Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship Level 5
The first coaching qualification built just for the Early Years.
For Early Years professionals who coach others, formally or informally, and want to refine their practice. Gain a complete toolkit of proven coaching techniques – from active listening and structured feedback to goal setting and solution-focused conversations – all tailored to the Early Years context.
Delivered flexibly over just 9 months plus assessment, this apprenticeship helps you strengthen your practice, support your team and lead with confidence.
Apply by 26 October and start in November
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At a glance
Course duration
9 Months + assessment
Free for learners - funded via Apprenticeship Levy
Includes
ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring
Online learning
and training events
Monthly coaching sessions
Price for this programme: £5,000 £0
This course is fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy
Introduction to Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship Level 5
The Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship is the first coaching apprenticeship designed specifically for the Early Years sector – bringing professional, evidence-informed coaching practice into nurseries, preschools and EYFS classrooms.
This programme is tailored for Early Years practitioners, leaders and support staff who want to deepen their understanding of coaching as a non-directive, person-centred approach that empowers others to reflect, grow and take ownership of their development.
Through fully funded, flexible training, you will build a robust coaching skillset grounded in active listening, powerful questioning and reflective dialogue – all within the unique context of Early Years education.
You’ll develop a practical coaching toolkit and work towards the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring, strengthening your leadership by supporting others through a truly developmental coaching approach.
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What will you learn?
This programme is designed for those working in early years education who want to apply professional coaching approaches in their setting. It combines practical coaching practice with an understanding of organisational contexts, early years leadership and personal development. As part of the apprenticeship, learners also complete the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring.
Programme Content
Onboarding and induction: Initial assessment to identify prior learning and support needs, followed by induction covering qualification aims, expectations and assessment requirements.
Understanding effective coaching and mentoring:
- Purpose and role of coaching in early years settings.
- Theories of learning, reflective practice and self-awareness.
- Emotional and social intelligence, motivation and behaviour in organisations.
- Diversity, inclusion and values in early years education.
- Organisational culture, leadership and their influence on professional practice.
Coaching in practice in the Early Years:
- Planning and contracting for effective coaching engagements.
- Delivering a structured programme of coaching (minimum of 18 hours with 2–3 individuals).
- Using a variety of tools, models and techniques (e.g. GROW, solution-focused approaches, NLP) adapted for early years contexts.
- Building rapport, managing relationships and applying questioning and listening techniques.
- Supporting colleagues in setting and achieving professional goals within early years settings.
Reviewing your coaching ability:
- Reflecting on practice and evaluating impact.
- Assessing personal strengths and areas for growth.
- Creating and maintaining a CPD plan and coaching log.
Key duties and behaviours:
- Promoting positive coaching culture in early years education.
- Upholding ethical practice and safeguarding requirements.
- Demonstrating empathy, inclusivity, flexibility and resilience.
Who should apply for the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship?
This apprenticeship is ideal for Early Years professionals who:
- Are coaching or mentoring other staff, either formally or informally
- Have completed EYITT, the EY SENCO Award, or an Early Years Apprenticeship
- Want to develop structured, high-quality coaching skills specific to Early Years
- Are looking to grow as a leader or support the development of others in their setting
What is Coaching?
Coaching is a structured, professional conversation that helps individuals reflect, grow and improve their practice. Unlike training or instructing, coaching doesn’t provide all the answers – it uses skilled questioning, listening and goal-setting to help others find their own way forward.
In the Early Years, coaching is about unlocking potential. It empowers practitioners to build on their strengths, overcome challenges and take ownership of their development – all within the context of high-quality, child-centred care.
Through coaching, you create space for reflective dialogue, stronger professional relationships and lasting improvements in practice.
Why does coaching matter in the Early Years?
In Early Years settings, small changes in adult behaviour can make a big difference to children. Coaching helps ensure that every practitioner – from new starters to experienced staff – continues to develop, reflect and grow.
Because coaching happens within your own setting and is tailored to individual goals, it’s highly practical. It supports:
- Stronger communication and teamwork
- Greater consistency in teaching and care
- Reflective practice that leads to real improvement
- More confident, motivated staff
- A culture where learning and collaboration are part of everyday work
Coaching also helps leaders share their expertise in a sustainable, non-hierarchical way – building capacity across the team, not just at the top.
How is the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship delivered?
The Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship is designed to be flexible and achievable alongside full-time work. Delivery combines expert-led sessions, tailored support and access to a range of high-quality online resources. You’ll benefit from:
- Monthly online classrooms – live, interactive sessions that build your coaching knowledge and skills over time
- Monthly 1:1 sessions with your dedicated Tutor-Coach – personalised support, progress reviews and targeted development
- Three-monthly tripartite reviews – joint meetings between you, your employer and your Tutor-Coach to review progress, set goals and ensure alignment with your role
You’ll also have access to a wealth of on-demand online resources, tools and activities to support your learning throughout the programme.
Already completed EYITT, EY SENCO or the Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship?
Whether you’ve trained to lead teaching, champion inclusion, or model outstanding practice, the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship helps you take that impact further – by supporting and developing the people around you. It turns your experience into a toolkit for helping others grow.
Take Early Years SENCO further with coaching
If you’ve completed the Early Years SENCO Award, you’ve already made a powerful impact – leading inclusive practice, supporting children with SEND and shaping provision across your setting.
The Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship (Level 5) is the perfect next step. It enables you to share your expertise with others, helping colleagues build their confidence in supporting children with additional needs. This apprenticeship equips you with the tools and frameworks to:
- Coach practitioners through inclusive, reflective practice
- Support staff to implement what you've championed as a SENCO
- Lead professional conversations around SEND and early intervention
- Build a stronger, more confident team through structured development
You’ll continue to grow as a leader – while helping others do the same. All with the support of a fully funded, nationally recognised programme that leads to the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring. Amplify your impact. Coach the next generation of inclusive Early Years practitioners.
Build on your Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) with coaching
As an Early Years Teacher, you already play a vital role in shaping children’s learning and development at a foundational stage. Your EYITT training has equipped you to lead practice, inspire progress, and support the individual needs of every child.
Now, the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship (Level 5) offers you the opportunity to take that expertise further – by helping others grow too. This programme enables you to:
- Coach colleagues in high-quality, child-centred teaching
- Support new practitioners and students as they develop
- Embed consistent, reflective practice across your setting
- Share the principles and approaches you gained through EYITT
- Lead with confidence, collaboration and clarity
With fully funded training and the chance to earn the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring, this apprenticeship helps you move from leading in the classroom to leading through others.
Extend your impact from the children you teach to the team you lead.
Amplify learning from your Early Years Apprenticeship with coaching
As an Early Years Lead Practitioner, you've already stepped up as a role model for effective practice. You know how to inspire colleagues, drive quality and support continuous improvement across your setting.
The Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship (Level 5) is the next step – giving you the skills to turn your leadership into lasting, team-wide development.
You’ll learn how to coach other practitioners with clarity and purpose, support reflective conversations, and embed consistent, high-quality teaching across your provision. It’s a practical, fully funded programme that builds on everything you’ve already achieved – and leads to the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring.
You’ve led by example – now learn to lead through others.
Why you should choose the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship Level 5
- Gain the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring alongside your apprenticeship, with no extra study or cost – all tailored to Early Years settings
- Learn coaching models that work in Early Years: Apply structured approaches like GROW and solution-focused coaching to support colleagues working in play-based, child-led environments
- Support inclusive and reflective practice in Early Years teams: Use emotional intelligence and motivation theory to help practitioners grow in confidence and meet the diverse needs of young children
- Build strong coaching relationships in Early Years contexts: Develop active listening, effective questioning and clear contracting to support trust and professional dialogue across your setting
- Improve outcomes across your Early Years provision: Learn how to measure the impact of coaching on staff development, pedagogy and setting-wide priorities
- Manage sensitive conversations in Early Years environments: Tackle challenges such as change, wellbeing and safeguarding with professionalism and care
- Grow as a coach in the Early Years sector: The programme develops your confidence, self-awareness and leadership as a coach supporting others in Early Years education
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Why Early Years settings should support staff to complete this apprenticeship
- Strengthen in-house coaching to improve the quality of teaching, learning and care in Early Years environments
- Build confident, reflective practitioners who can support colleagues through change, inspection preparation, and day-to-day challenges unique to Early Years
- Develop leadership capacity within your Early Years team, building sustainable, peer-led development
- Support staff retention by investing in meaningful, nationally recognised professional development designed for Early Years professionals
- Ensure consistent standards across your Early Years provision by equipping team members with structured coaching tools and techniques
- Access fully funded training through the Apprenticeship Levy (or 95% government-funded for smaller Early Years providers)
- Demonstrate a clear commitment to staff development that directly improves outcomes for children and families in Early Years settings
Gain the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring alongside your apprenticeship
Alongside the apprenticeship, you will gain the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring. This well-respected qualification demonstrates your coaching knowledge and skills to a nationally recognised standard.
The ILM certificate adds further credibility and flexibility to your professional profile, showing that your coaching practice meets established benchmarks.
This can enhance your standing within your current setting and open doors to new roles and responsibilities. With the ILM Level 5 Certificate included as part of the programme, you benefit from an additional award without the need for extra coursework or fees—making your achievement even more valuable.
What does the apprenticeship cover?
The Coaching in Education Apprenticeship Level 5 is shaped around the Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours (KSBs) set out in the national Coaching Professional standard. These KSBs are adapted and contextualised for education, so that everything you learn directly supports your work in a school, Early Years setting, or multi-academy trust.
You will develop and demonstrate:
Knowledge
- Coaching models and approaches: Understand a range of coaching frameworks and how they apply within education and Early Years
- Learning theories and pedagogy: Explore how adults learn and how this shapes effective coaching in your setting
- Organisational culture and context: Learn how coaching supports school improvement, team development, and positive workplace culture
- Diversity, equality and inclusion: Gain knowledge to ensure coaching practice is accessible and effective for all, including supporting SEND
- Safeguarding, ethics, and confidentiality: Understand your professional responsibilities when coaching in an education environment
Skills
- Building rapport and trust: Develop practical skills to establish strong, supportive coaching relationships with colleagues
- Active listening and effective questioning: Use advanced communication techniques to help others reflect and improve their practice
- Setting goals and measuring impact: Support colleagues to set meaningful goals and track progress over time
- Facilitating professional learning: Guide teams and individuals through structured development and reflective practice
- Managing difficult conversations: Handle sensitive or challenging situations with confidence, always focused on positive outcomes
Behaviours
- Professionalism and integrity: Act as a role model for others in your school or Early Years setting
- Self-reflection and commitment to growth: Continuously evaluate and improve your own coaching practice
- Championing inclusion: Promote a positive, supportive environment where every colleague can develop and thrive
Coaching models you will explore
Throughout the Coaching in Education Apprenticeship, participants are introduced to a range of structured, research-informed coaching models used across education and leadership development. These include:
- GROW – A widely used model that supports goal-setting and problem-solving by guiding conversations through four stages: Goal, Reality, Options and Will
- OSKAR – A strengths-based, solution-focused framework built around Outcome, Scaling, Know-how, Affirm and Review, helping to move colleagues forward through reflective dialogue
- CLEAR – A model designed for deeper coaching relationships, focusing on Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action and Review, ideal for supporting longer-term development goals. These models provide a flexible toolkit for coaches to adapt to different situations – whether you’re developing new staff, supporting experienced colleagues, or embedding a coaching culture across your school
To apply for this course, you must:
- Work in an Early Years setting
- Have held a residency in the UK for the last three years
- Have the right to work and study in the UK for the full duration of the apprenticeship
How do I access the funding?
You can fund the Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship through your setting's Apprenticeship Levy. Settings can use their apprenticeship service (AS) account to reserve and allocate funding.
If your settingdoesn’t yet have an AS account, just let us know – we’ll guide you through the setup process. The Coaching in the Early Years Apprenticeship is fully funded at £5,000 through your Apprenticeship Levy.
For settings that do not pay into the levy or have used up their funds, the government will fund 95% of the cost (£4,750), with your school contributing the remaining 5% (£250).
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
The levy is paid by employers with a wage bill of over £3 million. These employers pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill into the levy. Most state-maintained schools and multi-academy trusts pay into the levy.
The levy is designed to create long term sustainable funding for apprenticeships and to give employers more control to provide their staff with a range of training opportunities.
Apprenticeship funded training is designed for both new and existing staff members.
If your setting is not a levy payer or has exhausted its levy funds, the government will pay 95% of tuition fees with your setting paying the remaining 5%. Please contact us if you would like more information.
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To apply, you must have lived in the UK for the last 3 consecutive years.
Question 1: Have you lived in the UK for at least the last 3 consecutive years?
To apply, you must have have the right to work and study in the UK.
Question 2: Do you have the right to work and study in the UK for the full duration of the apprenticeship? If you have a visa, it must cover the entire length of the programme
To apply, you must be currently employed in a school or a setting.
Question 3: Are you currently employed in a school or a setting?
Why choose Best Practice Network?
- Our award winning Apprenticeships team are always there to help from applications to graduation
- National delivery, we have Apprenticeship Tutors based across England
- Fantastic well-being programme BPN Boost to support learners throughout the programme
- Our employees and Apprenticeship Tutors promote our exceptional values; to inspire learning, work together, act with integrity and strive for excellence
- Individual learning plans and additional support are available for learners with additional learning needs
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