NCFE CACHE levels tell you how demanding a qualification is. Level 2 is an introduction for people new to working with children. Level 3 is the main early years practitioner level, and Level 5 is for people who already lead practice or manage a setting. Within a level, an award is a short, focused qualification and a diploma is a much larger one. Taito Education offers four of them, all awarded by NCFE CACHE, UK and studied fully online. The right one depends on where you are now and the role you hold, or want, in an early years setting.

Below, the four are set side by side, with a short check at the end to help you pick a starting point. Most people asking about this work as nursery staff, teaching assistants or in foundation-stage teams at international schools. Plenty trained in another country and want a clear next step.

What NCFE CACHE levels mean

NCFE CACHE qualifications use the numbered levels of England’s qualification framework. The higher the number, the harder the qualification. The GOV.UK list of qualification levels places level 2 awards, certificates and diplomas at the same level as GCSEs at grades 9 to 4. Level 3 awards, certificates and diplomas sit at the same level as A levels and the International Baccalaureate diploma. Level 5 awards, certificates and diplomas sit alongside foundation degrees and higher national diplomas.

A level measures difficulty. Size is a separate question. The GOV.UK overview of qualification levels notes that qualifications at the same level sometimes cover different amounts of the same subject. You can see this in Taito’s own catalogue: the Level 3 Diploma has 10 mandatory units worth 95 credits, while the Level 3 SENCo Award has 2 units. Same level, very different sizes: one is a full practitioner qualification and the other a short specialist one.

So when you read a qualification title, look at these parts of it:

Level: how demanding the content is (2, 3 or 5 here).
Award, Certificate or Diploma: broadly how large the qualification is, from short to substantial.
The subject wording: for example “Working in the Early Years Sector” or “Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services”, which tells you the age range and role the content is written for.

The four NCFE CACHE qualifications compared

Everything in this table is taken from the Taito programme pages, and the qualification names are written exactly as they appear on the award.

Qualification	Level	Duration	Study mode	Entry (from the programme page)	Who it suits
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate Introducing Caring for Children and Young People	2	3-5 months	Fully online	Minimum age 16; average English language skills in reading, writing and speaking	People with little or no experience of working in an early years childcare setting
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector	3	12 months, plus a mandatory work/industry placement	Fully online taught content	Minimum age 16; High School certificate	People preparing to work, or already working, with children from birth to five
NCFE CACHE Level 3 (SENCo) Award for Special Educational Needs Coordinators in Early Years Setting	3	3-5 months	Fully online	Minimum age 16	Early years practitioners already in a SENCo role, or interested in taking one on
NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services	5	12 months	Fully online	Minimum age 19; a Level 3 qualification or above in a related field; working as a Deputy or Manager, or able to carry out those responsibilities	Deputies and managers who lead practice and other staff

There’s no fixed term to wait for. Intakes for all four are on request, and an advisor arranges your start date with you.

Level 2: a first step into working with children

The CACHE Level 2 certificate online is where most newcomers start. Its programme page describes it as covering childcare and education, babysitting and parenting responsibilities. It prepares learners to work with children from birth to 5 years old, with additional knowledge of children up to 7 years old.

The page lists five units:

Use food and nutrition information to plan a healthy diet (3 credits)
Young children’s development (3 credits)
Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people (3 credits)
Importance of play for early learning (6 credits)
Respecting and valuing children (2 credits)

All the units are optional, so learners and tutors can choose a programme of study that matches their interests and goals. Entry is light. You need to be at least 16, with average English in reading, writing and speaking. So Level 2 suits a new nursery assistant, or someone who wants to try the subject before taking on something longer.

For moving on afterwards, the page names the Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People’s Workforce or the Level 2 Certificate in an Introduction to Early Years Education and Care.

Level 3 Diploma: working in the early years sector

The NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma is the full practitioner qualification, and by far the largest of the four. It prepares learners to work with children from birth to five years and provides foundational knowledge for supporting children aged five to seven. To earn it you complete 10 mandatory units worth 95 credits and a mandatory work/industry placement experience. The units are:

Introduction to the role of the early years educator
Holistic child development
Children with special educational needs and disabilities
Effective communication in an early years setting
Safeguarding and welfare requirements
Health, wellbeing and safety
Promoting an effective early years curriculum
Assessment of children’s learning and development
Understanding play for learning and holistic development
Partnership working

People often miss the placement. The teaching is online, but you can’t finish the diploma through online study alone. NCFE’s own qualification page for this diploma sets a minimum of 300 hours of placement and describes assessment as a portfolio of evidence. If you’re already working in a nursery or a foundation-stage class, ask an advisor how the placement is arranged in your situation before you enrol.

You need to be at least 16 and hold a High School certificate. The Taito programme page gives the duration as 12 months.

Level 3 SENCo Award: the special educational needs coordinator role

The CACHE Level 3 SENCo award sits at the same level as the diploma and is much smaller. It is designed for those already working in a SENCo role as part of their Early Years Practitioner role, or those who are interested in doing so. It has two units:

Unit 1: Roles and responsibilities of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in the Early Years
Unit 2: Strategies and techniques for supporting children and families

The page lists three aims: to explore the roles and responsibilities of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in an early years setting, to understand the strategies and techniques for supporting children and their families, and to increase knowledge of SEN codes of practice. It takes 3-5 months and the minimum entry age is 16.

It suits a practitioner who has become the person colleagues turn to when a child needs extra support, and who wants a structured grounding in the coordinator role. In international settings, where a child may be new to English as well as showing signs of a learning need, that coordinator role often includes careful conversations with families and with colleagues trained in different systems. The award is a specialism to add alongside the Level 3 Diploma. It doesn’t stand in for it.

Level 5 Diploma: leadership and management in a setting

The CACHE Level 5 diploma online is for people who manage practice and lead others in children and young people’s services. It offers two pathways, Management and Advanced Practice, across 17 units. Examples from the unit list include:

Lead and manage a team within a health and social care or children and young people’s setting
Develop professional supervision practice in health and social care or children and young people’s work settings
Develop and implement policies and procedures to support the safeguarding of children and young people
Work in partnership in health and social care or children and young people’s work settings
Undertake a research project within services for health and social care or children and young people
Appraise staff performance

Entry here is the strictest of the four: a minimum age of 19, a Level 3 qualification or above in a related field, and you need to be working in the role of Deputy or Manager in an appropriate setting, or have the opportunity to carry out the responsibilities associated with these roles. The diploma takes 12 months.

Which of the NCFE CACHE levels should you start with?

Go by the entry requirements rather than the level number. Work through these questions in order and stop at the first “yes”.

Are you a Deputy or Manager, or do you carry those responsibilities, and do you already hold a Level 3 or above in a related field? Look at the Level 5 Diploma. You must also be 19 or over.
Do you coordinate, or want to coordinate, support for children with special educational needs in an early years setting? Look at the Level 3 SENCo Award. If you don’t yet hold a full early years qualification, consider whether the Level 3 Diploma should come first.
Are you working, or about to work, with children from birth to five, and do you hold a High School certificate? Look at the Level 3 Diploma, and plan for the placement.
Are you new to working with children, or not yet sure early years is for you? Start with the Level 2 Certificate.

To show how the check plays out:

For example, a teaching assistant who has supported a reception class for two years and finished secondary school would usually land on question 3: the Level 3 Diploma.
A nursery room leader who already holds a Level 3 early years diploma and has been asked to act as deputy would land on question 1: the Level 5 Diploma.
A parent who has never worked in a setting but is curious about early years work would land on question 4: the Level 2 Certificate.

Some people won’t fit neatly. Say you trained as a teacher in another country and now work in a foundation-stage class. In that case, talk to an advisor. They can confirm your eligibility and explain intake dates before you apply.

How studying works

All four are studied the same way online. Each programme page lists what that includes:

live and interactive lectures
recorded sessions for offline viewing
practical learning through seminars and workshops
assignments for module assessments
an easy-to-use LMS, accessible anywhere
an online library to further enhance your knowledge

When you apply, the programme pages list the documents to send: a duly filled application form, academic documents (High School / Diploma and Bachelor degree with transcripts), a resume, a copy of your passport, a photograph, a statement of purpose and an experience/employment letter. If your transcripts come from another country, request them early.

Frequently asked questions

What is CACHE Level 3?

It means an NCFE CACHE qualification at level 3, which is the same level as A levels in England’s framework. Taito offers two: the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector, a 12-month practitioner diploma with 10 mandatory units and a placement, and the shorter Level 3 (SENCo) Award, which has two units on the special educational needs coordinator role.

How long is CACHE Level 3?

According to the Taito programme pages, the Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector takes 12 months, with a mandatory work/industry placement alongside the online study. The Level 3 (SENCo) Award takes 3-5 months because it has only two units. Intakes are on request, so an advisor arranges your start date with you.

What are the CACHE Level 3 requirements?

For the Level 3 Diploma, the minimum entry age is 16 and a High School certificate is required. To complete it you must pass 10 mandatory units worth 95 credits and complete a mandatory work/industry placement. For the Level 3 (SENCo) Award, the minimum entry age is 16. Both ask for the standard application documents listed on the programme pages.

Can I take Level 5 without Level 3?

No. The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services requires a Level 3 qualification or above in a related field. You also need to be at least 19 and working as a Deputy or Manager, or able to carry out those responsibilities. If you have questions about payment, talk to an advisor.

Next steps

Taito Education has four NCFE CACHE qualifications, from the Level 2 Certificate to the Level 5 Diploma, all awarded by NCFE CACHE, UK and studied fully online. Start with the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma page, or ask an advisor which level fits your role.

NCFE CACHE levels explained: Level 2, Level 3, Level 3 SENCo and Level 5 compared

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