childcare level 3 unit 5 assignment

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator

The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator was developed for individuals that want to work in childcare.

It conforms to the specification set out by the Department for Education (DfE), and upon completion, candidates will be trained to work with children from birth to 5 years old, have knowledge of children aged 5-7 years old and have opportunities to progress into higher education.

It is expected to take two years to complete.

It consists of 27 mandatory units, as follows:

• Unit 1.1: Support healthy lifestyles for children through the provision of food and nutrition
• Unit 1.2: Support healthy lifestyles for children through exercise
• Unit 1.3: Support physical care routines for children
• Unit 1.4: Promote children’s emotional well-being
• Unit 1.5: Understand how to support children who are unwell
• Unit 1.6: Understand the needs of the mother and baby during pre-conception, pregnancy and the first year of life
• Unit 2.1: An introduction to the role of the Early Years practitioner
• Unit 2.2: Understand legislation relating to the safeguarding, protection and welfare of children
• Unit 2.3: Use legislation relating to the health and safety of children
• Unit 2.4: Use legislation relating to equality, diversity and inclusive practice
• Unit 2.5: Work in partnership
• Unit 3.1: Understand the value of play in Early Years
• Unit 3.2: Plan, lead and review play opportunities which support children’s learning and development in relation to current frameworks
• Unit 3.3: Apply theoretical perspectives and philosophical approaches to play
• Unit 3.4: Contribute to enabling play environments
• Unit 3.5: Develop emergent literacy skills of children
• Unit 3.6: Develop emergent mathematical skills of children
• Unit 3.7: Understand the needs of the child in preparing for school
• Unit 3.8: Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child
• Unit 3.9: Facilitate the cognitive development of children
• Unit 3.10: Develop the speech, language and communication of children
• Unit 3.11: Promote the physical development of children
• Unit 3.12: Promote the personal, social and emotional development of children
• Unit 3.13: Support children with additional needs
• Unit 3.14: Use observation, assessment and planning to promote the development of children
• Unit 3.15: Use longitudinal studies to observe, assess and plan for children’s needs
• Unit 4.1: Engage in professional development

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Level 3 childcare, unit 5. The practitioner has an important role in maintaining professional relationships with children and adults

Unit 5 Assignment

The practitioner has an important role in maintaining professional relationships with children and adults. They have the responsibility to respect confidentiality by not discussing individual children with people other than the parents and carers of that child. Information given by parents/carers to the practitioners should not be passed on to anyone, but  health professionals such as social workers, education, Early Years, youth work, police and youth justice may need to be contacted depending on the issue of the child. Practitioners have the responsibility to follow the settings policies and procedures and making sure all the children are safe and secure at all times.  If a child has an accident this needs to be recorded straight away into the accident book. The practitioner should think about the child’s safety and development by providing age appropriate activities and equipment for the children.  Every childcare setting has the responsibility to follow laws and legislations such as the Data protection Act 1998 (keeping children’s records safe, and only allowing people with authorised access to view the child’s files etc. ), Childcare Act 2006,  and Health And Safety At Work Act 1974 (risk assessments). Practitioners have the important role in maintaining professional relationships by working together in an effective team, sharing common values and beliefs and working towards the same set of guidance and principles. Good team work also includes talking to staff and giving them advice on how they can improve their own practice, sharing information on a child such as allergies, planning and preparing activities and listening and following instructions. Practitioners should understand their responsibilities and be committed in meeting the needs of children such as carrying out observations and proving activities to promote a child’s development. Professional practice also includes developing relationships with parents and respecting their views. Developing partnerships with parents encourages mutual respect which will positively contribute to a child’s experience in an early years setting, leading to good outcomes for both the child and the family. Making parents feel welcome in your setting is very important. Positive relationships between practitioners and parents can also be shown by telling the child’s parents/carers what their child has done throughout the day, how they are developing and being reassuring and friendly so parents feel happy to ask for any advice and support. As well as with children and parents you must develop a professional relationship with other colleagues and professionals. This means making sure you work together as a team and sharing the workload making sure everyone is doing their fair share and not one person doing most the of the work. You must make sure that all staff communicates with each other well and everyone is on the same page. "Do not assume that colleagues will always share the same opinions as you" (Tassoni P, 2007 p.223). It is important for a practitioner to have good communication skills in order to inform their staff of any areas up for discussion. There are times where you have to stay formal. However you can have informal relationships with colleagues. For instance going on nights out and socialising outside the work hours

Maintaining confidentiality, protecting children and adults rights to privacy and ensuring children’s safety are the practitioner’s responsibilities in maintaining professional relationships, along with providing parents with regular feedback about their children’s development.  Practitioners need to be professional and not breach confidentiality outside the setting; information regarding a child should only be shared with other practitioners or health working in the setting if it will benefit the child.  t is still important to maintain confidentiality as not only is it obeying with the law, it also helps to develop a trusting relationship with the parent/ carers of the child, which will allow parents to feel secure enough to confide in the practitioner with any problems they or the child may have. Practitioners should make sure they check and understand the polices on confidentiality and think before they speak. If you feel you have information that may be putting a child a risk then you should inform your supervisor immediately.

It is also important that you are fair to the different families you work with and treat them on equal terms. “Underpinning your professional relationship is an understanding on both sides that the well-being of the child is the most important issue.”  (06/05/2012). You should respect parents and children no matter what their culture, religion or ethnicity, treating everyone equally and not showing favouritism or discriminating against anyone. The practitioner should ensure they maintain a friendly relationship with the parent whilst being careful not to get over familiar and friendly as this may affect your practice. For example a parents child may be doing someone that is wrong, you may find it hard to tell the child off due to your over friendly relationship with the child’s parents.  It is important to remember that the parents know the child the best, so you must work with them in order for the child to be cared for as best as possible. It is also important to not get over friendly with one of the child’s parents or carers because parents can play Chinese whispers, where all your conversations with parents could be repeated and retold as playground gossip and this could make one of the parents feel outcast and upset if the conversations are about them. Parents can be sensitive and by having parents continuously in the class seeing displayed work and in assemblies or other situations where they might compare their children to others can distress parents of children, making them feel they are less able. If some parents are too close to the practitioner it may also make other parents with children in the setting feel they are not good enough to be there and feel they are being treated differently, which is why all parents/carers should be treated equally with the same respect.

It is good to have a multi value approach when working with children and parents as it easier and quicker to access services and expertise and by working together you can  give the provide for the best interest of the children, to support their needs as well as the parents. A multi value approach may even be staff within the setting  the setting communicating effectively with one another to make sure the same tasks are being done and that children are being taught in the same way rather than being taught different ways by different teachers as the child will get confused. A main point in multi professional approach is the CAF (Common assessment Framework) this allows different professionals and agencies to look and assess a child’s needs and finding ways to meet them and helping practitioners to work together more effectively to meet the children’s needs. The multi value approach reduces the need for specialist services and improves achievements in education and provides better support for parents. Multi value approach is great as it brings together practitioners from different sectors and professions to provide a way of working to support children, young people and families. It is a way of working that ensures children and young people who need additional support have exactly the right professionals needed to support them. Working together is also very good because it ensures that the child is always looked after, safe and secure and the child will feel they can come to you with any worries or concerns they may have. Children look up to practitioners as role models, if children see all the team getting on well together as well as effectively communicating and being friendly they will follow in the same way with all the other children and feel happier and secure in the setting.

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Reflective practice allows you to look at what you do and make it better. It allows you to have the chance   to reflect on your teaching practice, skills and knowledge, allowing you to see what went well and what didn’t and what could have been better. Reflective practice allows you to identify areas in which you need help such as professional development such as behaviour management skills. It is a good chance to sit down, think back and see what you think you could improve for next time. You can also ask one of the other members of the team if they thought your method of teaching worked well or not and if they think there are any areas that may need improvement. Reflective practice helps with team meetings, helping practitioners to identify what staff training is needed. You need to be able to reflect as an individual as well as a whole team to provide children with the best possible education.  Another benefit of reflective practice is it provides a source of evidence to show to other employees when applying for a new role or promotion and increases confidence by seeing your own improvements of practice. Reflective practice also allows opportunities to challenge yourself and what you do, allowing you to try different practice techniques. It also allows give you data to base a reflective discussion with your manager. As a practitioner you can sit down and think of what techniques went well and what approach you would use next time if it didn’t, if your practice went you can share your ideas with other members of the team and give them advice and guidance to help them out and improve team work. There in one main way in which you can see if your practice has gone well, you can see if the children have met their milestones and who hasn’t, and plan ways and techniques to help those children who haven’t to reach their milestones. If most children are reaching their milestone and only one or two children are not it may mean they may need extra help and support which you can look at when reflecting on your practice, and find the best way to go about this issue for next time. When I’m on placement I always go home and think about what went well in my day and what I would change next time. Next time I’m on placement I can then try out different techniques and reflect on the strategies I have used to see which one I think went best, by doing this I can improve my own learning for the future.

The 10 main principles that underpin working with children are:

1. The Welfare of the child

This comes under the children act 1989, which involves making sure the child is well looked after and is at the centre of all practice. The welfare of the child is most important at all times. It also includes having the parents involved with their children and any legal proceedings that may concern them. T he child's health, emotional stability, safety, etc., all come first in whatever issues are being decided, and grown-ups come last.

2. Keeping Children Safe

This includes RIDDOR 1995 legislation which involves carrying out risk assessments before children play or before any school trips. Equipment should be checked regular and surfaces for any sharp objects such as glass. Keeping children safe also includes and the health and safety at work act 1974, which includes lifting objects in the safest way, regular fire alarm tests and drills, provision of drinking water, checking electricity, covering electrical sockets, always having a first aider and first aid box on site. Keeping children safe also includes making sure gates and doors are locked so children don’t go missing or run out on to the roads, and also making sure children go home with the right people.

3.  Working Partnership

This is when parents and practitioners work together to support children's development, this has a positive impact on children's long-term well-being and achievement. This can include the practitioner talking to the children’s parents/carers about their child’s development, sharing information on the child, parents evening, and reports on the child or giving advice and support if the parents/carers are struggling in anyway.

4. Children’s learning and development

This can involve proving age appropriate equipment for the children. Also providing challenging and stimulating activities which will keep children busy, increase their thinking skills and further their development to reach their milestones. Observations are great because they can tell a practitioner what milestones the child is at and if a child is reaching them all the next set of milestones can be looked at and if not practitioner can focus on activities to improve their milestones.

5. Valuing Diversity

This is respecting all children no matter what their race, religion or ethnicity is. Settings do this by providing books with different race people in the book, providing welcome on the setting door in all different languages and celebrating other cultural events such as Devali etc.

6. Equality of opportunities

It is important that we treat all children in the setting equally no matter what background they are from, we shouldn’t show favouritism or discriminate against any child or their family. We should also not stereo type which is not judging a book by its cover and understand that all children have different needs and it’s our job to meet those needs.

7. Anti-discrimination

This is an important principle that states that we should respect the wishes of all children and family. We should not show any form of discrimination. This includes giving all the children the same equal opportunities and regularly promoting this principle in all settings.

8.Confidentiality

This should not be breached outside the setting, whatever practitioners are told should be kept to themselves unless it is best for the children that other practitioners no, or if the child’s well-being is at stake.  Practitioners should follow the Data Protection Act 1998, which is making sure files regarding information about a child or their family is kept in a locked file in a cupboard or computer, which only people with authorised access can open.

9. Working with other professionals

Working together in a multi-agency team is very important as it means the children are always looked after and have the best possible support as it brings agencies together to form a team around a child. This can include people such as the social services and other health professionals.

10. The reflective practitioner

 This is important to provide the best possible practice for the children, by reflecting on our own practice we can see what techniques went well, what could be improved for next time and whether the activities are helping children meet their milestones.

It is extremely important that we value children’s interests and experience as it will boost a child’s confidence and self-esteem. By encouraging the child to talk about his/her interests and asking open-ended questions, a practitioner can support and extend the child’s thinking. This reflects the social interaction theory of Vygotsky and the social-construction theory of Bruner.  It is also important that when a child is speaking, we let them finish what they are saying because this will again increase a child’s self-esteem because they will see you actually want to listen to them and are interested in what they are telling you. If we listen to what a child is saying they will feel more comfortable and happier to talk to you and if they have any problems or concerns they will feel they can trust and open up to you. Interaction and dialogue between a practitioner and a child introduces relevant vocabulary, encourages discussion, challenges the child and encourages reflection. The role of the practitioner is crucial in helping children develop their thinking skills. It is important that we listen carefully to children, monitor our effects of words and gestures, show empathy and have a non-judgemental approach. We need to also be sensitive to other peoples moods and feelings and adapt our communication style to suit the situation, by doing all this it will make the child feel more comfortable and at ease speaking to you and they can see you want to listen. By valuing children’s interests it helps the child and the practitioners to see him or herself as someone who makes a difference. It is important that we give children as many opportunities as we can to try new activities so they can express an interest in someone new such as sport and use their talents. If a child your child brings over a picture or something they have done or created we should discuss it and show you value it. Children’s confidence in their own abilities and development will only grow if we show an interest in their achievements, however small they may seem to you.  It is also importance we listen to children as it exercises their brain. It increases their leadership skills and increases their motivation. If a child's idea is ignored, it might decrease their motivation thinking that no one thinks that their idea is importance.  We should also ask children what they would like to do on some days as this will increase self-esteem as the children will feel they have a say in what they do as well.

Reflecting improves our own performance as it gives up time to stop and think about what has happened, what is happening and what should happen next. Reflection is essential in providing high quality professional practice. Reflection improves our skills and techniques in working with children and families and improves our ability to communicate with other members of the team. By reflecting it helps us to understand how our own experiences and beliefs influence work. If we share reflections with other members of the team it can help us to develop more effective strategies and listen to ideas on how you could improve your own practice and what others think are going well and what isn’t going so well in your practice, this is all important in improving communication and making sure the children are taught in the best possible way. Reflection is really a process that begins with looking back on a situation, and learning from it and then using the new knowledge to help us in future similar situations. Reflection encourages us to become aware of our intellectual thoughts and our feelings which relate to a particular learning experience or area of our practice.  Reflection is important as it allows us to try out new ideas and try them out to see if they go well or not. Reflecting allows you to assess what you are doing well and to identify where you might like or need more training or guidance to ensure you are performing to the best you can and meeting all standards and expectations within the setting and meeting the settings policies and procedures. Reflecting helps us to think about what we are doing and to always be aware of how we work with children, families and other members of staff. Reflecting on your practice can enhance and improve confidence and self-esteem because you can look and what you are doing well, the things you have learnt and achieved and feel good about yourself, especially if you have done something easily that you use to find difficult as you can reflect on your own improvements and monitor your own personal development. This gives you the confidence to continue working well and to aim to try other new ideas and new skills or knowledge you may have gained in your practice.

Through self-reflection we allow ourselves to understand how a professional situation makes us feel and how we choose to respond professionally in action and/or words as two separate things. Because caring for children and families is so important and at times very emotional, we need to be aware of how our personal perspectives influence our work.

To improve your own learning you can ask your supervisor in your setting their opinion on how they think your practice is going. You can ask your supervisor if they could sit down with you when they have some spare time and ask them if they could tell you what they think is going well for you in your practice, what isn’t going so well and what they think you could improve. They can help you by discussing ways in which you can improve your own learning and practice and providing you with strategies to try yourself that they or others may use and feel have worked well. You can show them your own personal reflecting of your practice and show them ways that have gone well for you. By talking with your supervisor this will improve communication and effective team work which will benefit the children in the setting and make you feel more relaxed and happy to be part of the team if everyone gets on and respects on another.

You could ask a member high up in the team if they can watch your performance for a little while one day, observing how you are doing and maybe write a report on your progress that you yourself can look at to help you with your own personal reflection to see what techniques you use that your supervisor agrees have gone well and what they observed didn’t go so well or could be improved next time and worked on.

When I am on placement I have PDP’S (professional development profiles), we have two of these, one interim report and another mandatory. Both sheets have 9 core principles which half way through my placement my supervisor has to write a comment on each principle and circle whether she thinks I have passed or failed each principle. The interim report we get signed by our placement supervisor half way through placement and the mandatory at the end of our time on that placement. These are a great way of improving our own personal learning  because if we fail any core principles on our first report we can look and reflect on each one and think of ways in which we can improve next time in order to pass the final report. They are also good because we can see our own strengths and weaknesses and if we pass everything first time round then it boosts our confidence and self-esteem and if we don’t pass some of the principles it motivates us to work harder to pass next time and to improve our practice techniques to do better to improve our own learning/development.

Different principles underpin working with children and can help us support practice in settings by giving us a guideline of the 10 most important things we need to consider in our practice..  It is important that we are aware of the principles and values that underpin the early year’s education sector. The principles help practitioners to decide how to work with children. A key, number 1 principle  that we should always remember when working with children is that their welfare is paramount. The idea of the principle is that when decisions are made the needs and interests of children come first.   This principle also comes under the children act 1989, which involves making sure the child is well looked after and is at the centre of all practice. This principle benefits practice as the practitioner knows that the first and main principle of their work is to make sure the children are at the centre of practice as they are the most important. It also reminds practitioners that all the children have individual needs which need to be met. The principle supports practitioners practice as we can make sure children’s interests are always reflected in what they do and “that children participate in decisions about their learning and able to develop to their full potential”. Penny tasoni, 2007, page 234. The principle also states that   the child’s physical, emotional and educational needs should be met, which helps practitioners with practice as they can find ways to meet their needs and carry out observations or reflect on their practice to see if the needs are being met.   It also includes having the parents involved with their children and any legal proceedings that may concern them. T he child's health, emotional stability, safety, etc., all come first in whatever issues are being decided, and grown-ups come last.   Principle 2,  keeping children safe includes carrying out risk assessments which comes under the   management of health and safety at work regulations 1999, risk assessments should be carried out before and after children’s play or before any school trips. This principle helps practitioners with practice as it reminds practitioners the important of carrying out risk assessments for the safety of children. It makes practitioner aware of hazards in the setting and that they must always be on their guard for anything potentially harmful to the children, such as spillages, debris and broken toys. Keeping children safe also includes the health and safety at work act 1974, which includes lifting objects in the safest way, regular fire alarm tests and drills, provision of drinking water, checking electricity, covering electrical sockets, always having a first aider and first aid box on site. This helps practice as it ensures all settings are safe guarding the children and making sure staff have policies and procedures to keep the children safe. Practitioners are aware they MUST MAKE sure gates and doors are locked so children don’t go missing or run out on to the roads, and children go home with the right people. Principle 3  is all about working closely with parents to support children’s development. This helps practice as it has a positive impact on children’s long-term well-being and achievement. Talking to parents helps in valuing children’s interests and experiences as you can ask a parent what their child enjoys doing at home. Talking to parents and forming a relationship can help practitioners get to know a child better by sharing information on the child and giving advice and support to parents who are struggling in anyway which will improve practice as you can adapt your work to meet the child’s needs and try different techniques to overcome any unacceptable behaviour.  One of the main principles when working with parents is to build relationships based on trust. This helps practice as we need to make sure we have effective communication, being honest and specific with what we say. We need to keep parents informed, giving regular updates on their child’s progress, passing on information and sharing records and observations as appropriate. It is important that we remember parents have a right to their own views about their children and to express any concerns. The 10 principles help us to consider child independence which is an important part of any child’s development and adults have a role to play as a guide and a facilitator, this comes under principle 4 , the child’s learning and development.   This can involve proving age appropriate equipment for the children. Also providing challenging and stimulating activities which will keep children busy increase their thinking skills and further their development to reach their milestones. Observations are great because they can tell a practitioner what milestones the child is at and if a child is reaching them all the next set of milestones can be looked at and if not practitioner can focus on activities to improve their milestones.   Principle 5  states how we should always value diversity in the setting, this is respecting all children no matter what their race, religion or ethnicity is. This helps our practice as we can think of ways to value diversity such as providing books with different race people in the book, providing welcome on the setting door in all different languages and celebrating other cultural events such as Devali etc.   Principe 6  is the important of equality it is important that we treat all children in the setting equally no matter what background they are from, we shouldn’t show favouritism or discriminate against any child or their family. We should also not stereo type which is not judging a book by its cover and understand that all children have different needs and it’s our job to meet those needs. By following the 10 principles and putting those into our practice we can make sure all children are safe, happy, secure and developing to their full potential.  Principle 7 is all about important of confidentiality in practice, we can follow this principle making sure whatever we are told should is kept to themselves unless it is best for the child that other practitioners know, or if the child’s well-being is at stake.  Practitioners should follow the Data Protection Act 1998 which links to this principle, which is about making sure files regarding information about a child or their family is kept in a locked file in a cupboard or computer, which only people with authorised access can open. This principle can be acted upon is practice by ensuring parents give permission for photographs to be taken of their child, passing on information only with parents’ permission and ensuring information about children is kept out of the view of other children’s parents.  The 8 th  principle  working with children is all about anti- discrimination practice, the most important principle of anti-discrimination is respecting the wishes of children and their families. This principle tells us that we should not assume that we know what is best for the children. You can tell people what their options and choices are but let them tell you what they think should be done. We should encourage anti- discrimination practice by making the setting diverse and inclusive and treating all children the same no matter what their race, sex, and religion are. Principle 9 , working in a multi-agency team is very important as it means the children are always looked after and have the best possible support as it brings agencies together to form a team around a child. This can include people such as the social services and other health professionals. While early year practitioners aim to meet the individual needs of children, there may be times when they need the support of people with more expertise. Multi professional, multi-agency working is about varied services, agencies and teams working together to meet the needs of children.  By making partnerships with outside agencies and services this helps practice as the needs of children and their families are more likely to be met. Such partnerships can have an important role to play in ensuring children’s learning and experiences are maximised.  We can observe child first and then call in other agencies to help meet children’s needs. Speech and language therapists can work with early year’s practitioners to ensure children with a hearing or speech impairment can be effectively communicated with. This can be achieved through any ways such as sign language. This principle also helps practice as practitioners don’t have time to focus on one child with additional needs to be met as they have to treat all the children equally, so calling in another professional to help meet the child’s needs is very beneficial.  The final principle  is being a reflective practitioner which helps our practice a lot as we can reflect on own practice and see what techniques went well and what we could improve next week. We can reflect by carrying out observations and seeing if the children are meeting their milestones. We need to reflect to see if we are meeting all the children’s needs and also to find ways and plan activities and strategies to improve a child’s behaviour and learning.

British Forest Schools have been developed from the original idea which was put into operation in Sweden in the 1950’s and developed throughout other Scandinavian and European Countries. The Forest Schools concept established in Denmark for pre-school children (less than seven years). Denmark has a similar climate to ours in the UK and it is becoming increasingly recognised that this ‘outdoor’ approach to play and learning can have a huge impact on the normal development of children.  I n 1995 they were introduced into the UK by Bridgewater College. Since then, the Forest School has been developing rapidly within England, Wales and Scotland. Organisations such as the National Trust, Forestry Commission and Wildlife Trusts, have eagerly taken on this initiative and offer it to schools visiting their sites. “In many other areas, local education authorities have begun training teachers to operate small-scale activities within the school grounds, before encouraging them to move into nearby woodland or open areas to give children a wider experience.”  (20/05/2012).  Forest schools run for about 36 weeks, going into woods in all weathers (except high winds)

Forest schools are great because they have demonstrated success with children of all ages by giving children opportunities to learn about the natural environment, learn how to handle risks and most importantly use their own imitative to solve problems and co-operate with others. Forest schools provide children with full sized tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour in both social and physical, as well as developing children’s confidence and self-esteem and becoming self-motivated. The main aims of a forest school are to develop a child’s self-awareness and self-regulation and intrinsically motivate them. The other main aims are to develop a positive mental attitude, encourage independence and build confidence and self-esteem.

Forest schools- how good they are, how they support practice within early years settings

E.g. learn nature and social development.

discuss the main elements  of the imitative,

How helps a childs development

What are your opinions on it? Good bad  

Important of role In childcare

How you’re imitative can help in future learning for children

Have you seen it in your experiences in your setting ?

Evaluate how current research can support practitioner’s professional practice

Foundation phase- all play, next stage all work

Evaluate are placements doing that now

Document Details

• Author Type Student
• Word Count 5628
• Page Count 8
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject Healthcare
• Type of work Coursework

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This course has been designed to meet the requirements of specific learners or employers. It is endorsed by National Institution of Qualifications, meaning the course has undergone external quality checks to ensure that they are maintained and delivered to an excellent standard.

National Institution of Qualifications are a national certificating organisation. Endorsement of our courses ensures learners have access to high quality materials that cover all learning outcomes, helping them to achieve their potential.

On enrolment you’ll receive access to your learner portal and a comprehensive study guide, alongside your very own personal tutor who can provide you with unlimited support.

Our student support team can also handle any other queries you may have whilst completing your course, meaning you never have to struggle or feel isolated in your studies. Instead, our team will always be on hand to help throughout the full 12-month duration of your course (you are able to complete earlier than 12 months if required).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose association of learning.

This is a question that our team are often asked, there are many reasons but here are the main reasons to choose Association of Learning:

• No hidden charges, the price you see includes everything, from tutoring to certification.
• Our average tutor marking time is 3 working days (most providers are 10+).
• Our customers have rated us ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot.
• Our courses are up to date. Many providers create course content and fail to keep it up to date.
• We are open later than any other home learning provider.
• As many submissions as you need to complete, many providers cap how many times you can submit work.
• All courses are fully endorsed by external awarding organisations.
• 14 day money back guarantee or course switch.

If you need any more reasons to choose Association of Learning, contact our team!

How long do I have to complete the course?

You have 12 months to complete your course, however you can complete at a faster pace without any additional costs. Some of our students have managed to complete in as little as 3 months!

What are the payment options?

There are two payment options, pay in full for your course or monthly. Our monthly payment option allows you to spread the cost of your course over a 10 month period.

If you choose to pay using a payment plan, to apply you must be able to answer yes to the following:

• Your billing address is based in the UK
• You have a UK based bank account
• Bill payer must be 18 or above.

Are there any exams?

No, this course is assignment based, which means you will not have to complete any exams. If your assignment doesn’t pass first time, you can retry as many times as you need within your 12 months support period.

Will my tutor visit me?

No, this is a distance learning course, which means your assessments will be submitted and marked using our online LMS (Learner Management System).

How long will my certificate take to arrive?

Unlike other providers, Association of Learning use a fast-track system to get your certificate to you within six weeks (our average is two weeks).

Do I need previous qualifications or experience?

There are no requirements to have completed any courses or have any knowledge of the subject area to enrol on the course. There is no application process and no questions asked when you sign up, it is accessible to anybody.

When does this course start?

Your course will start as soon as you sign-up. You could start your journey of learning today!

Is this a full qualification?

This course is an endorsed certification, not a regulated qualification.

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Watching children grow in height and brain power is incredible, it is so rewarding watching them learn and grow whilst feeling that you are part of the reason they are progressing well. If you want a rewarding career, child care is the way. They keep you happy all day, they smile and ... laugh and make your work day fly by. This course has helped me progress in my career in child care and being able to pay on finance monthly has helped my situation even more.

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To be honest, I took this course as a hobby but have enjoyed it so much I want take it on as a career. I have kids and it is interesting to learn about healthy living, relationships and their development. I would recommend this child care course to anyone and everyone even if they are ... unsure of which career path they wish to take.

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Unit 3.5: Develop emergent literacy skills of children

This unit is part of the Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator and has the following learning outcomes and assessment criteria:

• Identify the stages of language and communication development from birth to 7 years
• Describe factors which affect language and communication needs
• Explain how working with others supports children’s emergent literacy from birth to 7 years
• Explain what is meant by ‘a language rich environment’
• Analyse a language rich environment in relation to current frameworks for children
• Develop a language rich environment for children
• Interact with children to meet individual language and communication needs
• Explain strategies to support the development of emergent literacy in relation to current frameworks
• Explain the use of systematic synthetic phonics in the teaching of reading
• Describe how the Early Years practitioner provides opportunities for sustained shared thinking to support children’s emergent literacy
• Plan for children’s participation in activities which support and extend emergent literacy
• Use strategies to plan activities which encourage: speaking and listening, reading, sustained shared thinking, writing, digital literacy
• Lead an activity to support and extend emergent literacy
• Identify benefits to children’s holistic learning and development when supporting emergent literacy
• Evaluate how planned activities support emergent literacy in relation to current frameworks
• Analyse own role in relation to planned activities
• Make recommendations for meeting children’s individual literacy needs
• Work with parents/carers in a way which encourages them to take an active role in their child’s play, learning and development

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Early Years Senior Practitioner Level 5

If you’re already working within the early years sector and you’d love the chance to achieve a leadership role, then our NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner is the course you need to level up in your career!

This level 5 qualification in childcare is recognised and respected throughout the UK and will teach you everything you need to know to become a confident and highly skilled senior early years practitioner.

We’ll provide relevant reading material, and you’ll be encouraged to conduct independent research before completing an end-of-unit assignment. You’ll begin your studying level 5 early years childcare with a close inspection of care routines, followed by how to treat parents as partners and allies in the education of their children. Moving on, you’ll cover policies and procedures, safeguarding, and how speech and language develop during the early years. You’ll also closely study health and safety policy, how to recognise and seek help for common childhood illnesses, and much more. This qualification is designed to be completed at your own pace as you work in the role of leader, supervisor, or manager within early years, making it the ideal way to learn as you earn!

What you will learn

Unit 1 - manage care routines for children.

In this unit, you’ll focus on how to provide a safe and secure early years environment, take a detailed look at how babies develop, and the care and support they need along the way. You’ll discover the right way to take care of their skin, teeth, and hair, support them with potty training, and with aspects of their daily routine like nappy changing and sleep time. You’ll also learn how to deal with rare but real threats that can occur within the childcare setting such as choking and SIDS, and gain a good understanding of the childhood immunisation schedule. Importantly, you’ll also learn how best to support the nutritional needs of babies and children, and discover how you can support parents with breast or formula feeding.

Unit 2 - Lead practice in promoting the well-being and resilience in children

Moving on, you’ll delve into the importance of wellbeing and resilience during the early years of a child’s development, and how to lead staff members in engaging positively with children to build their self-esteem. You’ll discover how to promote a healthy lifestyle, work co-operatively with colleagues to meet the needs of babies and children, and how to work in partnership with parents and carers.

Unit 3 - Model positive behaviour in the early years

Throughout the course of the third unit, you’ll analyse the theories underpinning the behaviour of babies and children during the early years. You’ll support children in managing their own behaviour, and learn the importance of engaging with parents when they’re in need of additional support. You’ll also develop a broad understanding of early brain development, and how negative childhood experiences can have a long-term health impact

Unit 4 - Lead activities, experiences and educational opportunities to promote children's speech, language and communication

In unit four, you’ll gain a solid understanding of children’s speech, language, and communication development from birth to seven years, as well as the terminology used within these discussions. You’ll explore intervention strategies that can be used if a child’s speech and language isn’t developing as it should, and how to motivate and lead team members to develop children’s skills in this area. You’ll also investigate ways that speech and language can be promoted through day-to-day activities.

Unit 5 - Lead children's early education and development

Throughout this unit, you’ll plan, lead, and review purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes with colleagues and other professionals to meet the individual needs of children within the current early education curriculum requirements. This will include focusing on communication and language, literacy, mathematics, and other areas. You’ll also discover ways to encourage children to participate in activities, and lead staff in developing effective strategies with children to enhance their group learning and socialisation. You’ll lead discussions about children’s individual progress and oversee the planning cycle, as well as consider philosophical approaches to how children learn when developing your own practice.

Unit 6 - Understand holistic child development from birth to 7 years

Moving on, you’ll investigate and explain the sequence and rate of different aspects of a child’s development, such as cognition, speech and language, and literacy and numeracy. You’ll also consider the reasons why a child’s development may not follow the pattern normally expected, and how development can be influenced by a range of personal and external factors. You’ll analyse the importance of identifying developmental delays early on, along with the benefits of working as part of a wider team to provide additional help and support to a child. Also, you’ll examine the significance of attachment, and the effect that different types of transitions can have upon children. In addition to this, you’ll explore the different methods of assessing, recording, and monitoring children’s development, and how important accurate documentation is.

Unit 7 - Developing children's emergent literacy skills

Over the course of the seventh unit, you’ll discover and explore the importance of providing children with a language-rich environment to support their budding literacy skills. You’ll examine the stages of language and communication development that children move through as they grow, and learn how to interact with children to support their individual needs. You’ll understand and explain the use of systematic synthetic phonics, and use strategies to plan activities which encourage skills like reading and writing.

Unit 8 - Developing children's emergent mathematical skills

Next, you’ll discover how you can most effectively support developing mathematical skills in your role as Senior Practitioner. You’ll investigate why mathematics is so crucial to children’s everyday lives, and how working alongside others as part of a team can best help them to develop their skills. You’ll also explore how you can support children in their understanding of mathematical concepts like weights and volumes, whilst working in partnership with parents.

Unit 9 - Develop and implement policies and procedures to support the safeguarding of children

In unit nine, you’ll gain a solid understanding of the current legislation that underpins safeguarding and child protection, and the local and national policies involved. You’ll investigate how why inquiries and serious case reviews are required, and discuss the role that you’ll play as a Senior Practitioner in helping to keep children safe. Also, you’ll liaise with different organisations to develop or review safeguarding procedures, and mentor and support your team to take an active role in safeguarding.

Unit 10 - Develop health and safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices in Early Years Settings

Next, you’ll study the legislative framework for health and safety, confidentiality of information, and promoting the welfare of children. You’ll demonstrate that you understand how to comply with health, safety, and risk management, whilst supporting others to do the same. You’ll learn how to complete all relevant records and reports, contribute to the development of policy, and monitor procedures for controlling infection. Moving on, you’ll discover how to identify common childhood illnesses, and monitor the health of children when required.

CACHE stands for the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education, and are the leading specialist Awarding Organisation for the Care and Education Sector.

Course Outcome

Successful learners will be awarded a formal certificate of achievement by NCFE CACHE. This training course has been designed specifically to meet the needs of learners who prefer to study from home.  You can read more about NCFE CACHE . You’ll also be able to work as a Senior Practitioner within an Early Years setting or progress onto higher education in a relevant subject area.

After you’ve completed this course, you may choose to work as an Early Years Senior Practitioner within the Early Years Workforce across the private, voluntary and independent sectors or progress to higher education in a relevant subject.

How is this course assessed or examined?

This course is assessed in two ways:

Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) Each unit is followed by a tutor-marked assignment (TMA) which will be completed at the end of each module and marked by your tutor.

You will not be required to take an external exam with this course as your portfolio of evidence is internally assessed by us and externally quality assured by the awarding body. The outcomes for each TMA are Achieved or Not Yet Achieved. Your tutor will provide feedback on your work, and should there be any amendments required, they will outline what is needed for you to complete that assignment.

Observation (included) This course requires one observation. This means that somebody will need to observe you in practice. This practical observation will be carried out by an Oxbridge Assessor. We offer one complimentary observation with this course.

More information about practical observations

Entry requirements

You must already have a  Level 3 Early Years Diploma , up-to-date  Maths and English Level 2 qualifications , and already be working in an Early Years setting in some form of  managerial/leader capacity . You must also be aged 19 years or over.

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Early Years

Beginning my career as an early years practitioner inspired me to step into the world of teaching. I have since elevated my skillset through a range of qualifications including L3 in Assessing Vocational Achievement, L 3 in Education & Training and L4 in Internal Quality Assurance. I’m a big kid at heart ; I love Disney movies and also dabble in photography.   

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Marine biology, jellyfish conservationist, hairdresser, fitness instructor… I have an eclectic backstory! Art is my passion and one of my proudest moments was achieving my Masters in Fine Art. I then requalified as an Art teacher to share my knowledge with my students. For most of my career, I’ve supported vulnerable students with additional needs such as SEMH and SEN.

Education and Childcare

My 30-year stride in education started with childminding, to working with pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. I then tutored in a national reading programme and went on to become a Higher-Level TA. I’m elated to say I graduated with a First-Class BA Honours Degree when I was 50 – living proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams!

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