T Level Education and Childcare
A T Level in Childcare and Education will provide you with an inspiring curriculum that will offer you the academic knowledge and occupational competency required for a rewarding and exciting career in Early Years and Education.
Why Choose This Course?
The T Level provides you with a holistic understanding of how children aged 0-19 years grow, learn and develop, leading to an occupational specialism in Early Years Education and Childcare or Assisting Teaching. Working alongside children, whether it be in Early Years or Primary Education is a rewarding role and you will develop your skills in order to provide a safe and stimulating environment which enables children to reach their full potential.
Within the role of Early Education and Assisting teaching, you will hold many qualities and have the necessary skills to observe, plan and assess children’s individual care, learning and development needs. This course will offer you the opportunity to develop and extend those skills over a period of two years, beginning with your core knowledge and then moving into your occupational specialism of either Early Education and Childcare or Assisting Teaching. Assessment will consist of tasks set within the College and out in a practical work placement setting. If you are passionate about working alongside children and are committed to a two-year programme in order to develop your skillset, then the T Level is for you.
Apply for this course
Start date: 08/09/2025
Top Course Highlights
practical course
work placements
develop subject specialisms
transferable skills
work placements
You have the opportunity to apply what you have learnt at college to your experiences within your work placements. You will have the opportunity to be placed in a variety of settings totalling a minimum of 750 hours, which is a mandatory part of the course.
additional qualifications
There may also be opportunities to gain qualifications in add on subjects such as Paediatric First Aid, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Safety, Safeguarding or Food Safety.
great progression opportunities
There are a wide range of progression opportunities available upon completion of the T Level. You may choose to go directly out to work or use the allocated UCAS points to study further at university.
What Will I Learn?
A T Level in Education and Childcare provides you with a broad vocational approach to work alongside children, offering you a subject specific occupational specialism as you progress into year 2 of your course. The T Level has an emphasis on developing your skills in practice, giving you the knowledge, understanding and skillset required for employment within Early Years and Education, or further study within Higher Education. Depending on your occupational specialism, there is potential to also gain your Early Years Educator Status and licence to practice within the Early Years Sector.
One of the great strengths of the T Level is the integration of theory and practice as this qualification emphasises the importance of competency within practice. Therefore, you have the opportunity to apply what you have learnt at college to your experiences within your work placements. You will have the opportunity to be placed in a variety of settings totalling a minimum of 750 hours, which is a mandatory part of the course.
You will have the opportunity to work with children of a variety of ages and stages of development, that is relevant to your occupational specialism. This ensures you gain the breadth of practice and experience to successfully apply your knowledge and expand your skillset. Placements could include Primary Schools, Nurseries, Pre-Schools, Childminders and Special schools for children with additional needs.
The course offers a range of topics that embed your core knowledge before applying and expanding this to your occupational specialism of either Early Years Education and Childcare or Assisting Teaching. Both specialisms offer emphasis on the importance of work-based competency and this will be a central feature of your assessments throughout your study. The T-Level offers opportunities for you to learn through a variety of student-centred approaches, including lectures, practical sessions, workplace observations and tasks and external assessments. You will be expected to keep up to date with the current changes in the Early Years and Education sector in line with government policy.
Year 1 – Core Knowledge
Year 2 – Occupational Specialism:
- Early Years Childcare and Education
- Assisting Teaching
There may also be opportunities to gain qualifications in:
- Paediatric First Aid
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Health and Safety
- Safeguarding
- Food Safety
Where Will It Take Me?
There are a wide range of progression opportunities available upon completion of the T Level. As the T Level is vocational and assesses your occupational competency, you are able to enter the employment sector. Depending upon your occupational specialism, you can enter the Early Years Sector as an Early Years Educator or gain employment as a Teaching Assistant within a mainstream school, specialist school or private school.
The T Level has a balance of academic and vocational requirements, providing learners with UCAS points that they can take forward into higher Education. Progression routes can include, but are not limited to, BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, BEd in Early Years or Primary Education, BA (Hons) Education, BSc Speech and Language Therapy.
Truro and Penwith College also provides the opportunity to continue your studies onto our Foundation Degree in Children and Young People’s Workforce or Childhood Education. Additionally, you are able to progress as far as level 7 on campus, including teacher training programmes.
Assessment Arrangements
Assessment is continuous throughout the course and consists of written tasks, presentations, demonstrations and controlled assessments. You may also be required to sit an external exam as part of the course requirements. This will aid your time management, organisational and research skills that contributes to effective practice when working within the Early Years and Education sector.
You will also be required to complete and maintain a portfolio of evidence documenting your occupational competency throughout your journey on the T Level that will be assessed upon completion of the course. During your time at placement, you will be assessed through a series of observations, witness statements and placement reports. You will be expected to reflect and report on your own practice and collate evidence to support that practice.
Entry Requirements
To study a T Level in Childcare and Education, you need to demonstrate your commitment to your two-year programme of study and have a thirst for working alongside children. Additionally, we require you to have four GCSEs at Grade 4 or above. This must include English Language, Maths, Science and one other GCSE at a minimum of Grade 4.
You will also be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service clearance check.
Information & Support
Friendly supportive staff will be with you every step of the way with additional help in Maths and English also available to all students.
Meet the staff, tour the campus and find out about life as a student at one of the best colleges in the country.
What you could earn
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£54,765
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£19,994
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