Childcare courses

Working with children and young people can be exciting, challenging and very rewarding.

Careers in early years, children and young people’s settings
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and needs the support of well trained and dedicated professionals to fulfil their potential. Working with children and young people can be exciting, challenging and very rewarding. 

A career in this field can offer flexibility around family life with many progression opportunities, perhaps to full-time work, higher education or even setting up your own business.

Once you have decided that you want to care for children professionally, you need to consider the various types of childcare before choosing the career best suited to you and the qualifications required for this role.

We can support you towards a career as an early years practitioner in nurseries or pre-schools, or a support role in primary and secondary schools, including learning support assistants, teaching assistants or learning mentors. 

After studying with us, you could consider a career as a:

  • registered childminder
  • hospital playworker 
  • community nursery nurse 
  • nanny/au-pair
  • family support worker
  • outreach worker
  • residential care worker

Our courses are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to support children to explore, learn, experience and develop an understanding of the world around them as they grow.

View our Early Years courses

View our Teaching Assistant courses

Which Childcare course is right for you?

Use our route map below to help you decide which level best suits you.

Select the image to download a PDF version of the flow chart.


Childminder briefing session

We run briefing sessions for adults wishing to become childminders. 

Following this session, you can attend a skills assessment event.

Book onto a Childminder briefing session

Childcare skills assessments 

To enrol onto a childcare course, you will be required to undertake a skills assessment - these can take up to 1 hour 30 minutes to complete.

For further information or to book onto a skills assessment, please call one of our adult education centres or make an enquiry or book initial assessment (opens new window).

Page last updated: 19 Sep 2023