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The Level 3 Early Years Educator (EYE) is the Level 3 childcare qualification for working with children from birth to five. It is equivalent to an A-level, listed by the DfE as full and relevant, counts you in EYFS ratios, and takes 12–18 months online with 300 placement hours. Lift College's version is an Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma.
The TQUK Level 3 Diploma for Early Years Care and Education (Early Years Educator) is listed by the DfE as full and relevant at Level 3, the qualification nurseries and pre-schools need for staff who count in ratios. Study online with a named UK tutor and build your portfolio and 300 placement hours in an Ofsted-registered setting.
| Qualification | TQUK Level 3 Diploma for Early Years Care and Education (Early Years Educator) (RQF) |
|---|---|
| Level | Level 3 |
| Awarding body | TQUK (Training Qualifications UK) |
| Qualification number | 610/3598/1 |
| Exams | Portfolio of evidence, no exams |
| Price | £89.99 a month, or £917.99 in total |
| Typical duration | 12 to 18 months |
| Age | 16 or over |
| Who it suits | Work or volunteer in a nursery, pre-school or reception setting and want the Level 3 the DfE lists |
Pay in early years depends on qualification level and setting type. These are the latest medians from the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Education's survey of providers.
SOC 3232 'Early education and childcare practitioners'. DfE 2025 survey: median hourly pay for Level 3 qualified early years staff £13.50 (dfe_ey2025), Level 2 £12.50.
DfE table 7. Unqualified or Level 1 £12.30 an hour.
Childcare qualifications online.
Working in schools instead? Start with the Level 3 Certificate.
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Learners should be employed or in a voluntary placement within an early years setting and must complete and evidence a minimum of 300 hours.
You can do the Early Years Educator Level 3 without an apprenticeship. Watch the short explainer, then read on for the details.
Prefer to read? See how you are assessedEarly years, school support and post-16 teaching are separate TQUK routes; this is where they connect.
70 credits from 17 mandatory units. No optional units.
You practise in an Ofsted-registered setting following the EYFS framework.
There are no exams. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma uses a portfolio for knowledge and observation of practice in the setting for skills, with witness statements where appropriate. It is marked internally and quality assured by TQUK. Grading is pass only.
Portfolio for knowledge (assignments, tasks, questions, workbooks); observation of practice in the setting for skills; witness statements where appropriate. Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK.
Work through the unit online with your named UK tutor.
Observation, witness statements, work products and reflective accounts from your real workplace.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days. Pass or refer. Resubmit until every criterion is met. Your certificate comes from TQUK.
Yes. You study this Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma online with a named UK tutor. You still complete at least 300 placement hours in an Ofsted-registered setting that follows the EYFS, and your practice is observed there. There are no exams. Grading is pass only.
Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate. Lift College teaches the course and TQUK awards it.
TQUK's stated goal: Be number one in technical education
certificates issued since 2013
qualifications across more than 20 sectors
employers use TQUK for apprenticeship assessment
Figures from tquk.org, September 2026. TQUK, Crossgate House, Sale, Manchester. Recognised by Ofqual, the qualifications regulator for England.
TQUK approves the centre, the tutors who assess you and the way the course is delivered before a single learner is registered.
An external quality assurer from TQUK samples assessed work from Lift College learners. Your result stands because TQUK has agreed it, not just your tutor.
Your certificate is printed by TQUK with a unique number. Any employer or university can confirm it is real on TQUK's certificate verification service. TQUK certificate verification
The same UK tutor supports you from enrolment through to your certificate.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days.
Your dashboard shows what you have completed and what comes next.
If a unit is referred, you resubmit at no extra cost until every criterion is met.
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RyanFunctional Skills Maths Level 2Yes. You can complete the Level 3 Early Years Educator diploma through an online course with a nursery placement, without an apprenticeship. Lift College’s Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is studied online at your own pace; placement hours are completed in an early-years setting near you, and the qualification carries the same full-and-relevant EYFS status.
It lets you count in staff-to-child ratios in nurseries and pre-schools, once you also hold Level 2 English and maths. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is listed by the Department for Education as full and relevant at Level 3. A setting decides which posts need it.
A Level 3 childcare qualification such as the Early Years Educator diploma sits at RQF Level 3, the same level as A-levels and T Levels. It is the full-and-relevant level the EYFS requires for room leaders and for staff counted at Level 3 in ratios.
Some learners qualify for a funded apprenticeship or a local-authority place, but availability depends on age, employer and region. Lift College's route is not government funded: it is £89.99 a month with a 7-day free trial and no credit check, so you can start without an employer.
Yes. You must complete and evidence a minimum of 300 hours in an Ofsted-registered setting that follows the EYFS, employed or voluntary. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma observes your practice in that setting. Most learners do the hours in their own job.
No. Portfolio for knowledge (assignments, tasks, questions, workbooks); observation of practice in the setting for skills; witness statements where appropriate. Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK. Grading is Pass only, no grading.
One price covers the full course with every fee included: a named UK tutor, marking in 5 to 7 working days, AI Study Support, and your TQUK certificate. There is nothing extra to pay.
You need to be 16 or over. No specific entry requirements. TQUK notes learners may benefit from a Level 2 early years qualification. Level 2 English and maths are needed for the DfE full-and-relevant status that lets you count in ratios. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
This diploma is the Level 3 early years qualification. The page also shows the Level 3 teaching assistant diploma and the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching.
Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) issues the certificate. Lift College is a TQUK recognised centre.
Yes. The Level 3 Early Years Educator diploma gives you full-and-relevant status under the EYFS statutory framework, meaning you count in Level 3 staff-to-child ratios in nurseries and pre-schools. That is the requirement most early-years employers hire against.
This page describes it as the Level 3 early years qualification, listed by the Department for Education as full and relevant at Level 3. It is an Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma for early years care and education. It is not the teaching assistant route for work in schools with older children.
Nursery practitioner is a job title; Early Years Educator is the Level 3 qualification (and the DfE's name for a Level 3-qualified practitioner). Most nursery practitioner roles that count in ratios ask for the Level 3 EYE or a Level 2 early years qualification.
Yes. You study this Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma online with a named UK tutor. You still build your portfolio and complete at least 300 placement hours in an Ofsted-registered setting that follows the EYFS. Assessment is a portfolio and observed practice, with no exams.
This diploma is listed by the Department for Education as full and relevant at Level 3. A setting decides which posts need it.
The Level 3 Early Years Educator diploma typically takes 12 to 18 months studying 8 to 12 hours a week online, plus 300 hours in an Ofsted-registered early years setting. Because study is self-paced with no term dates, you can finish faster if you already work in a nursery.
The default is a free 7-day trial with your first payment on day 8. If you would rather start now, you pay today instead and every payment is 15% lower for as long as you study. Your 14-day money-back guarantee still applies: change your mind for any reason within 14 days and we refund the full payment.
An enhanced DBS check is normally arranged by the school. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
Yes. Annual billing saves 15%: £917.99 for the year instead of £89.99 a month. The 7-day free trial and 14-day money back apply either way.
Yes. TQUK's specification states the qualification is listed by the DfE as full and relevant at Level 3, which is what lets you count in staff-to-child ratios once you also hold Level 2 English and maths.
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