Early Years Practitioner (L2) Apprenticeship Standard

The aim of this qualification is to provide learners with the knowledge and understanding of babies and young children from birth to 7 years of age with applied knowledge in the early years, 0-5 years. The qualification content meets the Department for Education's (DfE) Level 2 full and relevant criteria for a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner in the workforce.

To gain this qualification, learners must achieve a total of 37 credits from all 14 mandatory units.

The apprenticeship framework consists of a Level 2 Diploma for Early Years Practitioner, Employers' Rights and Responsibilities, Level 1 Functional Skills in ICT and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS). All learners will be supported to achieve their Level 2 Functional skills in English, maths and ICT.

We want you to achieve to the very best of your ability at CRC. To make this happen we offer both learning and personal support by specialist staff tailored to meet your specific needs.

We want you to achieve to the very best of your ability at Cambridge Regional College. To make this happen we offer both learning and personal support by specialist staff tailored to meet your specific needs.
You will be assessed by a vocationally competent assessor who will support and help you gather a portfolio of evidence, using a range of methods.

This programme is delivered on site at our Cambridge campus to support the underpinning knowledge of the qualification. All resources will be available on our virtual learning environment (VLE) system and we use an electronic portfolio system called Smart Assessor.

GCSE English and maths grade 3 (grade D) or Functional Skills level 1. Learners must be in the correct job role to
provide evidence for a portfolio.
You must allow for skills application with babies and young children sufficient to meet the assessment criteria for the qualification.
Remember, an apprenticeship is a job so the hiring employer may have additional criteria that will have to be met alongside CRC’s entry criteria.
In addition to the entry qualifications listed, the offer of a place on the course is subject to the outcomes of initial assessment, which will be taken at the College as part of the admissions process. Please note that entry criteria may vary quite significantly between courses at the same level. This is to take account of the specific skills needed for success on particular courses, the length of the course and the requirements for progression to the next level. Entry criteria are given as a guide, and the exact requirements in order to obtain a place on a particular course will be confirmed following attendance at a Welcome Event/Interview.

This qualification allows progression on to the Level 3 Early Years Educator qualifications and other relevant Level 3 qualifications relating to early years and child care.

This qualification allows a learner to count towards the Level 2 ratio as a qualified Level 2 Early Years Practitioner across the Early Years Workforce.

Learners may work under supervision in a variety of roles such as:
• Nursery practitioner
• Classroom assistant
• Pre-school practitioner


To start an apprenticeship, you will need to secure a suitable apprenticeship job with an employer:

Find the apprenticeship programme that you are interested in and express an interest in it by completing an application on MyChoice@16 and you will be signed up to our job alerts to keep you up-to-date with all the latest apprenticeship job vacancies.

You can also search the latest apprenticeship vacancies on the listing on our website and apply for a job.

Once you have secured an apprenticeship job with an employer you will then be enrolled on the programme with the College.

It is recommended that you also apply for a full-time course as a back up just in case you are not able to source a suitable job in time for September.