Childs face
In this section:

Early Years & Playwork Qualifications Database

Department for Education and Skills

Information about: How the qualifications have been mapped

The national standards for under 8s day care require that:

  • the manager has "at least a level 3 qualification appropriate to the post"; and that
  • in the case of full day care only, "all supervisors hold a level 3 qualification appropriate for the care or development of children", and at least 50% of the remaining childcare/playwork staff have a "level 2 qualification appropriate for the care or development of children"; or
  • in other types of day care, at least half of all child care/playwork staff have a "level 2 qualification appropriate for the care or development of children".

Both levels break down into seven criteria, against which the early years and playwork qualifications are mapped.

The criteria list the competences which managers, childcare and playwork staff need to meet to work with children. They were developed by taking the main areas of the national standards and underpinning them with the relevant National Occupational Standards (at unit level only).

Click on the links below to view the level 2 or level 3 criteria:

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