Overview

This course will provide you with a recognised early years qualification, whether you already work within a day nursery or foundation stage care/educational setting or looking to do so.

You may be employed or volunteering as an early years assistant, early years educator, nursery assistant, early years special educational needs assistant or wish to become a volunteer early year’s educator within a day nursery or foundation stage unit in a primary school.

On successful completion of this course students will be awarded the NCFE CACHE Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector (Early Years Educator) - Level 3.

Start dates and fees

There are two intakes for this course during an academic year, please contact the college for the specific dates on 0808 100 3626.

Cost - £4,670

The course fee can either be paid in full or in four instalments.

If you wish to pay in instalments, you will be required to pay 25% (£1,167.50) of the total fee on the day of enrolment and a Direct Debit mandate would then need to be completed to enable the college to collect a further three payments of £1,167.50 bi-monthly. The payments will be taken on the date you choose on the Direct Debit mandate form.

Please contact the college’s finance department for further details on 0808 100 3626.

What will I study?

Health and well-being
Legislation, frameworks and professional practice
Play, development and learning for school readiness
Professional development.

Entry requirements
- Completion of the Teaching Assistant and Early Years Educator - Fast Track to Level 3 11-week induction course and a satisfactory DBS check if you're not currently in employment within an early years or foundation stage classroom environment including a day nursery setting.
- Or you're already employed within an early years or foundation stage classroom environment working with children.
- GCSE English and maths at grade 4-9/A*-C (or equivalent), if you don't have these qualifications you can take functional skills alongside this course.
Assessment
You will be assessed through coursework, one-to-one reviews and observation of practice within the early years sector.
Progression
Upon achievement of this qualification you will gain a licence to practise and it is intended that you will be able to enter a workplace as an early years educator.

You can progress into various job roles in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors such as:
- Management and leadership positions within the early years sector
- Early years educator in nursery schools
- Early years educator in reception classes in primary schools
- Progression to higher education including HND Early Years Professional Leadership for England or Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship*.
*As we are a partner college of Nottingham Trent University (NTU), you may qualify for various benefits should you choose to apply to NTU after completing your college course. This could include a Progress NTU offer, where you would receive an offer one grade below their standard offer. For instance, a typical offer for one of their courses might require 128 UCAS tariff points. With Progress NTU, your requirements would be 120 UCAS tariff points. For further details, please call us on 0808 100 3626 or discover more about this benefit on the NTU website.
Careers
Funding options
If you are aged 19-23 (as of 31 August 2025) and studying your first Level 3 course then that course may be free. Please contact us for more details. If you are aged 19 or over and either studying a second Level 3 course or qualifying Level 4, 5 or 6 course you may be able to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the costs.

Disclaimer

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information on the Website is correct, some details may be subject to change. West Nottinghamshire College reserves the right to make amendments to the courses, dates, fees or other details, and to make cancellations or changes if numbers are insufficient. In the unfortunate situation that we have to cancel a course we will refund your fees in full, but we regret we are not able to offer any refund if you withdraw from your course or fail to start, and you will be liable to pay any outstanding fees that may be due.