Leadership for Children’s Care, Learning and Development - Level 5 Diploma
Course Type
Higher Education
Study Mode
Part-time
Duration
2 Years
Start & End Date
15 September 2026
1 June 2028
Days
Tue
Time
13:45-21:30
Location
Coleraine
Interview Required
Yes
The Level 5 Diploma is designed for busy senior practitioners in a leadership or management role within childcare settings or for those practitioners who may have the opportunity or ambition to be appointed into a senior role.
The course content, delivery and assessment will be tailored to meet the needs of both the busy student and the children’s care, learning and development employer. The College will provide blended learning (a mix of face to face and online) designed to provide a thorough understanding of the key requirements of the role and qualification.
An occupationally competent assessor will also provide support and feedback crafted to match the development needs of the student.
The course is designed to recognise the current knowledge, skills and experience of the student and to support development needs.
Students will be required to attend a mandatory pre-course information session
The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership is a work-based qualification. Consequently, students will be assessed by direct observation in the workplace and by the creation of an online portfolio of evidence.
Students who have completed the Level 5 Diploma can progress onto a Foundation Degree (offered with Stranmillis College, Queen's University Belfast) or to the top up Early childhood degree with the University of Doncaster.
Candidates must be:
Where students wish to have prior education and/or experience taken into account, in lieu of meeting the full course entry requirements, they should contact the relevant Course Director or Admissions. APEL applications must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the start date of the programme. More details can be found in the APEL Policy.
In the event of oversubscription, the College reserves the right to increase the entry criteria for this programme to GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above in preference to Essential Skills or lower graded GCSEs. Applicants will still be reviewed in date order and by order of preference.
| Year | Fee | Reduced Fee* |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £872 | £603 |
| Year 2 | £539 | £270 |
| Total |
*For eligibility criteria, visit our fees and funding page.
Payment of fees must be arranged prior to course commencement and at the beginning of each academic year, regardless of whether your programme of study is one, two, or three years in duration. Fees for subsequent years (Year 2 and/or Year 3) may be subject to change due to annual increases in awarding body charges, such as registration or examination fees.
Please contact any Campus Reception to arrange payment of your course fees or to confirm you have uploaded evidence of your funding application or entitlement to the online admissions portal. Confirmation of your funding entitlement should also be forwarded to studentfinance@nrc.ac.uk.
If your fees are being paid by a sponsor/employer, you must upload an approved Employer Consent Form to the online admissions portal.
Payment Options
You can pay your fees in full by cash, cheque, credit/debit card, direct debit payment or via a Student Loan. For further details visit our fees and funding page.
Contact Details
Student Loan Queries
T: 028 9085 5048
E: studentfinance@nrc.ac.uk
Direct Debit or Payment Queries
E: finance@nrc.ac.uk
Funding Options including Scholarships
There are several funds available to help with costs related to your course such as grants and scholarships. For further details visit our student finance page.
Additional Mandatory Costs
Additional mandatory costs are essential expenses which are required in order to complete your course. These costs are separate from, and in addition to, any course tuition fees. Most courses do not have any additional mandatory costs. Examples of additional mandatory costs includes trips which are included as a component of your course, essential textbooks which are not available from our learning resource centres, essential equipment which is not provided by the College, professional memberships which are linked directly to the course.
These costs do not include stationery materials or items which a student may choose to purchase, personal computer equipment or software or additional textbooks or journals, memberships of professional bodies not essential for your course. Many students will choose to purchase their own equipment and materials during their course, these are not mandatory costs. For most courses, equipment and materials will be provided by the College.
All tutors are qualified and experienced counsellors. This underpins the authenticity of teaching and learning activities as students engage with practitioners who understand the challenges and opportunities of the counselling role. The following teaching team deliver this course at Northern Regional College:
Staff Team
The Level 5 Diploma is designed for busy senior practitioners in a leadership or management role within childcare settings or for those practitioners who may have the opportunity or ambition to be appointed into a senior role.
The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership is a work-based qualification. Consequently, students will be assessed by direct observation in the workplace and by the creation of an online portfolio of evidence.
The course content, delivery and assessment will be tailored to meet the needs of both the busy student and the children’s care, learning and development employer. The College will provide blended learning (a mix of face to face and online) designed to provide a thorough understanding of the key requirements of the role and qualification.
An occupationally competent assessor will also provide support and feedback crafted to match the development needs of the student.
The course is designed to recognise the current knowledge, skills and experience of the student and to support development needs.
Students will be required to attend a mandatory pre-course information session
Students who have completed the Level 5 Diploma can progress onto a Foundation Degree (offered with Stranmillis College, Queen's University Belfast) or to the top up Early childhood degree with the University of Doncaster.
Candidates must be:
Where students wish to have prior education and/or experience taken into account, in lieu of meeting the full course entry requirements, they should contact the relevant Course Director or Admissions. APEL applications must be submitted at least 2 weeks before the start date of the programme. More details can be found in the APEL Policy.
In the event of oversubscription, the College reserves the right to increase the entry criteria for this programme to GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above in preference to Essential Skills or lower graded GCSEs. Applicants will still be reviewed in date order and by order of preference.
Course Fees
| Year | Fee | Reduced Fee* |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £872 | £603 |
| Year 2 | £539 | £270 |
| Total |
*For eligibility criteria, visit our fees and funding page.
Payment of fees must be arranged prior to course commencement and at the beginning of each academic year, regardless of whether your programme of study is one, two, or three years in duration. Fees for subsequent years (Year 2 and/or Year 3) may be subject to change due to annual increases in awarding body charges, such as registration or examination fees.
Please contact any Campus Reception to arrange payment of your course fees or to confirm you have uploaded evidence of your funding application or entitlement to the online admissions portal. Confirmation of your funding entitlement should also be forwarded to studentfinance@nrc.ac.uk.
If your fees are being paid by a sponsor/employer, you must upload an approved Employer Consent Form to the online admissions portal.
Payment Options
You can pay your fees in full by cash, cheque, credit/debit card, direct debit payment or via a Student Loan. For further details visit our fees and funding page.
Contact Details
Student Loan Queries
T: 028 9085 5048
E: studentfinance@nrc.ac.uk
Direct Debit or Payment Queries
E: finance@nrc.ac.uk
Funding Options including Scholarships
There are several funds available to help with costs related to your course such as grants and scholarships. For further details visit our student finance page.
Additional Mandatory Costs
Additional mandatory costs are essential expenses which are required in order to complete your course. These costs are separate from, and in addition to, any course tuition fees. Most courses do not have any additional mandatory costs. Examples of additional mandatory costs includes trips which are included as a component of your course, essential textbooks which are not available from our learning resource centres, essential equipment which is not provided by the College, professional memberships which are linked directly to the course.
These costs do not include stationery materials or items which a student may choose to purchase, personal computer equipment or software or additional textbooks or journals, memberships of professional bodies not essential for your course. Many students will choose to purchase their own equipment and materials during their course, these are not mandatory costs. For most courses, equipment and materials will be provided by the College.