• Access Duration:  1 Year
• Awarded by: NCFE  CACHE
• Qualification Level:  Level 5
• Qualification Number: 610/4163/4
• Guided Learning Hours (GLH): 936
• Total Qualification Time (TQT): 1210
• Credits: 121

• Lead a practice that makes kids feel good about themselves, helps them deal with their emotions, and makes them stronger.
• Understand holistic child development from birth to seven years. 
• Identify and develop children’s emergent literacy and mathematical skills. 
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to support the safeguarding of children. 
• Support children with special educational needs and disabilities in an early years setting. 
• Lead and manage a team within an early years setting. 
• Review your own knowledge of learning and development for early years practice. 
• Use action research to improve what you do and help kids and families do better.

These qualifications are for those who already work with young children as a manager, deputy manager, or room leader and wish to develop their skills. It’s also good for people who want to move up and be managers.

This course is ideal for:

• Nursery Managers
• Deputy Managers
• Room Leaders
• Senior Practitioners
• Childcare Supervisors
• Early Years Leads
• Aspiring Leaders
• SEND Coordinators

• You must be aged 19 or over.
• You must be a leader, deputy leader or manager in a suitable early years setting or have opportunities to carry out responsibilities associated with these roles.
• During the course, you need to complete a minimum of 300 hours of work placement in a suitable early years setting.

• This course can be completed through two flexible study options to suit your lifestyle:
  • Standard Course Plan (9 months) – ideal for learners balancing other commitments.
  • Fast Track Option (4 months) – perfect for those who can dedicate intensive study time.
• Most learners complete within their chosen timeframe, though some may finish earlier depending on personal circumstances and available study time. We accommodate your pace with unlimited support for 12 months. This Level 5 Diploma requires approximately 936 guided learning hours.

T&C apply

Portfolio of Evidence: The students create a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate that they have met all the lesson objectives.

Assessments based on skills: The results based on competencies should be assessed in the real work environment through professional discussion, direct observation, reflective accounts, expert witness testimony, and other means.

External Assessment Tasks: Units EYE L5 SP 2 and EYE L5 SP 16 are tested by outside sources and self-assessment by the students. You must do a professional research project and an action research project.

No formal examination: Your grade will be based completely on the work you do in class and in the real world.

The NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner provides a good foundation for progression to study early years, education or leadership at a higher level.

Next Steps for a Possible Academic Progression Pathway

• Step 1: Foundation Degree in Early Years, Childhood Studies, or Education.
• Step 2: Bachelor’s Degree (BA/BSc) in Early Childhood Studies, Education, or Youth Work.
• Step 3: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or Early Years Teacher Status.
• Step 4: Master’s Degree in Early Years, Leadership, or Education.

Alternative Pathways

• Level 6 qualifications in Early Years or Education.
• Professional accreditation such as Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)
• Specialist (CPD) in areas like SEND, safeguarding, or leadership.

If you gain the NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma for the Early Years Senior Practitioner, you can become a senior practitioner in an early years setting. In this course, you will learn how to lead, manage and do specialised tasks.

Here are some career opportunities you could pursue as you gain experience and complete this qualification, along with approximate UK salaries. (Source: Glassdoor UK)

• Early Years Consultant – £45,000
• Nursery Manager – £40,000
• Early Years Lead Practitioner – £35,000
• Early Years Senior Practitioner – £34,000
• Deputy Nursery Manager – £32,000
• SEND Coordinator – £32,000
• Room Leader – £28,000

This qualification is regulated by Ofqual, the UK government’s Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. Ofqual regulation ensures that the qualification meets national standards for quality, consistency, and fairness. It means the course content, assessment methods, and learning outcomes are carefully monitored, giving learners confidence that the qualification is credible, well recognised, and supports progression to further study or employment in the UK.

RQF

The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is a system used in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales to categorise and regulate qualifications based on their level of difficulty and size. RQF is jointly regulated by England’s regulator Ofqual, Wales DCELLS, and Northern Ireland’s CCEA. The RQF ensures qualifications are standardised, making it easier for learners, employers, and educational institutions to understand the value and level of each qualification. The framework consists of nine levels, from Entry Level to Level 8, with each level indicating the complexity and depth of learning. For a qualification to be recognised as part of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), it must be created or approved by an awarding body that is acknowledged by one of the government-appointed regulatory bodies.