Confusion rife over Level 3 distance learning childcare courses

An investigation by Nursery World has found widespread confusion among childcare students about the status of qualifications offered by some distance learning colleges.

Last month, we revealed how some students are paying hundreds of pounds for courses under the impression they are full and relevant Level 3 qualifications. Although these courses are accredited at Level 3, they can be completed in a few months and with no experience of working with children.

We reported on confusion over the Level 3 Diploma offered by Stonebridge Associated Colleges and approved by the awarding body NCFE. Subsequently, we have been contacted by nurseries, students and training organisations with similar stories.

A simple Google search of 'childcare level 3' reveals 4,180,000 results. For anyone wanting to work in early years and considering embarking on a course, the prospect is a little daunting. And for those without experience of working in the sector, it's easy to see how confusion can arise.

Add 'distance learning' into the mix and this narrows the search down to 1,800,000 results. In both cases, Cambridge Open College comes in the top three in the sponsored links at the top of the page. During our investigation, this name more than any other seemed to crop up.

The student's story

Charlotte Colley from Exeter contacted us about the Cambridge Open College childcare diploma. She was working at a creche at a tennis centre in Exeter and had completed her Level 2. She says, 'I looked at a couple of different courses online', but the name 'Cambridge' caught her eye.

'It makes you think it's a trusted company,' she adds.

A glance at the Cambridge Open College website shows it makes much of its illustrious name, including a picture of King's College on the About Us section and a motto in Latin. 'Our moto (sic) is "Ornamentum Loginquitas Eruditio" which translates to distinction in distance learning. The College is the UK's fastest growing distance learning provider,' it claims.

Ms Colley says, 'On their website it clearly stated the Level 3 diploma was a recognised worldwide qualification. I phoned them and they confirmed this. The course was sold to me with the understanding I would be qualified as a Level 3 nursery nurse.' She started the course in 2010 and did it in five months. 'I spent most evenings and four or five hours on it every weekend.'

After gaining the diploma, she applied for the role of supervisor in the creche, which required a Level 3 qualification. She worked for ten months in this role before successfully applying for a job in January at the Dolphin Pre-School and Nursery in Exmouth, under the impression she was a fully-qualified Level 3. But the nursery manager checked out the qualification and could not find it on CWDC's list of approved full and relevant qualifications.

She says, 'The manager contacted me and I'd already handed in my notice. I was so lucky. He said that because I'd interviewed for the job so well and, because of my enthusiasm, the nursery would take me on and train me as a Level 3.'

Ms Colley contacted Cambridge Open College to complain. 'Within ten minutes of being on the phone they offered me a full refund. They backtracked and said the course was only meant to be a taster course. Why would you pay nearly £400 to do a taster course? I wrote to the college to complain officially but I have not had a reply. When my father spoke to the local authority they confirmed this qualification was not recognised. Trading Standards told us that there was not much more I could do as I had received a full refund.'

Ms Colley adds that after she complained about the course, 'they deleted the bit on the website that confirmed that it was a Level 3 diploma recognised worldwide'.

Nursery World has seen the information, which Ms Colley printed out at the time. Under 'frequently asked questions', the website stated that courses are recognised 'by a wide variety of groups, including employers, professional associations, governing bodies, as well as national and international licensing authorities across the world'. Although this information has been removed, the website still says the 13-module Level 3 diploma is 'the most comprehensive course available'.

Ms Colley is now studying a Level 3 work-based diploma through ACP, and works four days a week at Dolphin Nursery. She adds, 'I don't think it's right that Cambridge Open College thinks it's acceptable to offer this course. I could have been left without a job.'

The Manager's Story

Karyn Maddison, director of Sneakers Childcare in Worcestershire, which runs three nurseries, has a similar tale.

The nursery usually uses a private training company and pays for staff to study, but two staff were keen to do the course, so she suggested they check that it was a full qualification. One of the students phoned and was assured by the college that it was equivalent to an NVQ Level 3.

No one contacted the nursery, however, and no assessor visited, which Ms Maddison says 'rang alarm bells'. The two staff members completed the qualification and brought their Level 3 Diploma certificates in to the nursery. These say that the Cambridge Open College Level 3 Diploma is a 'validated award in collaboration with Cambridge Open College Local Examinations Syndicate'.

'But the course was not on the list of approved full and relevant qualifications. I had to tell the (two staff members) that the qualification was not full and valid. It scares me that people are so confused. They believed that studying the course would give them a fully qualified Level 3.'

Ms Maddison has offered both staff the opportunity to do the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce, awarded by City and Guilds through Aspirations Training. Samantha Boots, 24, one of the students, said, 'What concerns me is, if Cambridge Open College has given me the impression that the qualification was full and relevant, I wonder how much of the knowledge that I thought I have gained through the course is in fact correct.'

Liz Nunn, owner and manager of Dizzy's Day Nursery in Haverhill, Suffolk, was surprised to find during a recruitment drive earlier in the year that three out of nine people coming for interview were studying or had completed the Cambridge Open College Level 3 Diploma.

'Everyone was adamant it was a full and relevant qualification. I had my doubts about that, but as I was a prospective employer I gave them the CWDC helpline number so that they could check.'

One of the successful job applicants, Jenny Emery, had just started the course and paid a £50 deposit. She says, 'I just typed "childcare college courses" into Google. I wanted a distance-learning course because I have two young children.

'When I came for the interview at Dizzy's, I was advised to ring the CWDC, and they said the qualification wasn't recognised anywhere. I phoned the college and they said that they had never told me it was a full and recognised qualification. I asked for my deposit back and they agreed.' Ms Emery is now working at Dizzy's and studying for an NVQ Level 2 with PBD Training.

Ms Nunn says, 'It made me wonder how many settings have employed staff who don't hold full and relevant qualifications.'

The trainer's story

Ross Midgley, director of e-portfolio specialist PBD, which delivers full and relevant early years qualifications in the south of England, said, 'I can't comment on the value of these qualifications, but I am extremely concerned if learners are paying good money under the misapprehension that they will be qualified early years practitioners on completion.

'As a training provider, PBD has had to pick up the pieces several times for learners and employers who have been under this misapprehension.

Furthermore, unless a qualification is made up of the same QCF units as a full and relevant qualification, it will usually be easier to start again than to try to map the work already done.'

Mr Midgley added, 'The irony is that, for learners who qualify as apprentices, we can usually deliver a full and relevant Level 3 at a lower cost than these learners are paying for their unrecognised qualifications. This just shows the need to check carefully what you are getting before you sign up.'

He says he is also concerned about how rigorously Ofsted inspectors check staff qualifications during inspections.

'Another concern is the prospect of learners being treated by Ofsted as qualified on the basis of a three-month course without any observation of practice. I have no evidence that this has actually happened, but one does hear of Ofsted inspectors simply asking to see a list of qualifications rather than checking certificates.'

Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England, recommends that prospective students check whether qualifications are regulated by them before enrolling on a course.

A spokesperson said, 'We would recommend that students only take qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual. Students can be confident that these qualifications will be offered by a body that we have checked is reputable, but if things do go wrong we will be able to investigate. Before enrolling for any courses, students should check with the school or college which awarding body runs their qualifications. Students can then visit our online register of qualifications to check that the qualification and awarding organisation are recognised.'

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said, 'To support employers and the workforce, the Teaching Agency provides the Early Years Qualifications List which is a searchable tool designed to help those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage to identify which qualifications are considered full and relevant.

'We would urge employers, the workforce and students to access the Early Years Qualifications List to check the status of qualifications before undertaking any such training and assessment.'

Nursery World asked Cambridge Open College for a comment but was told that the college director was on holiday and no one was available.

What should I do?

• To check whether a particular qualification is recognised as full and relevant by the DfE use the Qualifications Finder https://www.education.gov.uk/eypqd/qualification-search. It is the role of the Teaching Agency to define full and relevant qualifications. The Early Years Qualifications List also lists qualifications that, together with accredited additional learning, could enable a practitioner's package of accredited learning to be viewed as 'full and relevant'.

• The Early Years Workforce Qualifications Audit Tool https://www.education.gov.uk/wqat/login enables settings, childminders and local authorities to manage workforce data through a secure online system that is free and easy to use.

• If a centre or college is misrepresenting a regulated qualification or misleading learners, the awarding organisation is required to investigate and take action as appropriate. The awarding body would have to let Ofqual know who would monitor the situation and make sure it was satisfied that the actions being taken are appropriate. Students should complain to the awarding body first and then if they are not satisfied raise it with Ofqual.

• Even if the qualification is not regulated, students can raise problems with Ofqual if the awarding organisation is recognised to offer other regulated qualifications, as Ofqual would expect action to tackle any misleading information. To check whether awarding organisations or qualifications are recognised by Ofqual visit http://register.ofqual.gov.uk/