Plan and fund your qualification training

As an apprentice you will:

• be an employee earning a wage and getting holiday pay
• work alongside experienced staff
• gain job-specific skills
• get time for training and study related to your role (at least 20% of your normal working hours)

Apprenticeships take 1 to 5 years to complete depending on their level.

For further information visit the main government site and the education and early years section

For local support please email [email protected]

Important information: If you do not already have the equivalent of a Level 2 qualification, e.g. 5 GCSEs at grades 4-9, you may be entitled to a Level 2 course free of charge, so ask the course provider. If you require maths and English you can undertake Functional Skills.<

NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in an Introduction to Early Years Education and Care (QCF)

This qualification is designed as a stepping stone to a full and relevant Level 3 Diploma. It will contain a mixture of core, mandatory and option units tailored to the to the Early Years sector in which you are employed or volunteering. Further details will be available from your local college or training provider.

Level 2 Award/Certificate/Diploma in Playwork

There are limited opportunities provided by Hampshire colleges to achieve these qualifications. Independent training providers and distance learning providers however are often able to deliver them on a bespoke/individual basis.

From September 2027 there will be new courses starting - Level 2 Foundation Certificate in Education and Early Years (1 year) and Level 2 Occupational Certificate: Early Years Practitioner (2 years).

Early Years Educator

The awarding bodies of the Early Years Educator qualification (CACHE, City and Guilds, Pearson Edexcel) have each developed their own qualifications under this title, although the exact title of the qualification may be different for each awarding body. Your local college or independent training provider will have the full details of the qualification they offer.

To count in the staff:child ratios at Level 3, staff holding the Early Years Educator qualification must also have achieved a suitable Level 2 qualification in English and maths. Discuss the entry requirements with your local college or preferred training provider.

Level 3 Award/Certificate/Diploma in Playwork

There are limited opportunities in Hampshire to achieve these qualifications. Independent training providers are often able to deliver them through a distance learning/work-based route as required.

Technical (T) Levels

T Levels are aimed at young people who want to study a subject to prepare them for a specialist job.

T Levels, which take 2 years to complete, are equivalent to taking 3 A levels and attract UCAS points. They bring together classroom learning and work placement to give young people the knowledge and skills they need to obtain a skilled role, apprenticeship or continue to further study.

An early education and childcare T Level meets the Early Years Educator criteria. On successful achievement of an early education and childcare T Level, the young person can count in the Level 3 ratios.

Discover more about T Levels

From September 2027 there will be a new course starting – Vocational (V) Level in Education and Early Years.

The qualifications in the Open University (OU) undergraduate programme are open entry, however pre-registration checks apply on certain modules. Students in England without a previously achieved Level 3 Early Years qualification will additionally require GCSE passes at grade 4 or above in English and maths. This will enable their higher education qualification in Early Years to be considered 'full and relevant' for the purposes of registration and regulation, and to be counted in the Level 3 ratios.

NCFE CACHE Level 4 Certificate for Early Years Advanced Practitioner

For learners who are looking to develop leadership and specialist skills for use in their current role, or in preparation to take on a specialist role.

Level 5 Diploma (distance learning)

The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for the Children and Young People's Workforce (Early Years) has been designed to meet the needs of senior/experienced practitioners and managers/deputies/room leaders working in early years settings.

The Level 5 Diploma is not equivalent to a full foundation degree, although, you may be able to transfer onto the second year of a foundation degree once you have achieved it.

NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner

Designed to support the development of leadership and management skills in early years and the knowledge and skills relating to early years practice.

Level 5 Foundation degree

Practitioners who have a minimum of 2 years of experience of working with children 0-5 years and who hold a full and relevant Level 3 qualification, are encouraged to consider this as the next step in their career. Further details of entry requirements and possible transfer of existing credits should be obtained from the awarding university or their affiliated college.

Level 6 (BA Hons) degree

Foundation degrees can be topped-up to full Level 6 BA (Hons.) The study options are one year full time or two years part time. Before making your decision, you should check any financial implications of not achieving in the specified time frame and be realistic in the time you have available to study. The college or university delivering your Foundation Degree will be able to give you more information about the options they offer.

Further training for practitioners who wish to progress from Degree to Masters or PhD levels.

Early Years Teacher

Entry onto an Early Years Teacher programme is dependent on the final classification of your full degree. If you intend to follow this route you will also need to hold GCSE 4-9 grades in science, along with English and maths.