Education & Early Years T Level

T-Levels are a brand new type of qualification designed to give young people a new two-year, full-time study vocational programme equivalent to 3 A Levels. These new qualifications bring classroom learning and an extended industry placement together on a course designed with businesses and employers, helping prepare students to meet the needs of industry and work.

This is an exciting new course that has a mixture of technical knowledge and work placement to give you the skills and experience you need to work with children. You will learn about child development, observing children, working with families and special educational needs and disabilities.

In addition to this you will also learn about child psychology, laws and different job roles within the education sector. We are offering the specialist route of Early Education and Childcare (ages birth to 5).

This is a great opportunity for you to work alongside professionals, become part of the team and put theory into practice. It lets you find out if this is the career of your dreams. If your intended next steps are Higher Education then Oxford Brookes University are guaranteeing an interview for our T Level graduating students providing they meet the conditions outlined in their prospectus.

The course is made up of core content and an Early Years specialism. What you learn in the classroom you will be able to put into practice in placement.

If you want to become a Primary Teacher Teaching Assistant or Nursery practitioner, then this is the course for YOU!

Course units

Core Elements

Education context: an overview of childcare and education 0-19; working in the sector, roles and responsibilities plus career opportunities.

Child development: expected patterns of development from 0-19 including language, social interaction, wellbeing, transitions and significant events

Supporting education: different key stages, skills and characteristics that support education, pedagogical approaches, the role of metacognition, using technology and factors affecting development of literacy and mathematics

Safeguarding, health and wellbeing: statutory guidance, legal requirements, children at risk and in need, signs of danger or abuse and impacts

Behaviour: the stages of development and factors that impact behaviour and therefore the implications for managing behaviour

Observation and assessment: purposes and importance of assessment

Equality and diversity: legislation, regulation and codes of practice

Special educational needs and disability (SEND): principles of inclusion, relevant laws, codes of practice and professionals/organisations

English as an Additional Language (EAL): stages of acquiring language and factors affecting it, strategies to support those learning EAL

Parents, families and carers: working effectively with these people

Working with others: agencies and services that support children, families and carers, developing professional boundaries and relationships

Reflective practice: current priorities and debates in education, continuing professional development, development feedback and strategies.

Specialist Units

Students will complete at least one module of occupation-specific content depending on the capacity of the local learning provider. This part of the T Level ensures students develop the knowledge and skills for specific occupations.