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This course helps prepare you to work with children between birth and five years. You'll also learn about children up to seven years. You'll have to do 250 hours of work placements in a range of childcare settings, this means two days a week will be in a real-world setting. Alongside your work placement, you'll hear from different professionals, including nursery managers and teachers, to help you understand the needs, pressures and skills involved in working within early years.
Units include:
You'll be assessed in your work placement to focus on your practical skills. You'll also complete internally assessed assignments with practical and theoretical activities focusing on real work situations.
Three GCSEs A*-D/9-3 including English and maths OR a relevant Level 1 qualification plus English and maths assessed by us to be at an appropriate level.
You'll need to buy some appropriate childcare books and you'll get information on this at interview or enrolment. You'll also need to pay for your Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check which you'll need for your work placement.
Find a job or an apprenticeship or move on to our full-time Level 3 diploma in childcare to boost your career prospects.
All courses run subject to demand and the content listed here should be used as a guide only. Course content may vary according to a range of factors such as course duration, campus, teaching staff and requirements from awarding bodies. Check our course and fee guidelines for further details.
I enrolled on the Childcare Level 1 course in September 2016, managed to complete the Certificate in Childcare Level 2 in July 2017 after an intensive six months’ course and I will be completing the Level 3 Childcare in 2018 whilst also juggling my family commitments with four children and doing some night shifts in a residential care home.
I am very grateful for having had the chance to join the courses and ultimately want to open up my own nursery setting once I have gained more experience in the field.
Fee reductions for adult short courses
| Cost of course by campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Students who are: | Wandsworth | Tooting | Merton |
| Receiving income-based benefits | £40* | £40* | 50% discount** |
| Aged 60 or over |
|
N/A | |
* There is no reduction for courses costing less than £40
** Non-accredited courses only (courses that don't lead to a certificate or qualification)
Come to Student Services at any of our campuses with payment and proof of your age or benefit status.
Accepted proof of age:
Accepted proof of benefits:
If you're unsure whether you're eligible for reduced fees email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or pop into Student Services. Check our opening times before making your journey.
There are no discounts available for any of our CELTA courses. To find out more about CELTA email us at teacher.education@south-thames.ac.uk
You might be able to get a discount on some courses if:
If you're on income-based benefit. It's usually £37 each term. You may have to pay for materials on some courses. There is no College registration fee for leisure courses.
You don't have to pay tuition or exam costs but you may have to pay for materials on some courses.
You will have to pay tuition and exam costs and you may have to pay for materials on some courses.
You don't have to pay tuition or exam costs but you may have to pay for materials on some courses. Please note that JSA signing on books are not accepted as proof of benefits for a reduced fee.
You may get a discount depending on the type or level of education you've done already. You may have to pay for materials on some courses.
If you are taking a Level 3 or 4 course, you may be able to get a government loan to cover your course. Find out more here.
There is a College registration fee of £30 but only if you are on a qualification course that is not 'full cost'. You don't pay it if you're 18 or younger or on Active Benefits.
Apply for CELTA courses using the application form here. If you're applying for the CELTA taster day you'll need to follow the steps below to enrol.
You can enrol anytime between now and the start of your course using our enrolment form.
In person: Bring your completed form to any of our centres Monday to Thursday: 8.45am-7.00pm (10-4 during College holidays) Friday: 8.45am-4.00pm or Saturday 9.00am-1.00pm with:
By post (only if paying full fee): Send the enrolment form with a cheque or the credit card information completed to:
College Enquiry Unit, South Thames College, Merton Campus, FREEPOST CN2701, London Road, Morden Surrey, SM4 5QX
Please do not send cash in the post. Cheques should be made payable to: South Thames College Corporation. Please note we don't accept Electron or American Express cards.
By phone (only if paying full fee): Call us Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm on 020 8918 7777 with your credit or debit card to hand. You will soon be able to pay online too.
If you're 19 or older at the start of this course and you've lived in the UK for 3 or more years, you could get a loan to help with your tuition fees. It's not means-tested, and you won't need to pay it back until you've finished your course and earn over £21,000 a year.
If you get an Advanced Learner Loan to study an Access course then go on to complete a HE course, your loan repayments will be wiped off.
The amount you'll receive depends on the course and tuition fees. The minimum is £300.
How to apply
You can apply for this loan once you've got a place on the course. After you've accepted your place we'll send you a learning and funding information letter which you need to complete your loan application. You can do this online on the gov.uk website.
For full details about the loan and eligibility, see the UK government website.
