Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner Level 2


  • Start Date: 01/09/2025
  • Course is for: School Leaver
  • Course Length: 1 Year
  • Funding Support Funding Support:
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This is an exciting one year full time course aimed at helping you to develop the skills needed for a career in early years and childcare.

We are committed to ensuring you are job ready when you leave us and we will provide the knowledge and skills needed when working under supervision with children and young people from birth to seven years.

This course will help you to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to show any potential employers that you have the right attitude, work ethic and high standards that would be an asset to any organisation.

You will gain an understanding of all aspects of:

  • childcare
  • child development
  • child safety
  • learning and play
  • communication

You will learn and develop your skills by using a range of exciting and innovative teaching and learning methods including:

  • Trips and visits, for example to Beamish Museum and the Centre for Life
  • Attending guest lectures
  • Completing projects, presentations, posters and displays
  • Assignment work.

You’ll attend tutorial sessions, work in groups, complete special projects on equality and diversity and take part in fundraising activities.

Required Entry Qualifications

GCSE grade 4 English Language

GCSE grade 3 in maths

We use lots of different assessments methods to measure your progress and give you feedback to help you to improve.

These include:

  • Presentations
  • Projects
  • Hands on experiences
  • Google expeditions
  • Group work
  • Activity planner

Your will be delivered by a teaching team who are passionate about the subject area.

All teachers maintain their industry knowledge and skills by returning to practice at least once a year.

Several sit on the early year’s professional exchange and some are also Governors in local schools.

We have excellent links with a range of high quality employers in day nurseries and primary schools where you may be provided with an opportunity to work alongside a professional as part of a work placement to put what you have learnt in the classroom into practice.

After this course, you can progress onto a Level 3 course.

As a result of successful work placements some of the students are employed by their placements employers.

You’ll need to buy a tunic for your work placement and have black trousers and sensible shoes to wear.

We’ll let you know how much this costs during the application process and funding is available to cover these costs for those who meet the eligibility criteria.

School Leaver Course Guide 2025/2026

View or download our course guide for 16-18 year olds.

Gateshead College School Leavers guide for 2025 - 2026