Grow your own qualified team from the people who already know your children and families. Take 60 seconds to check what your nursery is eligible for.
A free 15-minute call. No cost, no commitment. Eligibility criteria apply.
Rated Good by OfstedEligibility and terms apply. We'll check what your setting could be eligible for, person by person.
A free 15-minute call. No cost, no commitment. Eligibility criteria apply.
With a Level 3 childcare apprenticeship, you could have a qualified Early Years Educator in as little as 8 months, counting in your ratios.
And here's the part you can change: only 49% of early years workers feel they have a route to progress. A funded Level 3 gives your team that route, and gives them a reason to stay with you.
Discover how we can support your settingA short phone call. No cost, no commitment.
8 months
About 11 off-the-job hours a week
Under the revised Level 3 Early Years Educator standard, for anyone starting on or after 1 November 2026. Prior learning can shorten it.
What's changing
What stays the same
Employer tip: Build Paediatric First Aid into their plan from day one. They need a full PFA certificate to count in ratios at Level 3.
See the full Level 3 courseNot watching right now? Here's the 30-second version
Your rota
Agency staff, overtime and, when the ratios won't stretch, a room you can't open. One departure can run past £5,000.
Your children
Toddlers who'd just settled start again with someone new. Observations and next steps go on hold while the room simply copes.
Your parents and Ofsted
Parents notice unfamiliar faces at drop-off. Inspectors notice when interactions and your curriculum lose their depth.
Most nurseries already have that person on the rota. They just aren't qualified yet, and government funding can cover their training. Eligibility applies.
They know your children, families and routines. Qualifying them keeps that continuity, and it's often quicker and cheaper than recruiting.
Safeguarding, the EYFS and learning through play, practised in your rooms.
Counts in ratios at Level 2Plans from observations and leads a key group. As little as 8 months from 1 November 2026.
Counts as your Level 3Leads a room, mentors newer staff and shapes your curriculum.
Your next room leader or deputyIt works for whoever you need to qualify:
Better for children, too. Key person relationships stay intact, practice stays consistent from baby room to pre-school, and tutors coach on your floor, so new learning goes straight into interactions.
Kate supports her staff from day one to end point assessment, and explains why the right tutor makes the difference.
"For a lot of training providers, early years is one line on a long list. For us, it's the whole list."
We call you
An adviser rings you at the time you picked, or usually within one working day.
15 minutes, no pressure
We go through your team person by person, and your funding check answers if you've used it.
For owners, managers and directors in England. Looking for a course for yourself? See our courses.
Free. No obligation. A short phone call.
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Checked against the EYFS statutory framework and DfE funding rules. Last reviewed November 2026 by the Parenta Quality Team.
