Early educators:
Study for free
Hallmark Education and the Suffolk Childcare Agency (SCA) have teamed up to offer SCA members and associates the chance to access a range of NCFE CACHE-accredited qualifications free of charge (subject to meeting the funding eligibility criteria below). This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the continuing professional development of yourself and/or your colleagues and wider contacts.
We appreciate that those who work in early years have extremely busy work schedules, so all the courses are offered on a flexible, distance learning basis. Therefore, there’s no need to attend college or face-to-face classes. Learners will be sent all the course materials they need, and they’ll be able to study in the comfort of their own homes.
All the qualifications are at level 2 and are designed to raise your awareness of key issues. All are OFQUAL-regulated and therefore nationally recognised.
Although all the courses are fairly short, some are longer than others, so we’ve provided an indication of the time that is usually given to complete each one (we appreciate that some learners may require less time, others may need more). The courses that are currently available are listed below and you can click on the links to learn more about each one:
- Awareness of Mental Health Problems - 12 weeks
- Care and Management of Diabetes - 8 weeks
- Children and Young People’s Mental Health - 8 weeks
- Common Childhood Illnesses - 8 weeks
- Equality and Diversity - 8 weeks
- Information, Advice or Guidance - 8 weeks
- Introduction to Neuroscience and Self-Regulation in Early Years - 4 weeks
- Mental Health First Aid and Advocacy in the Workplace - 4 weeks
- Nutrition and Health - 12 weeks
- Safeguarding and the Prevent Duty - 8 weeks
- Understanding Autism - 12 weeks
- Understanding Behaviour that Challenges - 8 weeks
Key features of the programme:
- Candidates will be enrolled with one of Hallmark’s partner colleges of further education or training providers. Hallmark will facilitate this process.
- All the courses are fully funded courtesy of the Education Skills Funding Agency and/or the European Social Fund.
- Courses are available to individuals as well as to organisations.
- No need to attend college - study from home. All courses are delivered on a distance learning basis over a 4–16-week period (depending upon the number of modules in the candidates chosen course).
- Opportunity to complete more than one course (although candidates can only enrol on one course at a time)
- High-quality, hard copy learning materials will be posted to each candidate free of charge and there is a choice of submitting coursework paper-based or electronically.
- No end tests – the qualifications are assessed by completing the assignments provided.
- Dedicated tutor support provided throughout from the college or training provider that the candidate is enrolled with.
- All qualifications are OFQUAL-regulated and are accredited by the awarding body NCFE CACHE.
Funding eligibility criteria:
- Candidates must have been aged 19 or above on 31/8/2023.
- Candidates aged 19-23 must already hold a full level 2 qualification.
- Candidates must currently live in England and have resided there, or within the EU, for the past 3 years.
- Candidates must not be enrolled on another Government-funded programme of study, such as an apprenticeship.
- Please be aware, some regions in England have devolved funding for which we may not have coverage. At the moment, our funding does not cover the Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, Bristol or Peterborough and Cambridgeshire devolved regions.
- To cover their costs, colleges/training providers may charge a fee to those who enrol and subsequently withdraw from their chosen course. You will be advised of this before being enrolled.
To register your interest, please fill out the form below and one of our enrolment advisers will get in touch to provide you with information, advice and guidance.
To contact us for more information, please click here