Early Years - Level 2

• 3 GCSEs at grade 3/D or above, including English and maths
• Alternatively, you have a Level 1 qualification in an Early Years course
• Suitable DBS clearance.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a Level 2 CACHE Certificate in Children and Young Person Workplace Diploma.

• Safeguarding children
• Child development
• Play and learning
• Health and Safety
• Preparing safe environments for children.

• Practical workshops
• Theoretical studies
• Tutorials
• Work experience.

• Presentations
• Practical activities
• Reflective practice
• Written assignments
• Case studies
• Workplace assessment.

Work experience is a compulsory part of this course and provides you with the practical skills needed to work with children. Carers will need to undertake two days per week of assessed work experience in a variety of early-year settings, arranged by Kidderminster College.

If you're aged 16-18 and you haven't achieved a GCSE grade 4/D or higher in English and maths, you will need to take English and maths classes alongside your programme of study.

Your English skills will be developed through reading materials, a variety of texts, such as healthcare policies, early childhood development articles and case studies that students can read and analyse. This will develop your reading comprehension skills and expose you to terminology and concepts specific to the field. Written tasks will require you to reflect on your experiences in healthcare and early-year settings.

Your maths skills will be developed through practical healthcare and early-year situations. You'll practise measuring and monitoring growth, looking at data related to child development. Skills are applied in assessing risks and probabilities associated with Health and Safety issues, including evaluating the likelihood of accidents or injuries.  You'll also measure and assess various health indicators, such as Body Mass Index (BMI), growth charts and nutritional assessments.

Tutorial is a program of essential topics affecting you as a potential employee and member of a community. You will cover topics to improve employability skills, mental fitness (both for you and those around you) and much more. It is an essential part of your personal development.

As part of you weekly timetable, you will be expected to take part in Tutorial. This consists of a 1-1 meeting (at least 3 a year) and Personal Development activities that develop you both personally and professionally. Part of the focus is to raise digital Standards and take part in Employer Engagement Activities such as guest speakers, logging Work Experience and in person and online networking.

We work with Student Experience, Careers and your Curriculum team to ensure your Tutorial elements link to your industry area and to create opportunities to develop key skills for profile raising as well as enabling you to create competitive applications and CVs.

Tutorial is also an opportunity to check in with you as part of a group and individually. You can discuss any issues you might be having that affect your learning and essentially identify strategies and support available to you.

Upon successful completion of this course, you can go on to study an Early Years - Level 3 Diploma at Kidderminster College.