How much does the Level 3 Early Years Educator cost?
The Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector (Early Years Educator) (RQF) with Lift College is £809.99 a year or £89.99 a month when you pay today: pay for 9 months and get 3 free, with your price fixed for life. Or start for £0 today on the 7-day free trial, then £99.99 a month or £1,019.99 a year. Your tutor, TQUK registration and certificate are included, with no contract, no credit check and a 14-day money back guarantee on every payment. Our guide to the best online childcare courses compares this with four other providers.
Do I need GCSE maths for the Level 3 Early Years Educator?
No. To be counted in ratios at Level 3 you need a suitable Level 2 English qualification, such as GCSE English grade 4 (C) or Functional Skills English Level 2. Level 2 maths is required only for setting managers appointed on or after 4 January 2024, under the DfE early years qualification requirements and standards.
Can I work as a Level 2 practitioner or nursery assistant while I study the Level 3?
Yes. Your paid or voluntary hours in an Ofsted registered setting that follows the EYFS count towards the 300 placement hours, and your practice is observed there. Most learners study while working in the setting.
What qualifications do you need to work in a nursery?
You can work in a nursery as an unqualified member of staff, but to be counted at Level 2 or Level 3 in a nursery's EYFS ratios you need a qualification the DfE recognises as full and relevant: a Level 2 to be counted at Level 2, or a Level 3 such as the Early Years Educator (or the DfE's experience based route), plus a suitable Level 2 English qualification, to be counted at Level 3. Lift College's online Early Years Educator Level 3 is listed by the DfE as full and relevant at Level 3.
Can I do the Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification fully online?
Yes, the study is online: you learn with a named UK tutor, build your portfolio online and sit no exams. Alongside your online study you must be employed or in a voluntary placement in an early years setting, and complete and evidence at least 300 hours in an Ofsted registered setting that follows the EYFS, where your practice is observed. Most learners study while working in the setting. Lift College's TQUK diploma costs £89.99 a month or £809.99 a year when you pay today, or £99.99 a month after a 7-day free trial.
Is this a level 3 childcare course I can do online?
Yes. You study the TQUK Level 3 Early Years Educator diploma online with a named UK tutor, and alongside your study you complete and evidence at least 300 placement hours in an Ofsted registered setting that follows the EYFS, employed or voluntary, where your practice is observed. There are no exams.
How long does the level 3 childcare course online take?
Most learners take 12 to 18 months, studying 8 to 12 hours a week online alongside at least 300 placement hours in an Ofsted registered early years setting. You study at your own pace with no term dates, so you can finish sooner if you already work in a nursery.
Can I do the Early Years Educator Level 3 without an apprenticeship?
Yes. 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 DfE full and relevant status.
