Apprenticeship training course

Early years educator (level 3)

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Information about Early years educator (level 3)

Highly trained professionals who play a key role in ensuring that young children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and respecting children’s social and cultural context.
  • Safeguarding policies and procedures for children and colleagues, including child protection and wellbeing.
  • Types of abuse including domestic, neglect, physical, emotional and sexual, and know how to act to protect children and colleagues.
  • The legal requirements and guidance on health and safety, security, confidentiality of information, and safeguarding.
  • The principles of risk assessment and management, and how to balance risks and benefits of activities for children.
  • The statutory and non-statutory frameworks and guidance for provision in early years including SEND.
  • The legal rights of each individual child according to their current and future needs.
  • The role of colleagues and multi-agency working to support the child.
  • The role and responsibilities of the early years educator, including providing supervision to staff.
  • The role and responsibilities of the key person.
  • Theories and significance of attachment.
  • The importance of professional relationships and collaboration with parents, families, or carers.
  • The importance of professional relationships with colleagues, other organisations, and agencies.
  • The influence of all key individuals in children's lives on children's learning and development.
  • The development of social skills and maintaining relationships.
  • How children learn and develop from conception to age 7; physiologically, neurologically, biologically, psychologically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. Including the interaction and impact of biological and environmental factors.
  • The elements and characteristics of a wide range of enabling environments.
  • How the design, resourcing, and use of the indoor and outdoor physical environment supports children’s learning and development.
  • How the design of the day and expectations adapts to support and reflect all children’s current needs (for example, those children with SEND, EAL, communication difficulties, and the most able).
  • How the organisations approach and values underpin the environment.
  • How children experience change, transition, and significant events.
  • The theories of play and its fundamental role in learning and development.
  • How children develop characteristics for effective learning.
  • How, when, and why to conduct observation and assessment.
  • How the observation, assessment, and planning cycle is used to analyse and respond to children’s learning, development, and interests.
  • How to create experiences and opportunities for children informed by the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
  • Methods of reflective practice, including supervision, and opportunities for continuous professional development.

  Skills

  • Recognise when a child or a colleague is in danger or at risk of abuse and act to protect them in line with safeguarding policy and procedure.
  • Apply legislation, policy and procedure to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children in the setting (for example, food safety, diets, starting solid food, allergies, COSHH, and accidents, injuries, and emergencies).
  • Apply the principles of risk assessment and risk management within documentation and practice.
  • Teach children to develop skills to manage risk and maintain their own and others safety.
  • Use a range of communication methods, including technology, with other professionals to meet the individual needs of the child.
  • Develop and maintain effective professional, collaborative relationships with others involved in the education and care of the child.
  • Undertake the role and responsibilities of key person.
  • Recognise and apply theories of attachment to develop effective relationships with children.
  • Provide sensitive and respectful personal care for children from birth to 5 years.
  • Advocate for all children’s needs, including children which require SEND or EAL support.
  • Promote and facilitate children’s interpersonal communication to develop their social interactions and relationships.
  • Support children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture.
  • Support children to understand and respond to their emotions and make considered choices about their behaviours.
  • Assess the responsiveness of the environment for effective child-centred experiences in line with curriculum requirements.
  • Create inclusive, child-centred, dynamic, innovative, and evolving physical environments both indoors and outdoors.
  • Create inclusive and supportive emotional environment that enables the child to feel safe, secure, respected and experience a sense of wellbeing; maintaining and prioritising the individual child’s voice.
  • Apply strategies that support children’s ability to manage change, transition, and significant events.
  • Analyse observation evidence to assess and plan holistic individual learning based on a comprehensive understanding of the child’s needs and interests.
  • Facilitate and support child-centred opportunities and experiences based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
  • Provide adult led opportunities and experience based on the setting's curriculum and pedagogy.
  • Use reflection to develop themselves both professionally and personally.

  Behaviours

  • Confident to have difficult conversations.
  • Child-centred and empathetic, valuing equality, diversity, and inclusion and the uniqueness of each child.
  • Vigilant and act with professional curiosity.
  • Caring, compassionate and sensitive.
  • Honest, open, respectful, and a role model.
  • Self-motivated, using initiative and proactive.
  • Playful and creative.
  • Reflective and reflexive and committed to CPD.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Education and early years
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 18 months
• Maximum funding: £7,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Early years educator
  • Early years worker
  • Nursery educator
  • Nursery nurse
  • Nursery worker
  • Childminder assistant

View more information about Early years educator (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.