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Do you want a career supporting children/young people through their education and experiences? Then the T-level in Childcare and Education is the course for you. Covering a wide range of aspects of learning, development and offering practical experience, this course would help you prepare for a career as an Early Years Practitioner, Primary School Teacher and many more.
What will I study in Childcare & Education (Education & Early Years) T-level?
This T-level is the new gold standard qualification and is ideal for those who want to work in a childcare setting. The course comes with a licence to practice allowing students, on completion of the course, to enter directly into the workplace. Alternatively students may use the completion of the qualification to access university to study Early Years, Primary Education, Special Educational Needs and many more related courses,. This two-year, full time course consists of three days in the classroom and two days on mandatory work placement. This means you will gain the knowledge and skills required to become a successful childcare practitioner, putting class theory into practice in an interesting and supportive environment. Throughout the course you will gain essential knowledge about how children grow and develop, the provision of care, education systems and how best to work with parents and professionals alike.
The course consists of time studying the core knowledge based aspects in college and, as practical work placements are an integral part of the course, you will spend time in child care and educational settings.
The course is delivered over 2 years including both core and occupational specific content.
You will learn about children’s growth and development, how to care for and educate children, about working with their parents and other professionals.
The taught content will cover topics such as
- Child development
- Supporting Education
- Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Wellbeing
- Behaviour
- Observation and Assessment
- Equality and Diversity
- Special Educational Needs and Disability
- English as an Additional Language
- Parents, Families and Carers
- Working with Others
- Reflective Practice
- EYFS and National Curriculum
You will be offered the opportunity to gain additional qualifications related to Paedatric First Aid and Food Handing (additional cost) which will look fantastic on applications for jobs / university. You will also have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers related to careers in the sector.
Entry Requirements
At least five GCSE’s at Grade 4 or above from the basket subjects including English Language and Maths. Please note the entry requirements for a Primary Education degree are Maths, English and Science at GCSE Grade 4.
This course requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, we will be asking students to bring the necessary details to their enrolment appointment to complete this.
As part of their safer recruitment practice, T-level placement providers, typically in primary schools or nurseries, also ask that we check the student’s suitability to work with young children. Therefore, we will be requesting a reference from a student’s current school.
What is the T-level industry placement?
The Industry Placement
Your industry placement gives you a great opportunity to put your learning into practice and develop your technical skills and knowledge for the industry your placement is in. It will help you to progress once you have finished your T-level, whether that is directly into employment, an apprenticeship, or more education.
This is a compulsory part of your T-level, and you must complete it to get your T-level certificate. You will spend a minimum of 315 hours on your placement, or 750 hours for Childcare and Education T-level students.
How will I learn?
During the course you will learn in a variety of ways. Some sessions will involve content delivered by the unit teacher. During lessons you will experience a variety of group and individual work making links between the ideas and concepts you have learnt about. In many lessons discussions and presentations are used to encourage you to make links between the taught content and your own personal experiences at school and on your placement. In some units you will have the opportunity to use your creativity by planning activities for children and designing environments to encourage the development of numeracy and literacy skills.
How will I be assessed?
The assessment of the core knowledge will be through two written examinations which include a variety of types of question and an Employer set project which will be undertaken in controlled conditions. This project will require students to plan, discuss and reflect on how to meet the needs discussed in a scenario e.g. planning an activity for developing a particular area of learning. researching to create materials to be used in the assessment.
The occupational specialism content will be assessed through three 'assignments'.
1. The first assignment is linked to planning activities for particular groups of children completed in supervised conditions
2. The second involves students being assessed during their placement on their skills achievement of the Early Years Education criteria and will involve observations and perhaps some professional discussions.
3. The third assignment requires students to complete observations of children within their placement and then to use and reflect on this knowledge to complete a number of questions completed in invigilated conditions.
Any trips?
You will be involved in a trip to a local wildlife park to plan activities linked to developing literacy and numeracy skills. This will also allow us to discuss the benefits and issues surounding taking children out on trips including issues such as risk assessment and safeguarding.
You will also have the opportunity to sign up for trips to various universities. Recently we took some students to Worcester University to talk about the opportunities there to study Primary Education.
We also offer a number of other enrichment type activities as part of lessons including forest school sessions, practical craft sessions and recently we have had a range of guest speakers linked to careers and wellbeing.
Are there any costs involved?
- You should expect some small costs for course booklets and stationery
- There will be additonal costs for trip and to pay for extra qualifications such as Paedatric First Aid and Food Safety qualifications
FAQs
How much work experience do I have to complete?
Over the two years you will complete a minimum of 750 hours of work experience. This must be completed in the EYFS with children aged 0-Reception.
What sort of settings can be used for work experience?
A real variety of settings can be used for work experience. We would recommend that over the course that you spend time in two different settings to allow you to see the breadth of opportunities and development from 0-7 years. Students can do their work experience in a nursery, with a childminder, or in a primary school.
Can I get help setting up my work experience?
Absolutely, although most students find their own placements as they are more familiar with the area that they live and how they are going to travel to and from placement.
What are the entry requirements for Primary Education?
You need to have achieved a grade 4 (minimum) in Maths, Science and English and for most universities a Merit in your T level
How will I develop my intrapreneurial skills?
Intrapreneurial Skills
Throughout the course we are developing students intrapreneurial skills alongside their employability skills through many individual lessons. These include:
- Problem solving
- Conceiving Ideas and Demonstrate Creativity
- Test Ideas and Improve them
- Analyse and Interpret Data
- Deliver Projects to Agreed Deadlines
- Be Persuasive and Self Confident in your Abilities
- Take Action, be Hardworking and Dedicated
- Be Inspiring, Positive & Have a ‘Can Do’ Attitude
- Negotiate Agreements and Resolve Conflicts
- Empathy – Show Understanding of Each Other’ Goals
- Promote Diversity and Inclusion
- Make Decisions, Own both Successes and Failures
During our series of induction activities students are developing their team work skills through the ‘team building day’ this develops problem solving and developing relationships across the students. Our planned trip and Enterprise that following in the Spring term is a further opportunity to develop these intrapreneurial skills where students will be given a project to design, cost and justify suggestions for activities for given scenarios. Many of these skills will also be developed through the teaching and preparation for the students Employer Set Project and these skills are essential for achievement in this assessment.
Awarding Body
NCFE
Available As
T Level
[168 UCAS pts. available]
[168 UCAS pts. available]
Add to Application
What can I do after I have taken this course?
Available As
T Level
[168 UCAS pts. available]
[168 UCAS pts. available]
Add to Application
DO NOT DELETE OR EDIT THIS ROW OR ITS CONTENTS
Hear from T-level Childcare & Education students at Cirencester College!
What the students say
”This course allows you to work 3 days at College and 2 days on placement, within in a Nursery or a Primary School. The course is delivered in a really good and effective way by the lecturers. My ambition is to go to University to complete a Qualification in Primary Teaching, and then work in Key Stage 1 in a Primary School.
Toby
”I like all the different elements that are part of the course and learning a wide range of knowledge on how to support children in an educational setting.
Libby
