Level 3 Early Years Educator Apprenticeship Standard

To successfully complete the apprenticeship, you will need both maths and English at grade 4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2. If necessary, one of these can be studied at College alongside your apprenticeship.

The majority of work will be completed in the workplace. You will be expected to attend College one morning or afternoon a week.  Additional attendance at College may be required to complete Functional Skills (if needed) and some parts of the knowledge units. Your assessor will liaise with you to set up mutually convenient times for consultation and assessment visits at your place of work.

You will spend time each week working towards your off-the-job learning, which can consist of College attendance, homework/coursework, project related work, employer training, mentoring, and coaching – plus a number of other tasks (more information can be shared).

Apprentices build a portfolio of work and workplace assessors will be in regular contact to provide support, and to arrange on-site visits to observe the apprentices’ ability and skills in their daily role. It is important for the apprentice to take ownership of their own learning by seeking out opportunities to gain new skills on the job with the employer. The apprentice’s final grade will be determined by collective performance in the endpoint assessment.

You will learn through a mix of work-related activities and independent study and research. Assessment is on a continuous basis with a number of assessments in each module. Assessments take a variety of forms, such as written reports, witness statements, observations and professional discussions, These can be college based or distance learning.

As well as ensuring full competency as an Early Years Practitioner, this standard provides a foundation for potential progression into a number of routes in the early years sector including higher level apprenticeships, foundation degrees, university programmes and employment.