Awarded byNCFE CACHENCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector
An NCFE CACHE Level 3 diploma for working in the early years sector — 10 mandatory units and a work placement, qualifying you as an early years educator.
Program Overview
This qualification is designed to equip learners with the essential knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to work effectively in early years settings. By successfully completing the qualification, learners gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the workforce as competent early years educators.
It prepares learners to work with children from birth to five years and provides foundational knowledge for supporting children aged five to seven.
Who is it for?
- New entrants to childcare and early years
- Practitioners formalising their experience
- Career changers moving into education
- Those building toward a higher qualification
What you'll study
10 units · 95 credits
- 01Introduction to the role of the early years educator
- 02Holistic child development
- 03Children with special educational needs and disabilities
- 04Effective communication in an early years setting
- 05Safeguarding and welfare requirements
- 06Health, wellbeing and safety
- 07Promoting an effective early years curriculum
- 08Assessment of children’s learning and development
- 09Understanding play for learning and holistic development
- 10Partnership working
- 10 mandatory units/95 credits.
- A mandatory work/industry placement experience.
How to qualify
Eligibility
What you'll need to apply- Minimum entry age: 16 years
- High School certificate is a must.
Documents needed
What to send with your applicationWhere this takes you
Learners who achieve this qualification could progress to the following:
Straight into work
- Educator in day nurseries
- Educator in nursery schools
- Educator in reception classes in primary schools
- Pre-school worker
What related qualifications can you progress to?
Hear from our graduates
Educators who took this path, in their own words.
CACHE
USA → UAE
CACHE
Pakistan → UAE
CACHE
India → UAENCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector
Awarded by NCFE CACHE, UK on successful completion. Specimen shown for illustration — names and dates appear on the issued certificate.
How you'll learn
A flexible, mentor-led online experience — built so busy educators can upskill without a career break.
- Live & interactive lectures by expert faculty
- Recorded sessions for offline viewing
- World-class curriculum by eminent faculty
- Practical learning through seminars & workshops
- Assignments for module assessments
- Easy-to-use LMS, accessible anywhere
- Online library to further enhance your knowledge
- Real-world skills for a well-rounded experience
Continue your journey
Build focused, accredited skills for early years, SEN and leadership.
UKBuild focused, accredited skills for early years, SEN and leadership.
UKFrequently asked questions
A diploma that gives learners the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to work in early years settings as an early years educator. It prepares you to work with children from birth to five years and provides foundational knowledge for supporting children aged five to seven. It is made up of ten mandatory units.
Twelve months. Taught content is delivered online, with live interactive lectures, recorded sessions, seminars and workshops, and assignments submitted for each module assessment. Intakes are on request, so an advisor arranges your start date. A work placement also has to be completed alongside the online study.
Yes. To earn the qualification you must complete ten mandatory units worth 95 credits plus a mandatory work or industry placement experience. The taught content is delivered online, but the placement is a separate requirement on top of it, so the diploma is not completed by online study alone. An advisor can explain how it is arranged.
The minimum entry age is 16 and a High School certificate is required. With your application you send a completed application form, academic documents and transcripts, a resume, a copy of your passport, a photograph, a statement of purpose and an experience or employment letter.
Ten mandatory units worth 95 credits. They cover the role of the early years educator, holistic child development, children with special educational needs and disabilities, effective communication, safeguarding and welfare requirements, health, wellbeing and safety, the early years curriculum, assessment of children's learning, play, and partnership working.
The diploma is designed to prepare learners to enter the workforce as early years educators, and the progression route on the page names further study: the NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner. Speak to an advisor about how the diploma fits your own plans.
NCFE CACHE, UK. On successful completion you are issued the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector. The certificate shown on this page is a specimen for illustration; your own name and dates appear on the issued certificate. Speak to an advisor about anything beyond that.