AAQ Childhood Development Extended Certificate

Applications Open: - 13th November 2025

Applications Close: - January 2026

Entry Requirements: - 5 levels 4 grades including English Language

How to Apply: - Please apply via KentChoices

Early Childhood Development is extremely useful for a range of careers due to the many areas it covers, including early years, nursing and midwifery. The option to attend University after the completion of the. The specification complements other Post 16 courses, such as AAQ Science or AAQ HSC for instance. There are both coursework and exam-based elements, with some extended writing. Early Childhood Development students often choose careers in the public sector. such as nursing, as a carer or social worker and teaching, as the course helps them to learn the skills, roles and responsibilities needed.

AAQ Extended Certificate (2-year course) - Equivalent in size to one A Level

• Unit 1: Children’s Development (Exam)
• Unit 2: Keeping Children Safe (Exam)
• Unit 3: Play and Learning (Coursework)
• Unit ?: Research and Reflective Practice in an Early Childhood Setting (Coursework)

Four units of which three are mandatory and two are external.

Mandatory content 83%.

External assessment 58%

To be accepted onto the course, a student should have at least five GCSEs at grade 4 including English and a Level 2 Health and Social Care qualification is not essential but preferred. Essay writing skills are also desirable alongside an expectation of having a wider interest in Childhood Development.

The qualification carries UCAS points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to admission requirements to many relevant jobs within the Early Years Settings.