Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education (ADCE)
The ADCE is a professional development course which builds on your experience and understanding of early years care and education gained from the workplace and from previous early years qualifications. Each module covers a particular area of early years care and education. You can complete the whole ADCE or individual modules. It is suitable for child care workers in a wide range of jobs, including:
- Registered Childminder
- Early Years Centre Manager
- Nursery Manager
- Crèche Manager
- NVQ Assessor
- Under Eights Inspection and Registration Officer
You choose six modules from a choice of 23 modules - one from Group 1, one from Group 2 plus three free choices. The sixth module (Group 3) must be your dissertation. Not all modules are available at each study centre - modules offered are chosen by centre staff with reference to local employment needs from the 23 modules available. One module may be devised by the study centre which requires prior approval by CACHE.
Module Group 1
- How Children Learn 1
- Language and Literacy 1
- Feelings and Relationships 1
- Work with Children from Birth to Three 1
Module Group 2
- Disability and Special Educational Needs 1
- Early Years Curriculum 1
- Children in Hospital 1
- Children’s Representation and Creativity 1
- Children and Families under Stress 1
- Anti-discriminatory Practice 2
- Management in Child Care and Education Settings 2
- Management of Early Years Services 2
- Training, Assessing and Appraisal in Child Care and Education 2
- Child Protection 2
- Social and Legal Context of Service 2
- Establishing Early Years Provision 2
- Observation and Assessment 2
- Dissertation 3
- Study centre devised module 1 or 2*
- Primary English 1
- Primary Maths 1
- Primary Science 1
- Inspection and Registration 2
* according to subject
Entry Requirements
You may enter the ADCE having completed a qualification such as the CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing (NNEB) (from September 2000 this will be known as the CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education) or Level 3, NVQ in Early Years Care and Education or you may gain entry after having worked in the sector for several years. The ADCE is a professional development course and not an initial qualifying training course.
Length of Study
If you study full-time the ADCE is a one year course. As it is a professional development course most people study part-time while working. You can take up to a maximum of five years to complete.
