Are you thinking about a future working in childcare or education? Do you want to get a qualification that will help you progress towards further study and jobs in this field? If so, this exciting new technical qualification will give you the foundation you need to set you on the path towards your ideal career. The T level Education and Early Years gives you the skills and knowledge to enable you to progress into roles including Nursery Nurse or Teaching Assistant or to give you the UCAS points to continue onto higher education. This course runs fives days per week, with three days in college and two days in a placement, which you stay in for two years. We find the placement for you and support you to attend, our placement officers will visit and assess your performance in your placement. Your placement is designed to give you excellent skills in planning and preparing learning opportunities for young children, to observe their behaviour and plan, in the moment, for their development.
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What will I study?
In the first year of the course, you will develop the skills needed for a wide range of careers that involve the care and education of young children, before completing the occupational specialism route of Early Years Educator in year two.
During your industry placement of 750 hours, you will work in a childcare setting. This will give you the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice in a real-life setting as well as experiencing first-hand what it is like to work in the childcare sector and be part of the team.
Core components include:
- Child development
- Observation and assessment
- Reflective practice
- Equality and diversity
- Special educational needs and disability
- English as an additional language
Occupational specialism Early Years Educator includes:
- Support and promote children's play, development, and early education
- Develop relationships with children to facilitate their development
- Plan, provide and review care, play and educational opportunities to enable children to progress
- Safeguard and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children
- Work in partnership with colleagues, parents, carers and other professionals to support children's development
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Who is this course for?
This course is ideal if you have an interest in working with children from birth to 19 years (or 25 under SEND). If you would like a career in primary school teaching, this course is ideal for you.
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How is the course assessed?
- Two Exams
- Employer set project
- Synoptic assignments
- Formative assessments and homework throughout the course.
- Observations in placement.
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Your Study Programme
If you are aged 16-18, you will join a Study Programme this could be a vocational or technical qualification. We will make sure you are working at the right level on your core qualification and are challenged to achieve the highest level of qualification you can.
Work experience will be part of your study programme and complement your college study and prepare you for employment. You will also get involved in activities to help you develop life skills and to build your confidence so you can make progress in your career.
If you have chosen to study for a T Level qualification, this will involve college-based theory and practice lessons along with relevant work placement to enable you to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers are looking for.
Weekly timetables will include tutorial support which may comprise of full group activities or one to one sessions to discuss individual progress or support needs.
All students will continue to improve their Maths and English and ICT skills.
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Knowledge
You will develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of:
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Child development, observing behaviour and how to support children and young peoples education
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Safeguarding, health and safety and wellbeing
- Working with parents, carers, wider families, agencies and services.
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Skills
You will have the ability to:
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Plan and lead activities that include the learning and development areas of current early education curriculum requirements
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Analyse and explain how children's learning and development can be affected by their stage of development and individual circumstances
- Ensure plans fully reflect the stage of development, individual needs and circumstances of children and providing consistent care and responding quickly to the needs of the child.
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Behaviours
What is required?
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Care and compassion
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Honesty, trust and integrity while working as part of a team
- Commitment to working in a non-discriminatory way whilst promoting British Values.
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General info
Students on this course will need:
- T level text book
- Northampton College polo shirt (to be worn in placement and college)
- Full DBS check
- General stationery
- Travel costs to placement may be incurred although we work hard to find a placement you can access easily. Students from households with a low income may be eligible to apply for financial support from the college bursary fund. The bursary applications open from mid August on the college website under the section: Support for Students, Bursaries & Finance.
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Progression and Career Opportunities
After successful completion of this course, you could progress directly to jobs including an early years educator. You may find work as a nursery practitioner or childcare worker, with voluntary and private agencies or with families. You will also be able to access Higher Education, and progress to professional training in Early Years, such as Infant or Primary school teaching.
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Entry Requirements for new students
Five GCSEs at grade 9-4 including English, maths and science. (You will need a grade 4 in science if you wish to progress to Higher Education to study Primary Teaching) English Language and maths must be at grade 5. Alternatively, pass Level 2 in Early Years Education and Care plus English Language and maths which must be at grade 5.
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Admissions Process
We recommend that you attend one of our exciting open events so that you can look around the department, the college and meet the tutors. You are welcome to do this before or after you apply. These events have proved very successful in ensuring students and their families see the best of what the college has to offer such as our inspirational teaching areas, teachers, library facilities and places to eat.
Once you have applied our experienced Enrolment Team will consider your application carefully and will let you know, by email, if the College would like to make you a conditional offer based on you meeting the specified entry requirements.
If your predicted grades or career aims suggest that an alternative subject area or course level would be more appropriate for you at this stage, we will contact you either by telephone, email or text. If you have told us that you have some additional support needs, we will contact you to find out more so that we can help you.
