Level 5 Childcare Course

You'll have Parenta support throughout your apprenticeship and will be assigned your own dedicated tutor for the full course, with masterclasses planned three months ahead, regular reviews of your portfolio evidence, and support preparing for both your observation session plan and your Gateway EPA.

If you haven't already achieved GCSEs in English and maths, it's strongly recommended (and fully funded) that you complete Functional Skills sessions and exams alongside your main Level 5 coursework, in addition to your knowledge, skills and behaviours training. 

Most nursery managers progress through Level 3 Early Years Educator into a senior or deputy role, then complete a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship, which develops the operational leadership, safeguarding oversight and staff management skills a manager needs. 

A Level 5 qualification is designed to move you into higher management career roles within an early years setting, building on your existing leadership responsibilities and giving you a further nationally recognised apprenticeship to strengthen your CV.

Tutor in contact: How often during Level 5? You'll attend online masterclass sessions every 4 to 6 weeks, either at home or during paid working hours, alongside regular remote or face-to-face contact with your tutor to review your progress and check you're meeting course requirements.

You won't attend classes at a college, but you will need to attend theory-based masterclass sessions, timetabled three months in advance, with three to five sessions per theme, alongside self-directed study and regular contact with your Parenta tutor.

The Level 5 EPA consists of two parts: a direct observation of your practice, and a professional discussion, both underpinned by a portfolio of evidence. Gateway preparation requires you to upload portfolio evidence plus an observation session plan and risk assessment.

The Level 5 course covers 16 mandatory occupational duties across three themes: Health, Safety and Well-being; Children's Learning and Development; and Leaderful Practice, including safeguarding leadership, reflective practice, professional enquiry, and managing multi-agency relationships.

The main part of the Level 5 course typically takes 18 to 24 months if studying full time, followed by a further 3-month period covering Gateway preparation and the End Point Assessment (EPA), so around 21 to 27 months in total.

No, you do not need to have already achieved a Level 3 Childcare qualification. However, you do need to be currently working as a senior practitioner, deputy or manager within an early years setting to be suitable for this course.

A Level 5 Lead Practitioner course suits proactive practitioners already working directly with children in a senior role, acting as a role model for play-based learning and actively developing the skills and qualifications of their wider team, rather than those new to the sector. 

Pay varies by employer, region and setting, but a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner typically earns more than a Level 3 Early Years Educator, reflecting the senior, operational leadership responsibilities the qualification is designed for. Ask your employer for current rates in your area. 

The Level 5 Childcare Early Years Lead Practitioner apprenticeship is designed for senior practitioners who report directly to the head of a setting and are responsible for the quality of learning and development, as well as the day-to-day operational leadership of the setting. 

Yes, you do not need to have a Level 3 Childcare qualification. However, you do need to be currently working as a senior practitioner, deputy or manager of an early years setting.

Now that you have fine-tuned your practical leadership, and management knowledge - and possess a Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner qualification - you will be able to move up in your childcare career into higher management roles within an early years setting.