About Early Years and Childcare Training

The training section of our website details the current early years and childcare training offer. Further dates and titles are added as they become available. Please refer to the 'Mailing list' section below to ensure you are subscribed to receive emails when we add new training opportunities. It is also important that you read the information below before you apply for any training so that you understand the processes and expectations.

Training locations

The majority of courses will take place online, however some courses are delivered in-person. Please check the venue details for each course carefully before you apply.

Allocation of places

Settings can apply for multiple places per course, however, a maximum of 4 spaces* per setting will be allocated initially to ensure fairness of opportunity. Additional members of staff will be added to a waiting list and allocated a place should the course have spaces available prior to the start date.

*Only 2 spaces per setting for Signalong, Fire Safety, Health & Safety and Risk Assessment workshops, due to reduced training group size.

Applying for training

Applications for training must be made at least 24 hours** prior to the course start date. We are unable to accept bookings after this time. If the course is taking place on a Monday, you need to apply by the morning of the Friday before in order for your booking to be processed.

We will email you regarding your training application within 24 hours (during business hours, Monday-Friday). If you fail to receive any communication from us during this time frame you will need to contact us to check on the status of your application, in order to avoid any non-attendance fees. It is the responsibility of the setting to check on the progress of applications if you fail to receive anything from us.

For online courses, joining instructions are usually emailed 3 days prior to the start of the course and again 24 hours before. If you have applied late, the joining instructions will be emailed to you after your confirmation letter.

Please ensure you have the joining instructions at least 24 hours in advance of the course so there is time to contact us if there are any issues.

**48 hours for courses delivered by Safer in the Safeguarding section.

Paying for training

Most of the training in our programme is fully funded, however, if there is a cost for your course please see the below information.

How to pay: If you apply for a course where there is a charge, you will be sent a 'Gov Pay payment request letter' with instructions for how to pay via GOV.UK Pay. 

Payment terms: Payment must be made using an acceptable method within the specified number of days detailed on your payment request letter. If you do not pay by the specified date your offer of a place on the training will be withdrawn. Any late payments received after this point will be refunded if there is no longer a space available for you.

Acceptable payment methods: We accept Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. GOV.UK Pay uses 3D Secure for all card payments. 3D Secure (3DS) adds an extra layer of authentication to user payments.

Refunds: A refund may be granted if you cancel your place on the course:

• Up to 7 days before the course start date - Full refund
• 7 days or less before the course start date - No refund, unless in exceptional circumstances.

If you need to contact us regarding a potential refund please email: [email protected].

Attending training online

When attending training online with us, you must agree to our ground rules to ensure courses run smoothly and that you, and other delegates, have the best experience possible. We expect you to:

• Join the training on time - late arrivals will not be admitted
• Join the training using a device that has a camera and audio which should both remain activated unless instructed otherwise
• Join from your own device and not share a device with others (unless it is a briefing session in which device sharing is permitted)
• Join from an appropriate environment for training, with no distractions and no children present
• Be responsible for taking your own notes if needed
• Be present for the allotted time and actively participate in any group work and discussions where appropriate
• Commit to completing all sessions scheduled within the training you have enrolled on and complete any post-training evaluation

If you foresee any issues with the above, please contact us in advance of your training by email [email protected] or call 01603 222300 option 1.

Cancellations

If you are unable to attend a course, you must email your name, setting and details of the course to [email protected]

You will receive an email acknowledgement confirming the cancellation. We do not accept cancellations by phone.

Cancellation terms:

• For fully funded courses, please ensure you cancel within 24 hours to avoid a late cancellation charge
• For courses with a charge, please refer to the 'Refunds' information above

Certificates

Certificates for professional development courses are issued after the training has taken place and will be emailed to you, usually within two weeks. If your training is accredited, for example the Level 3 SENCO Award, your certificate will be sent in the post. 

Mailing list

If you would like to be kept up to date with future training opportunities and early years news, please subscribe to our email newsletter service.