Nursery Qualifications

INTRO

Get qualified for nursery with an approved list of level 3 childcare providers here:

Do you need qualifications to open a nursery?

In this video we will discuss what qualifications you need to work in and run a nursery based on the different roles you may wish to undertake in the nursery.

From nursery apprentice to nursery owner.

When working in a nursery you need to have an approved childcare qualification.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find nursery qualifications that are actually approved as there are many online that advertise themselves as level 3 or level 2 but are not actually full and relevant and doesn’t allow you to manage the nursery or work in the nursery or be counted in ratios.

Therefore, it’s important for you to find qualifications that actually allow you to work in the childcare and nursery field, and will allow you to manage your nursery.

This is what we will go over in the video.

But first welcome to the channel.

Intro Vid

Welcome to the channel open a nursery with myself Curtly Ania. Where I support you to open run and grow your own childcare business.

On this channel I support you with all thing’s early years. From learning the costs involved with opening a nursery learning more about the EYFS.

There’s lots here to help you in your childcare journey. So, plan an evening and whatever your goals are whether that is to open your own nursery or whether it’s to just increase your knowledge around developing children, make sure you subscribe and come back and binge a few videos.

Remember knowledge is power and there’s a lot here to help increase your knowledge.

Now, quite a few people ask me about nursery qualifications. Asking whether they need qualifications to open a nursery, what qualifications you need, where to find them and how quickly it can be done.

A lot of people that I support to open their own nursery haven’t actually worked in a nursery before, so they see the lack of qualifications as a major stumbling block.

You may be feeling this too.

And you may have apprehensions about running a nursery as your unsure about this area and may be asking the same questions.

Well, in this video you will get the answer to all these questions as I help you to get the qualifications needed to open and run your own nursery.

But if you are just new to the childcare field or are thinking of joining the field, then this will also help you to get the right qualifications needed to work in a nursery.

The main question I get asked is can you open a nursery without any qualifications.

And I’m sure many of you will be pleased to know, the answer is yes.

You don’t need any formal qualifications to open a nursery, as long as you don’t intend to manage the nursery too.

You can get qualified after your nursery is open or you can just forgo the qualification altogether if you have no intention of working in the nursery.

Though, in order to do this, you will need to show Ofsted that you will hire a manager who will be responsible for the day to day running of the nursery and does have the relevant childcare qualifications. As well as at least two years’ experience.

If you were planning to manage the nursery two, you would need to hold a level 3 childcare qualification prior to opening.

How long does this take?

If you can get straight onto the level 3 childcare course, this will usually take roughly 18 months, though there are avenues to make this shorter which we will discuss shortly.

If you aren’t able to go straight onto the level 3 course, you may have to do the level 2 childcare qualification first. Which takes an additional 12 months. Meaning in order to get the level 3 childcare qualification it could take 30 months or two and half years.

If you want advice on how to get straight onto the level 3 then drop me an email at curtly@openanursery.co.uk

Though, as mentioned if you don’t plan on working in the nursery you can get started straight away as you don’t actually need any qualifications to do so.

But, it is important note how important it is for you to understand the rules around running the nursery, regardless of whether you will be working in the nursery or not.

You need to make sure that you have a good knowledge of the EYFS so that Ofsted can be confident in you that you will make sure that the rules and regulations set by them are adhered to.

The buck ultimately stops with you, if you are the owner, so you need to make sure you know how the nursery is supposed to be run and not just rely on the manager. Especially as during the lifetime of your business the manager might change.

Before registering you, Ofsted will quiz you on the EYFS so it’s important you get to grips with it.

Getting to grips with the EYFS isn’t too challenging and I do offer consultations to support this, so check out the website openanursery.co.uk if you need help with this.

Just make sure you know enough about things like safeguarding and recruitment.

So, moving onto the next question I get asked, is:

What qualification/s you need.

I touched on this already, so the standard qualification is either the level 2 qualification or the level 3 qualification. The difference between the two essentially increases your status within the nursery, though you both work under the same ratios.

In each room you need at least one level 3 and the manager must have at least a level 3 qualification. Otherwise, the level 2 qualification is sufficient to work in childcare or in a nursery.

You can now also get a T level qualifications to work in childcare too. Which were launched in 2020.

In order to get the childcare qualification, you need there are two routes.

The college route.

If you want to gain a qualification through a classroom-based course, you can get approved qualifications through a range of training providers.

To find out what training is available where you live, speak to your local college, training provider or careers service. If you decide to do this route, it’s important check if it is an approved qualification as mentioned.

Make sure you ask your training provider if the qualification:

· has been approved by the Department for Education

· will let you work as a level 2 or level 3 member of staff

You can get this qualification for free too.

Apprenticeship route

Apprenticeships combine real work with training and study for a specific role. You’ll learn new skills, gain experience and earn a salary too. You do this whilst working in a nursery, which you can choose to do once you’ve started your nursery or join another nursery and enrol on the apprenticeship.

The level 3 apprenticeship takes roughly 18 months to complete.

Another option you can do in order to speed up the time you can get qualified is to enrol onto a

Skills Bootcamp.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks.

They are perfect if you are looking to change careers or progress in your existing early years role.

Once you complete the Skills Bootcamp, you’ll have the opportunity to move into an accelerated level 3 early years educator apprenticeship.

The accelerated apprenticeship can be completed in just 12 months, which will mean you complete your apprenticeship 6 months sooner than the standard route.

Follow these two routes if you want to make sure that the course you enrol on allows you to become a qualified nursery worker and is an official license.

Finding ones that you google online is risky as a lot of the ones online are not full and relevant.

So, make sure you go through a verified training provider or an approved apprenticeship.

But, that’s all you need to know about the qualifications needed to work or run a nursery.

To summarise you don’t need qualifications to open a nursery, though if you want to work in or own the nursery you need to get the level 2/ 3 childcare qualification which you should only get through an approved provider.

I hope you’ve found this video useful, if you have make sure you hit that like button.

If you are watching this video because you want to open your own nursery.

Then check out this free starter guide to help increase your knowledge or how to begin doing so. It will help you to start your business plan and start planning for your nursery.

Click the link on the screen now to begin opening your nursery.

I wish you all the best and I look forward to supporting you on the course.

God Bless.