Early Years Foundation Course

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) became effective in all early years settings in September 2008. It is now compulsory for all providers of early years and child care settings to deliver the EYFS framework.This course provides guidance for practitioners so they meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.

It also provides useful advice and detailed information on supporting children’s learning and development.The course covers child development, relationships and environment and offers useful advice on resourcing and planning. The course includes ‘reflective practitioner’ exercises which allow the learner to tests their understanding.

There are four key principles of the EYFS: A unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development. Each of these sections is addressed in detail in the course taking into account the principles of the EYFS.

Distance Learning Support

At Start Learning we pride ourselves on our friendly and supportive tutors. Your tutor support will start as soon as you receive your course and will be valid for 12 months. All our tutors are highly qualified with extensive experience in supporting distance learning students. You contact your tutor via email and they are responsible for marking assignments answering your questions and guiding you through the course.

Entry Requirements

At Start Learning we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.

Recommended Hours of Study

We recommended you spend approximately 110 hours of your time studying for the Early Years Foundation Level 3 NCFE Award. The pace of study is completely up to you. To give an example, if you dedicate 2 hours a week to the course it would take you a year to complete but  if you could spare 4 hours a week you could complete it in six months.

Course Contents

Section 1: A Unique Child
Unit 1 – Child Development: Child Development - A Skilful Communicator - A Competent Learner.
Unit 2 – Inclusive Practice: Equality and Diversity - Children’s Entitlements - Early Support.
Unit 3 – Keeping Safe: Being Safe and Protected - Discovering Boundaries - Making Choices.
Unit 4 – Health and Well-Being: Growing and Developing - Physical Well-being - Emotional Well-being.

Section 2: Positive Relationships
Unit 5 – Respecting Each Other: Understanding Feelings – Friendships - Professional Relationships.
Unit 6 – Parents as Partners: Respecting Diversity – Communication - Learning Together.
Unit 7 – Supporting Learning: Positive Interactions - Listening to Children - Effective Teaching.
Unit 8 – Key Person: Secure Attachments - Shared Care – Independence.

Section 3: Enabling Environments
Unit 9 – Observation, Assessment and Planning: Starting with the Child – Planning – Assessment.
Unit 10 – Supporting Every Child: Children’s Needs - The Learning Journey - Working Together.
Unit 11 – The Learning Environment: The Emotional Environment - The Outdoor Environment - The Indoor Environment.
Unit 12 – The Wider Context: Transitions and Continuity - Multi-agency Working - The Community.

Section 4: Learning and Development
Unit 13 – Play and Exploration: Learning Through Experience - Adult Involvement - Contexts for Learning.
Unit 14 – Active Learning: Mental and Physical Involvement - Decision Making - Personalised Learning.
Unit 15 – Creativity and Critical Thinking: Making Connections - Transforming Understanding - Sustained Shared Thinking.
Unit 16 – Areas of Learning and Development: Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Communication, Language and Literacy - Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy - Knowledge and Understanding of the World - Physical Development - Creative Development.

Qualification

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Level 3 NCFE Award certificate of achievement. That means that it is independently accredited at a level of learning equivalent to level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This qualification will allow you to apply for employment in most Child Care settings as it provides the knowledge to progress on to further studies within the workplace. As this is a theory based course students can enhance their studies by finding practical work or placements where necessary.

This is not an NVQ as these need to be taken in the workplace but this qualification is equivalent to an NVQ Level 3, GNVQ Advanced or an A Level in terms of the level of knowledge required.

Awarding Body Information

NCFE is recognised as an awarding body by the qualification regulators ('regulators') for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulators are the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. The course is recognised in Scotland by the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority).

Assessment

This course is marked through a process of continuous assessment guided by your tutor following NCFE guidelines. This means that your qualification will be awarded according to your performance on assessments rather than by taking an exam.

Language of Course

English