Step 1: decide which age group you want to work with
This is the most important first question. If you want to work with children aged 0–5 in a nursery, childminding, or early years setting, the early years educator pathway is the right route. If you want to work with children aged 5–18 in a school environment (primary, secondary, or special school), the teaching assistant pathway applies.
The two pathways use different qualifications, different awarding bodies, and lead to different job titles — so getting this decision right from the start saves time and money. Some people find they want to work with primary-age children in school but then discover that a level 3 early years qualification would have been more useful because the school also runs a pre-school unit. If in doubt, ask the school or nursery where you plan to work which qualification they prefer.
Step 2: identify the setting you want to work in
- Local authority maintained school — most commonly requires Focus Awards, City & Guilds, or NCFE level 3 TA diploma mapped to the DfE TA standard
- Academy or multi-academy trust (MAT) — often prefers nationally recognised qualifications; many MATs have preferred awarding bodies negotiated at trust level
- Private or independent school — requirements vary; some accept any Ofqual-regulated level 3 qualification
- Nursery school or children's centre (Ofsted-registered) — requires a level 3 qualification on the DfE EYQL, with NCFE CACHE being the most widely recognised
- Childminding — the childminder (not assistants) must hold an approved level 3 early years qualification; assistants may hold level 2
- FE college or training organisation — requires Level 5 DET for teaching roles; level 3 TA qualifications do not apply
Step 3: decide on the level
If you have no experience in education or childcare and are uncertain about the sector, a level 2 certificate lets you start with a lighter workload and lower investment while gaining relevant experience. If you are already working in a school or nursery setting and are confident about the career direction, going directly to level 3 is more efficient and more valuable to your employer.
The level 3 diploma is almost always the better long-term investment for a committed career in this sector. It is the threshold qualification for specialist roles and Ofsted ratio requirements. If cost is the deciding factor, Lift College's monthly subscription.
Step 4: choose your awarding body
- NCFE CACHE — choose this for early years roles in Ofsted-registered settings; the CACHE brand is specifically valued in the nursery sector
- Focus Awards — choose this for school-based TA roles; the level 3 diploma is mapped to the DfE TA standard
- City & Guilds — widely accepted across both school and early years settings; particularly common in local authority and maintained school environments
- TQUK — a good alternative where NCFE CACHE is not available; TQUK early years diplomas appear on the EYQL
- Pearson BTEC — widely known across FE colleges; accepted for Ofsted ratio purposes
What about TAQA — do I need it to train or assess others?
TAQA (Training, Assessment and Quality Assurance) qualifications are separate from teaching assistant and early years diplomas. If you want to become a trainer, assessor, or internal quality assurer in the vocational education sector, you would need a Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET, formerly PTLLS) as a minimum, and potentially the Level 3 or Level 4 Award in Assessing Competence or Knowledge-Based Learning (the assessor awards).
TAQA qualifications are relevant for people who want to assess NVQs and vocational qualifications in workplace settings — they are not required for teaching assistant or early years educator roles in schools or nurseries. If your goal is to support assessment in a training provider or apprenticeship setting, discuss this with your Lift College adviser, as this represents a distinct qualification pathway.
Access to HE as an alternative or next step
Access to HE is not a teaching or childcare qualification — it is a level 3 qualification that opens the door to university. If your longer-term goal is to become a primary school teacher (QTS) or to study an education-related degree, the Access to HE Education Professions pathway is the most direct route from adult learner to degree entry. It can be taken after a level 3 TA diploma or in parallel, depending on your circumstances.
Many Lift College learners in the teaching and childcare faculty eventually ask about Access to HE once they realise their career ambitions extend to teaching rather than supporting. Your adviser can map out the full journey — from current qualification to target role — at the point of enrolment or at any point during your studies.