Early Years Education - T Level

Summary

Offering a direct route into a rewarding career where students can making a meaningful difference to the lives or young children and their families, the Education and Early Years T Level is a two-year, full-time qualification which combines classroom learning with a substantial industry placement to give learners the knowledge, skills and behaviours to excel in early years settings.

Students will study a range of core topics including child development, safeguarding and supporting children through play. The curriculum also covers observation and assessment techniques, reflective practice and effective communication with young children and their families. All of these elements are underpinned by a child-centric approach to learning and inclusive practices.

The extended work placement allows students to truly develop their workplace practice, giving them invaluable experience when it comes to apply for roles beyond college. In fact, several of our previous students have secured permanent employment with their placement providers, having been able to demonstrate their passion and commitment to the role.

As well as employment, students are also well-placed to pursuit higher education having completed their T Level successfully. Opportunities to pursue related foundation degrees and full honours programmes exist at B&FC, details of which can be found below.

Entry Requirements

4 GCSEs grade 4+ (or equivalent) including English and Maths OR Level 2 qualification in related subject and English and Maths at grade 4 or above.

Plus

A successful discussion with a tutor
The ability to study independently
A genuine interest in the subject
Good communication skills
Hardworking approach towards the industry

Next course dates

Start date	Location	Duration
07 Sep 2026	Bispham Campus	2 Years	Apply now
06 Sep 2027	Bispham Campus	2 Years	Apply now

Where can this subject lead?

Career progression

Early years education is a thriving sector and opportunities to secure employment are strong.

Having completed this T Level, students are licensed to practise in early years and are therefore ideally placed to enter the workforce directly without needing to pursue any further qualifications.

However, for those that wish to gain a higher qualification, this course is the perfect springboard from which to make the leap into degree-level study. With T Levels offering the same academic rigour of A Levels, students will be prepared to tackle the demands of a degree with its focus on written assignments, presentations and research.

Students may also want to consider specialising in a particular aspect of early years education or progress into a full-time teaching role in which case this qualification would be an excellent entry route into either of these options.

Next steps at B&FC

Students wishing to progress to higher level study at B&FC can look to do one of the following qualifications:

Early Childhood Studies - Certificate of Higher Education (1 Year) or Foundation Degree (2 Years)
Children, Young People and Families - Certificate of Higher Education (1 Year) or Foundation Degree (2 Years)
Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed) - Level 5

Other study options

Having completed this qualification, students may be able to progress onto a higher or degree apprenticeship if they are able to secure a suitable vacancy with an employer willing to offer this opportunity.

Employment Opportunities

Potential job roles include:

Early Years Educator | Education Technician | Primary Support Assistant | Playworker | Special Education Needs (SEN) Assistant

Career Options and Progression

This qualification provides you with a licence to practice in early years.

You do not need further qualifications to become an early years practitioner.

Alternatively you may consider higher education - such as B&FC’s Early Childhood Studies or the upcoming BA (Hons) Education courses.

Key information

Qualification obtained

T Level Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years

Fees and funding

Courses for learners who are 16-18 years old at the start of their course and resident in the UK are fully funded. You may also be entitled to further financial help to support your studies depending on your personal circumstances. For more details of these, please visit our page on Finance Support for School Leavers.

If you are not a UK resident, we will confirm whether funding is available when we process your application. If not, you may be liable for course fees.

Extra costs and equipment

You will need black trousers and black flat shoes for your industry placement. We will provide you with the rest of your placement uniform.

You will also need a set of stationery, paper and ring binder folder for your learning sessions on campus.

Regulation and Accreditation

Accrediting Institution: N/A

Awarding Body: NCFE

Regulatory Body: Ofsted

Terms and conditions

Read our full terms and conditions for more information.

What will I learn?

The T Level is delivered over two years.

Year 1 contains Core units. Subjects you will study include:

Child Development
Supporting Education
Safeguarding, Health and Safety and Wellbeing
Behaviour
Observation and Assessment
Equality and Diversity
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
English as an Additional Language
Parents, Families and Carers
Working with Others

In Year 2, you will specialise in Early Years Education, and the modules you will cover include:

Support and promote children’s play, development and early education
Develop relationships with children to facilitate their development
Plan, provide and review care, play and educational opportunities to enable children to progress
Safeguard and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children
Work in partnership with colleagues, parents, carers and other professionals to support children’s development

Essential skills: English and Maths

All school leavers at B&FC are encouraged to continue developing their English and maths skills as higher ability in both these subjects is linked to long-term career success and increased earning potential - irrespective of how well you performed at GCSE. If, however, you achieve a GCSE Grade 3 or less in either subject, you will also have the opportunity to work towards re-sitting these to enhance your paper-based qualifications. This won’t delay your career journey because you will be undertaking this programme of study at the same time as your chosen subject.

Industry placement, field trips and guest speakers

This course features a mandatory 750-hour work placement over the two years, designed to enhance learning and increase your employability.

Appropriate settings where you could be placed include nurseries, child-minders, children’s centres, primary schools, afterschool clubs and breakfast clubs. This placement will be secured for you by our dedicated placement team unless you have already arranged a placement yourself which has been approved by us.

We will also invite you to attend mandatory field trips and career events, both of which are designed to enhance your learning and which you can reference in your CV and personal statement.

How will I learn?

This is a full-time course, involving 3 days a week spent at College and 2 days a week on work placement in a childcare or nursery setting.

We will also expect you to spend at least 3 hours a week on independent learning.

At College, teaching is delivered in groups and supported by group activities and discussions. One-to-one support is also provided to help with completing written assignments. The programme primarily focuses on theoretical knowledge but also includes practical hands-on elements to enhance learning and application. This flexible approach ensures that students can engage with the material in a way that best suits their needs. Teaching methods include:

Interactive Lectures: Engaging lectures that encourage student participation and discussion.

Group Work: Collaborative projects and activities that foster teamwork and communication skills.

Practical Workshops: Hands-on sessions where students can apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios.

Online Resources: Access to a wealth of online materials, including videos, articles, and interactive modules.

When you start the course we will also assign you a progress tutor who will support you throughout your time here.

Their role is to help you in setting academic and personal targets, identifying career plans, developing employability skills and monitoring your progress to make sure you realise your full potential.

Expert tutors

All tutors involved in the delivery of adult courses within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.

Our recruitment process ensures that tutors delivering a given programme are suitably qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and professional practice. The aim of this is to enrich our students’ learning experience and enable them them to get the inside track on what working in the industry is really like.

How will I be assessed?

This two-year T Level is structured into two components.

Year 1 contains Core units, assessed through an examination and an employer-set project. In Year 2, you will specialise in Early Years Education. These units are assessed through practical assignments.

The qualification is also dependent on you achieving a total of 750 work placement hours (365 hours in Year 1, and 385 in Year 2).

While on placement, you will need to prepare activities and deliver them to children.

Students who pass all the elements of their T Level will get a nationally recognised certificate showing an overall grade of pass, merit or distinction.

It will also set out the details of what students have achieved on the course.

The T Level certificate will include:

An overall pass grade for the T Level, shown as pass, merit or distinction
A separate grade for the occupational specialism, shown as pass, merit or distinction
A separate grade for the core component, using A* to E
Grades for maths and English qualifications
Details of the industry placement

Assessment Methods