Education and Early Years

In the first year, you will build a solid foundation by studying seven core elements that provide vital knowledge for working in Education and Childcare. These include:

• Wider education sector
• Supporting Education
• Safeguarding, equality and diversity and wellbeing
• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Child development
• Working in partnership
• Professional practice
• ESP (Employer set project)

This year is complemented by employability and enrichment activities to broaden your understanding and prepare you for future roles.

In the second year you will focus on your occupational specialism, which is the Early Years Educator, so must be placed in a nursery and school setting to access all age ranges. You will be assessed on applying knowledge and skills both within your industry placement setting (where you will be working towards meeting all of the Early Years Educator Competencies over your 750 hours by an assessor), and also through 3 controlled formal assessments, which are broken down into tasks. This part of the course is designed to refine the knowledge and skills you gained during the first year, applying them to real-world practices within the Early Years sector.

By the end of the T-Level, you’ll be equipped with the expertise and practical experience needed to thrive as a skilled practitioner or pursue further study.

Students will need to purchase a DBS and polo shirt to wear on placement.

Upon completing the Education and Early Years T-Level, you’ll have several exciting progression opportunities to consider:

Skilled Employment

Begin your career in the education and early years sector in roles such as:

• Teaching assistant
• Early years practitioner in a nursery or pre-school
• Learning mentor or other education support roles

Higher-Level Apprenticeships

Advance to Level 4 apprenticeships and beyond, leading to careers such as:

• Assessor in education
• Other specialist roles within the sector

Higher Education

Use your T-Level’s UCAS points to pursue relevant higher education qualifications, including:

• Foundation Degrees or degrees in teaching, early years studies or youth work
• Other education and early years-related pathways.

The exam board for this T-Level is NCFE. Assessment is structured over two years and includes a combination of exams, projects and workplace observations:

Year 12

• Two core exams (Core A and Core B) taken at the end of the year

• An Employer Set Project (ESP), which focuses on planning and assessment based on a case study under exam conditions

Year 13

• Three controlled assessments completed under exam conditions
• Structured observations during your industrial placement, which contribute 50% of your Occupational Specialism grade. A College assessor will visit your placement to evaluate your interactions and work with children. 

To enrol in the T-Level Education and Early Years course, you’ll need a minimum of two GCSEs at grade 5 and three GCSEs at grade 4, including:

• English Language (grade 4 or above)
• Maths (grade 4 or above)

You must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application as part of the course requirements. This is essential for gaining experience working with a variety of vulnerable client groups.

As part of the T-Level in Education and Early Years, you will receive specialist training, including first aid and safeguarding. You will also undertake 750 hours of work placement in a relevant setting, as well as have opportunities to attend university trips/sessions linked to chosen careers. You will also go on team building trips and hear from careers/guest speakers - including professionals from the industry/employers.