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Studies show the most rapid period of brain development is from birth to age eight. You get to teach stuff that a child could carry with them for the rest of their life. You become a big part of their growing up – encouraging them to explore, play and create.

 

There will always be the need for education as it is a field that is constantly growing with options beyond a single career path. Now, you just need to take the first steps.

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West Lancashire College Monday 1st September 2025 Friday 31st July 2026 Find out more

What can I study?

An Introduction To Neuroscience In Early Years Level 2

The Neuroscience in Early Years course is designed to give students a gentle introduction to the subject and to share the remarkable insights it has provided us, in terms of how the infant brain develops and how this is affected by a range of external influences.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Caring for Children and Young People Level 2

This course will teach you how to protect children and young people from various unsafe situations.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Principles of Working with Individuals with Learning Difficulties Level 2

This is a fantastic 12-week course for anyone working with individuals who have learning disabilities.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences Level 2

This course will allow students to learn about the challenges in which children face within their lives and how to support them during this time.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Autism Level 2

If you work with autistic people, or if someone you know is autistic, this course is a great way to increase your knowledge about the condition.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Autism Level 3

The Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Autism is designed for learners who want to increase their knowledge and understanding of the condition and the challenges and strengths that autistic people may experience.

Length: 16 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health Level 2

The Level 2 online course in Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health will enable you to protect children

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Safeguarding and Prevent Level 2

The purpose of this qualification is to support anyone who is responsible for the safeguarding of people and for helping to prevent radicalisation

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties Level 2

If you're looking to improve your understanding and awareness of learning difficulties, this is the ideal course for you.

Length: 12 Weeks
Study: Online Learning
Location: Online

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Contact the Online Learning Team

distancelearningiag@westlancs.ac.uk

01695 52419

Meet our Early Years Education students and tutors

What can I do with a qualification in Early Years Education?

Daily tasks:

  • Assists with or plans and develops curriculum and rota of teaching duties.
  • Discusses progress with student, parents and/or other education professionals.
  • Supervises teaching assistants and trainees.
  • Undertakes pastoral duties.
  • Teaches simple songs and rhymes, reads stories and organises various activities to promote language, social and physical development.
  • Supervises students and maintains classroom discipline.
  • Maintains records of students.
  • Prepares students for external examinations and administers and invigilates these examinations.
  • Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises and examinations to record and evaluate students.
  • Prepares and delivers courses and lessons in accordance with curriculum requirements and teaches a range of subjects.

Median Salary

£34,504 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Discusses student.
  • Updates and maintains students.
  • Liaises with other professionals, such as social workers, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
  • Supervises students in classroom and maintains discipline.
  • Prepares, assigns and corrects exercises to record and evaluate students progress.
  • Encourages the student to develop self-help skills to circumvent the limitations imposed by their disability.
  • Develops and adapts conventional teaching methods to meet the individual student.
  • Gives instruction, using techniques appropriate to the student.
  • Assesses student.
  • Creates a safe, stimulating and supportive learning environment for students.

Median Salary

£30,421 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Coordinates and maintains quality assurance procedures.
  • Assists with recruitment, public relations and marketing activities.
  • Arranges for the preparation and publication of syllabuses and other official documents.
  • Organises examinations, necessary invigilations and any security procedures required.
  • Drafts and interprets regulations and deals with queries and complaints procedures.
  • Acts as secretary to statutory and other bodies/committees associated with the educational establishment.
  • Controls administrative aspects of student admission, registration and graduation.
  • Leads or contributes to decision making processes regarding curricula, budgetary, disciplinary and other matters.
  • Provides administrative support to the academic team.
  • Arranges for evaluation of management, accounting, information storage and retrieval and other facilities.

Median Salary

£57,840 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Communicates with parents and colleagues on children.
  • Writes reports on children.
  • Reads stories, organises counting games to help develop language and number skills.
  • Plans and organises games and other activities and supervises children.
  • Supervises young children at mealtimes.
  • Baths, dresses, prepares feed for and feeds babies, changes babies clothing whenever necessary.

Median Salary

£14,634 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Complies with regulations set by OFSTED and their inspection requirements.
  • Maintains appropriate records of children.
  • Takes older children to and from school.
  • Takes children to participate in play groups or on appropriate outings.
  • Provides, supervises and participates in children.
  • Mends, washes and irons children.
  • Plans, prepares and serves children.
  • Changes babies.
  • Assists children to wash and dress.

Median Salary

£16,145 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Liaises with parents, carers and colleagues and keeps appropriate records.
  • Puts away equipment and cleans premises after use.
  • Organises and supervises children.
  • Organises and supervises children on excursions.
  • Encourages children.
  • Provides play areas and prepares materials for a wide range of children.
  • Supervises children.

Median Salary

£6,180 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Helps with outings and other out-of-classroom activities.
  • Makes simple teaching aids and constructs thematic displays of educational material or children.
  • Assists children with washing or dressing for outdoor and similar activities.
  • Listens to children read, reads to them or tells stories.
  • Looks after lesson materials such as paper, pencils and crayons.
  • Assists teacher with preparation or clearing up of classroom.

Median Salary

£14,187 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Provides feedback to teachers and completes and maintains records.
  • Attends to child.
  • Helps and encourages child to communicate.
  • Implements care programmes, as appropriate.
  • Identifies signs of distress and offers reassurance.
  • Helps child understand instruction through a variety of means and encourages self-confidence and independence.
  • Supports schoolwork under teacher.

Median Salary

£13,755 View more

Daily tasks:

  • Directs children to cross the road when safe.
  • Signals approaching traffic to stop by using hand signals and school crossing signs.
  • Waits for a safe gap in traffic and walks to the centre of road.
  • Meets children wanting to cross the road and directs them to wait at the kerb.
  • Assists young children with feeding, dressing, washing and toiletry activities.
  • Cares for sick children and administers first aid if necessary.
  • Supervises the playground activities of children during meal and break times.

Median Salary

£3,292 View more

Good to know