Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner - Level 2
90107
- Start:
- September
- Location:
- Balliol Road Campus
- Level:
- 2
Course Details
Develop the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career as an early years practitioner. This Level 2 Course sets students up with everything they need to work with children from birth to 5 years old, building your understanding of children up to age 7. With exciting opportunities to get out of the classroom and learn from some unconventional sources, you’ll complete this course as a well-rounded, employable professional.
What will you learn?
Students on the Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Course split their time between college and placements, with 35 days of placement needed to pass. You’ll study 14 foundational units, covering everything from your responsibilities as a practitioner to promoting positive behaviour and supporting a healthy lifestyle in children.
One course highlight is our unit on care routines, where students get familiar with bathing a baby, changing its nappy and making bottles. You’ll also be responsible for one of our brand-new interactive dolls, which you’ll take home and look after.
Study primate behaviour to understand attachment
We can learn a lot about human behaviour by studying our close relatives. So, to support a unit on attachment theory, students head to the monkey enclosure at Chester Zoo. You’ll observe these great apes and listen to talks about mother-baby bonds, to boost your coursework and introduce you to development in species other than our own.
Explore learning environments
Throughout your Level 2 Early Years Practitioner Course, you’ll be introduced to alternative learning environments – including visiting a forest school. Forest schools offer an outdoor early learning environment, supporting play and exploration in nature to encourage holistic growth in children. Some students at Hugh Baird College will get the opportunity to take their learning outdoors, creating art and building toy houses using the materials they find in the world.
How will you be assessed?
Instead of a written exam, students are assessed in a handful of different ways throughout the year. You’ll be observed as you lead activities with children in class, and will then do some reflective work on these activities.
As a coursework-based course, you’ll create materials such as leaflets and PowerPoint Presentations, and carry out practical activities with photos for your portfolio. Over time, you’ll build a separate portfolio for each unit – something you can also present to employers post-education.
Take that first step today
Discover where a Diploma in childcare could take you, with a course that balances classroom learning with work placements and invaluable enrichment opportunities. Your new path starts here.
You will gain the knowledge and understanding across a range of subject areas including:
Theme 1: Introducing the role of the early years practitioner:
- Support physical care routines for children
- An introduction to the role of the early years practitioner
- Understand how to work in partnership
Theme 2: Legislation, framework and professional practice:
- Understand legislation relating to the safeguarding, protection and welfare of children
Theme 3: Play, development and learning for school readiness:
- Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child
- Support the needs of the child in preparing for school
- Support children’s positive behaviour
Theme 4: Professional development:
- Engage in professional development
All units will be interally assessed using a range of methods. This could include direct observation within the workplace, a portfolio of evidence, written assignments or a task. Some learning outcomes within this course will require assessment in a real work environment (250 placement hours are recommended).
- Level 3 study in Childcare, Teaching & Educational Development or Health & Social Care.
Upon achievement of this qualification, you can progress into various job roles in the statutory, voluntary or private sectors, such as:
- Nursery assistant
- Classroom assistant
- Pre-school assistan
If you have a question about this course, please tap the button below:
Entry Requirements
How much will this course cost me?
Aged 16-18
Free.
Aged 19+
There may be fees associated with this course, however, you may be eligible to have some or all of these fees waived by the College, depending on your individual circumstances.
Visit our Finance and Funding for Adults page to find out more.
Financial Support (all ages)
You may be eligible to receive financial support for course fees, travel and childcare. Please visit our Student Finance page for more information.
Please call 0151 353 4444 or email student.finance@hughbaird.ac.uk with any queries.
Upcoming Events
Come and explore this course and the College at an open event:
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions that we are often asked:
If you are aged 16-18 then the majority of our courses are free for you to study.
If you are aged 19+ then there may be fees associated with this course, however, you may be eligible to have some or all of these fees waived by the College, depending on your individual circumstances.
Visit our Finance and Funding for Adults page to find out more.
You do not have to let a lack of money stop you from coming to Hugh Baird College. We have bursaries and grants in place to help support those students that may find it more difficult to cover the costs of participating in further education, these include help with things such as tuition fees, childcare and travel. Visit our Student Finance pages for more information.
No. We can enrol students from any area. Public transport links are good too, so the College is easy to get to from all across Merseyside.
Yes! We help thousands of adults every year to achieve their career dreams. They are a great place to start if you want to get back into education to pursue a new career or simply learn additional skills. Depending on your circumstances, you could study these courses for free - visit our Finance and Funding for Adults page to find out more about this.
College courses in the UK are grouped into levels and types, from Entry level to Level 7, to show how they compare and what other courses they can lead to. To learn more, read our blog post.
To find out more information about this course, please tap the button below:
