Become a qualified Early Years Educator and take your place in any UK nursery, pre-school, or reception. The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator (TQUK) is the "full and relevant" DfE-recognised qualification for paid practitioners, studied 100% online with UK tutor support, placement-based portfolio assessment.
✓Want a career working with children, young people, or adult learners
✓Are aged 18 or over and ready to commit to 8 to 12 hours per week
✓Need flexible, self-paced online study around work or family
✓Want a regulated qualification recognised by UK employers and Ofsted-registered settings
✓Prefer portfolio assessment over traditional written exams
✓Are starting out in your field and want a recognised qualification
Your career after this course
✓You need a face-to-face classroom environment to learn
✓You require traditional written exams for assessment
✓You cannot commit 8 to 12 hours of study per week
✓You expect to qualify in less than the typical course duration
✓You do not have access to the workplace evidence required (where applicable)
About this qualification
What you'll learn
Think of the early years practitioner who shaped your child's first steps into learning, patient, observant, ready with the right activity at the right moment. The Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator is the qualification that turns instinct into recognised practice. It is the gateway to working as a paid Early Years Educator in any UK nursery, pre-school, or reception class, and it is the qualification that counts toward your setting's staff ratios under the EYFS statutory framework.
This is an Ofqual-regulated Level 3 qualification awarded by TQUK, the specialist awarding body for early years and childcare. It meets the Department for Education's "full and relevant" criteria, which means it satisfies ratio requirements under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. The diploma covers child development from birth to five, EYFS curriculum planning, safeguarding and child protection, SEN and inclusion, observations and assessments, health and wellbeing, and partnerships with parents and carers.
The theoretical content is studied 100% online at your own pace, with 12 months of course access. A specialist UK tutor guides you through each unit and returns feedback on submissions within 2 working days. Assessment combines written assignments with a placement portfolio, evidence gathered from your time in a setting. If you are already working or volunteering in an early years environment, that placement is already underway. If not, we can advise on how to find a suitable setting before you enrol.
On completion, you are qualified to work as an Early Years Educator, one of the defined roles under the EYFS staffing ratios. Salaries for qualified practitioners typically range from £22,000 to £28,000, rising to £30,000 and above for room leaders and deputy managers. The qualification also opens routes to the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children's Care and to degree programmes in early childhood studies or primary education.
TQUK qualifications are the industry standard in early years, recognised by Ofsted, local authority early years teams, and the majority of private, voluntary, and maintained nurseries across England. Online study suits practitioners who are already working in settings, parents returning to work in childcare, and career changers who want a rigorous professional qualification. The flexibility of self-paced learning means you can study around shift patterns and family commitments.
The course is available with interest-free monthly payments, spread the cost at 0% with no hidden fees, and start any day of the year. This qualification is ideal for nursery workers who want to formalise their experience, support staff moving into a practitioner role, and career changers entering early years for the first time. If working with young children is what you are called to do, this is where that calling becomes a credential.
Training Qualifications UKRQF Level 3100% Online9 to 12 months8 unitsSelf-paced
Curriculum
What you'll study
8 units across 1 level of study. Portfolio-assessed — no exams.
What you'll need
Entry requirements
You need to be aged 18 or over to enrol.
A reasonable standard of written English (Functional Skills Level 1 minimum). You may need to demonstrate this in your enrolment task.
A reliable internet connection, computer or tablet, and basic word-processing skills.
There is no minimum study commitment. As a guide, most learners spend around 8 to 12 hours a week, but you can study more or less based on your own pace and how you feel at the time. The course flexes around your life.
Not sure if you qualify?
Our admissions team can talk you through your options.
The qualification is fully portfolio-assessed. There are no written exams. You complete a mix of assignments, case studies, reflective accounts, workplace observations, and a final project demonstrating competence against every assessment criterion.
Each unit is graded as Pass or Refer. Tutor feedback is delivered within 2 working days, every time, with the option to refine and resubmit work. You always have a clear picture of what is due, when, and what good looks like, every brief includes a worked example and a marking rubric.
Assessments are submitted through your online learner dashboard. Final certification follows internal quality assurance and external moderation by TQUK.
01
Portfolio-based
Coursework and a written portfolio. No traditional written exams.
02
Submit online
All assignments submitted through your learner dashboard.
03
Tutor feedback
Detailed feedback in 3 to 5 working days. Refine and resubmit until you reach the grade you want.
04
Graded across units
Pass, Merit or Distinction on each unit. Top grades stack to the highest UCAS point total.
Careers
Where this can take you
Typical roles and salary ranges this qualification opens up.
Early Years Educator
Typical salary range
£23,000 to £28,000
Plan and deliver EYFS curriculum in nurseries, pre-schools, and Reception classes.
Room Leader (Nursery)
Typical salary range
£25,000 to £32,000
Lead a nursery room, mentor staff, and oversee curriculum delivery for a key age group.
Nursery Deputy Manager
Typical salary range
£28,000 to £36,000
Support the manager with operations, staff, and Ofsted compliance in a nursery setting.
Childminder
Typical salary range
£20,000 to £45,000 (self-employed)
Run an Ofsted-registered childminding setting from your own home, with up to 6 children.
Early Years SENCo
Typical salary range
£26,000 to £34,000
Coordinate SEND provision in a nursery setting after additional specialist training.
Family Support Worker
Typical salary range
£22,000 to £28,000
Support families with children under 5 in early-help and family-hub services.
✓Talk to our support team by phone, email or live chat
✓See your progress and next steps on your dashboard
✓Join the learner community forum when you want to chat to others
Funding and finance
✓Pay monthly to spread the cost with no interest
✓Pay in full and save versus monthly
✓No credit checks and no contract. Pause or cancel anytime
✓We can send funding paperwork to your employer if they sponsor you
✓Our enrolment team will talk you through every option
✓14 day money back guarantee on every enrolment
Accreditation and recognition
✓Awarded by a recognised UK awarding body
✓Regulated by Ofqual, the same standard as college courses
✓Accepted by UK universities, employers and professional bodies
✓You get a certificate when you finish
✓Listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications
✓Independently quality checked through IQA and EQA
How it works
✓Start any time. There are no set term dates or cohorts
✓Study at your own pace around work and family
✓No exams. You complete coursework, a portfolio and assignments
✓Resubmit your work at no extra cost to reach the grade you want
✓Use the optional study planner if you like a bit of structure
✓How long you study is entirely up to you. Most learners spend a few hours each week, but you can do more or less based on your own pace
What learners say
Trusted by thousands of learners
Real feedback from learners studying with Lift College.
The flexibility was a game changer for me. I studied around my shifts and my tutor was incredibly supportive throughout.
I was nervous about going back to study after 15 years, but the platform is so easy to use and the feedback I got on assignments was genuinely useful.
Got into my first-choice university with a place on a Nursing BSc. The Access to HE Diploma gave me exactly what I needed.
Good value and well structured. I appreciated that I could resubmit work without extra cost — really helped me improve.
Customer service was excellent. Any time I had a question it was answered within hours. Highly recommend.
I needed a qualification that actually meant something to employers. Ofqual regulation was the deciding factor, and it delivered.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Yes. NCFE CACHE Level 2 and Level 3 Early Years qualifications meet the Department for Education's "full and relevant" criteria, which means they count toward your nursery's staff-to-child ratios under the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.
