Home » Our Courses » Level 3 Diploma in Holistic Baby and Child Care (Early Years Educator)
This Level 3 Diploma is a “blended” course, with online teaching as well as residentials at Emerson College and face to face meetings at Rudolf Steiner House, London.
Important: because of its modular distance learning character, this course is now open to EU and NON-EU citizens. However, all applicants need to attend at least 80% of the full timetable and complete all the assignments to receive the Level 3 Diploma.
An intermediate level of English is required to attend the course.
Applicants applying from abroad can gain written approval from the course leader not to join the course for the day events at Rudolf Steiner House, but they will need to attend at least 80% of the full timetable to pass the course. Recordings and tutorials will provide necessary information. Your particular circumstances will be discussed with the registrar and course leader.
Click here for Dorothy Marlen’s report on her visit to Steiner early childhood nurseries in Europe
We are delighted to announce that this birth to three training course is now officially recognized by IASWECE (International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education).
Join us on this groundbreaking blended course based on Steiner Waldorf with an introduction to the Pikler approach to child development, play and care with a birth to three emphasis.
This Holistic Baby and Child Care qualification synthesises Steiner Waldorf international Birth to Three training guidelines, an introduction to the Pikler approach, and the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements.
The course is led by Dorothy Marlen, a Steiner early childhood teacher and Pikler pedagogue. Sam Greshoff and Silvia Lauzzana, the other main tutors are two leading light in the Steiner early childhood movement in the UK.
The qualification is full and relevant and is on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications*. The qualification has been designed to meet the requirements of the government’s criteria for Early Years Educator (Level 3) qualifications for carers of children from birth to five, released in July 2013, whilst uniquely offering a birth to three emphasis.
The programme covers the development and care of children up to five years old, with an emphasis on the crucial first three years. It provides depth of understanding and a practical foundation for those wishing to work in Steiner settings and mainstream. The training provides a Level 3 Early Years Educator qualification for those wishing to care for children up to five years old in both Steiner and mainstream nurseries and kindergartens. The course also prepares parent and child group leaders, child-minders, play group leaders, parenting course leaders and carers of children up to three years old.
Students and tutors on the last residential 2022 wearing the story aprons students had made.
How is this training different from other Early Years trainings?
As well as fully meeting the criteria required by DfE standards for Early Years Educator qualifications, the training uniquely provides:
This training will provide you with confidence and practical skills to care for young children. There will be an emphasis on the care of children from birth to three. You will gain confidence to create “home from home” and outdoor settings which respect the young child’s need for warm relationships, a calm and rhythmical day and lots of play. It will give you tools for working with and supporting parents. You will gain an early years level 3 qualification.
If you are a carer in a nursery or day-care setting or wish to develop your own a holistic child care setting
In mainstream nurseries and day-care settings this Level 3 qualification will provide the necessary training required to care for children from birth to five. The advantage of this qualification is that you will bring to your setting a coherent body of awareness and skills based on Steiner pedagogy and the Pikler approach which will enhance your professional work. We introduce several holistic models for childcare including the “home from home” approach from Lifeways North America, Helle Heckmann’s Nokken, and Awhina from New Zealand.
As well as preparing you to work as a parent and child/baby group leader in Steiner and mainstream settings, the Level 3 qualification will give you the breadth and depth of skills and confidence to care for young children and support parents in Steiner and mainstream settings, if you so wish. We bring an understanding of pioneering parent and baby groups which have integrated the Pikler approach and outdoor groups.
Caring for young children and supporting parents requires many skills – a thorough understanding of child development and respectful practical care; confidence in a variety of artistic, craft-making and home-making activities; observational and self-reflective abilities; a capacity for working sensitively with parents and other professionals, and a clear understanding of EYFS, effective child assessment and working with statutory requirements. The units will weave together to provide a firm foundation for continued personal and professional growth and development.
If you are interested in the Holistic Baby and Childcare Training and would like the opportunity to meet our Course Leader, find out more about the course, ask questions and meet other potential participants, we will be holding the following FREE ZOOM TASTER sessions:
Successful completion of the course and all assignments will lead to the Level 3 Diploma in Holistic Baby and Child Care (Early Years Educator) qualification, certified by Crossfields Institute. The qualification is full and relevant and is on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications.
Learners completing this qualification may proceed directly to work in an early years setting, for example in the role of an early years educator, adult and child group leader, or childminder and carer of children up to 5 years, in a Steiner Waldorf or mainstream setting.
Below is the provisional timetable where during term time there will be online teaching sessions with meetings on Wednesdays 19:00 – 21:00 and Saturdays 15:00 – 17:00. Key dates are as follows:
27 September 2025 – course starts at Steiner House London (9-5pm)
27 October – 3 November – half term
29 December to 10 January 2026 – Christmas break
10 January 2026 – course day at Steiner House London (9-5pm)
23 February to 2 March – half term
28 March to 2 April – Easter break
5 to 8 June – Summer residential at Emerson College (2 pm Friday to 4.30pm Monday)
11 July – 12 September – Summer break
12 September 2026 – course day at Steiner House (London 9-5pm)
26 October to 4 November – half term
28 November to 9 January 2027 – Christmas break
9 January 2027 course day at Steiner House London (9-5pm)
26 February to 1 March 2027 – Early spring residential at Emerson College (2pm Friday to 4.30pm Monday)
1 March – course finishes
*N.B. Students applying from abroad can choose not to join the course for the day events at Rudolf Steiner House but will need to attend at least one of the residentials at Emerson College. Recordings and tutorials will provide necessary information.
The course fee is £3,900. This includes the course registration with Crossfields Institute, the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship and the Association of Steiner Waldorf Teachers and Educators. (ASWTE).
Payment can be made in full at the beginning of the course or paid in installments with a £100 admin fee.
Bursaries are available from Emerson College. For the bursary form, please contact Chiara Carones, registrar@emerson.org.uk
Grants for tuition fees are available from the Rudolf Steiner Association. A Grant request can be sent only after having been accepted into the course. For full info, please contact Chiara Carones, registrar@emerson.org.uk
Interest free loans for tuition fees are available from the Godparents Anthroposophical Training Fund. For full info, please contact Chiara Carones, registrar@emerson.org.uk
To apply, please contact the registrar
You will need to fill out the online application form and upload the documents listed below.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
To complete your application you will need to have the following documents ready:
You will also need to provide contact details for someone you would chose to be your emergency contact, should you be accepted onto the course.
If you have any questions please contact Chiara Carones – registrar@emerson.org.uk.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Once your application has been received, you will be invited for an interview with the Course Leader, Dorothy Marlen, as a final step in the application process.
The interview provides both you and the Course Leader the opportunity to explore the course content, requirements and your motivations for attending. It will also give you a space for any questions you might have.
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