Qualifications and training

It is the government’s aim that by 2015, all early years services will be graduate-led, with a requirement for all staff to have a minimum level 3 qualification.

There is a range of training available and you can find full-time, part-time or work-based training which fits in best with your other commitments.

There are different levels of qualifications suitable for every stage of your career, from leaving school to higher education level. You can gain a recognised qualification in a way that suits you.

On the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) website there is a simplified summary of the different levels of qualification currently suitable for the various stages of a career developing in early years. 

The Qualifications List for Those Delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets out the requirements for staff/child ratios in settings delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage and the qualification levels that practitioners must hold. It is the role of CWDC to define the 'full and relevant' qualifications that practitioners included in the specified ratios must hold.

The Early Years Qualifications list is a searchable tool designed to help those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to identify which qualifications are considered full and relevant. It also lists qualifications that, together with accredited additional learning, could enable a practitioner’s package of accredited learning to be viewed as 'full and relevant'.