What will I learn?
Child Development: Understand the patterns of development from birth to five years and how various factors influence a child’s growth.

Safe Environments: Learn how to identify and manage risks in childcare settings to ensure the physical and emotional safety of children.

Principles of Play: Discover how play contributes to a child's learning and how to set up engaging play activities for different age groups.

Professional Communication: Develop the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with children, colleagues, and parents.

Healthy Lifestyles: Gain knowledge on the importance of physical activity and healthy eating habits for young children.

What will I need to take part?
Learners will need a notepad, pen, and a ring-binder folder for their portfolio. As this is an intensive hybrid course, regular daily access to a laptop or tablet and a stable internet connection is essential for accessing resources and submitting work via Google Classroom between the weekly sessions. Support with digital equipment can be discussed during your initial assessment.

What to expect
Delivery Model: An 8-week intensive "fast-track" hybrid programme. This includes one face-to-face session per week (3 hours) focussing on practical application and group workshops. Due to the intensive nature, significant independent study and evidence-tracking via Google Classroom is required to meet the 85 GLH requirement.

Methodology: A mix of classroom-based activities, case studies, and accelerated portfolio-building. Tutors provide hands-on guidance to help you translate theory into practice quickly and effectively.

Sequencing: The programme begins with "Health, Safety, and Wellbeing" to establish core professional standards. We then move into "Child Development and Play," concluding with "Communication and Professional Values" to prepare you for the workplace.

Assessment: Learners build a portfolio of evidence, including workbooks, observations, and practical tasks. There are no formal examinations; your tutor will assess your progress through the work you produce each week.

Where can it lead to?
Progression: Most learners progress onto the Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care.

Employment: This qualification supports applications for roles such as Nursery Assistant, Crèche Volunteer, or Lunchtime Supervisor in primary schools.

Achievement: You will earn a nationally recognised NCFE CACHE Level 1 Award, demonstrating your commitment and competency to potential employers in the childcare sector.

Course eligibility and fees
This adult learning course may be fully funded or co-funded through the Adult Skills Fund.

To be considered for funding, you will usually need to be:

- aged 19 or over on 31st August in the funding year

- resident in England, outside a devolved adult skills funding area.

- ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning.

- Able to provide evidence of your identity, residency, prior qualifications and where relevant, benefits or income.

If you are unemployed, receive benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit or other state benefits, or if you are working and earn below £26,800 per year you may qualify for full funding.

If you are fully funded, your course will be free. If you are co-funded, you will need to pay a partial 50% course fee. If you are not eligible for public funding, including some international students or people not ordinarily resident in the UK, you will need to pay the full course fee.

Asylum seekers may be eligible for funding in some circumstances, including where they have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered, or where they receive certain types of local authority support. We will check this with you at enrolment.

If you are co-funded or not eligible for public funding, your first exam attempt will be included in the course fee. Any subsequent resits will incur an additional fee, which must be paid before the exam is booked.

These requirements are not exhaustive, and other conditions may apply for more information or to see whether you may qualify contact Adult Learning Northants or fill out our Online Eligibility Checker tool to see whether you might qualify - https://forms.office.com/e/Wv2Mb9nSz6

Funding is subject to eligibility checks and course availability.