Start Date
- September 2026, Full Time, Day
What You Will Study
Are you passionate about working with children and supporting them to develop and thrive? Are you a caring and patient person? The T Level qualification in Education and Early Years (Early Years Educator) will provide you with extensive knowledge of how children learn and develop, and your role in supporting them. You will be able to put theory into practice with your 2-day a week work placement.
On the EYE (Early Years Educator) pathway, you will be placed in a nursery or preschool for your work placement.
There are 7 elements of study in the first year, and these will include topics such as:
Child development
Working in partnership with other professionals
SEND (Special educational needs and disabilities)
Safeguarding
In the second year, you will continue to study the care and development of children under 7, building on your learning from year 1 including how to support children's development and the importance of play. You will need to achieve a minimum of 750 hours of placement experience to pass the course.
To excel on the T Level, you will need to be prepared to share your thoughts and ideas in lessons and engage with group and individual presentations and tasks. You can expect your lecturers to support you to gain independent study skills to support your success on the course.
You can enjoy:
Guest speakers sharing their knowledge and expertise of childcare topics
Being supported by a dedicated and enthusiastic team of childcare experts
Local trips to enrich your learning
If this sounds like the course for you, then we would love to receive your application and meet you at our taster day!
Why Choose City College Norwich?
Experience the working world
Through the college’s links to the industry, all childcare and early years students complete relevant industry work placements 2 days per week.
Expert teaching staff
Our highly skilled teaching staff are experts in childcare and early years education
Unique opportunities
You will participate in promotional campaigns and charity events, as well as attending subject trips and visits
Entry Requirements
Achieve 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English Language and maths.
Attend a taster day
Complete associated diagnostic tasks
Provide two positive references
Successful completion of a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
It is also desirable that you have undertaken some work experience in an education setting.
How You Will Be Assessed
The first-year assessments consist of:
1 written exam assessing you on elements 1-7. There will be multiple choice, short and extended writing questions.
An employer-set project consisting of a range of tasks including, but not limited to, a presentation, a support plan, activity plan and a reflection.
In the Occupational Specialism year, your work placement assessment will contribute 50% of your overall mark.
The placement assessment for EYE consists of:
Demonstration of the early years' competencies
Achievement of a minimum of 750 hours placement experience
Three structured observations of your practice carried out by an assessor
Academic knowledge and application to practice is assessed through:
Two written examinations linked to planning learning and development opportunities, considering all aspects of their implementation; and practices around observing children.
Course Progression
On successful completion you can progress onto apprenticeships or higher education courses in fields such as education, psychology and social work
Our higher education provider, Norfolk House can offer the following relevant undergraduate degrees:
BA (Hons) Additional Needs and Disabilities (Children And Young People)
BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
Where Your Course Can Take You
On successful completion you can progress into employment as a nursery practitioner or into other support roles working with children and young people
Fees
If you are a UK or home fee status student and aged 16-18 on the 31st August before the start of your course, tuition fees are free.
Why Choose City College Norwich?
Experience the working world
Through the college’s links to the industry, all childcare and early years students complete relevant industry work placements 2 days per week.
Expert teaching staff
Our highly skilled teaching staff are experts in childcare and early years education
Unique opportunities
You will participate in promotional campaigns and charity events, as well as attending subject trips and visits
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