEND.

For more information contact Derby College on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk