This Characteristics of Effective Learning training course gives early years practitioners a thorough understanding of the three characteristics that sit at the heart of the EYFS — Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically. The Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) describe how children learn rather than what they learn, putting the individual child’s learning process at the centre of your practice.
For your setting, this matters every single day. A child may not follow a conventional route to learning, but their own style should be recognised, supported and encouraged — and your planning should reflect it. This course builds the confidence to observe each characteristic in children’s play, read the cues of younger children who cannot yet articulate their learning, and turn those observations into meaningful next steps.
What you’ll learn
- A clear understanding of the three Characteristics of Effective Learning and what each looks like in practice
- How to recognise and observe each characteristic in children’s play and everyday interactions
- How the characteristics underpin the seven areas of learning within the EYFS
- How to identify a range of learning styles and value learning process over learning outcome
- How to plan with a CoEL approach, using observations to inform next steps
- How to shape environments and routines that actively support all three characteristics
- How to communicate children’s learning styles meaningfully to parents
Who this course is for
This course suits early years practitioners, room leaders and managers who want to embed the Characteristics of Effective Learning into daily practice and planning across their setting. Because the characteristics run through every area of provision, it is valuable training for all members of your team.
Why this training matters
The Characteristics of Effective Learning are a key element of the EYFS, and practitioners are expected to show that they understand them and how each child applies them day to day. Ofsted inspectors will look for evidence that the characteristics have been effectively implemented and are being monitored — observations made against the CoEL are a useful tool for exactly this. The characteristics should inform every stage of a child’s learning lifecycle: observation, planning and assessment.
How the course works
The course is delivered online through media-rich learning with voiceovers, so you can study on any device, at your own pace. The guided duration is around two hours, making it straightforward to fit around shifts and room ratios.
Your certificate
Successful candidates are awarded the National Nursery Training Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL) Course Completion Certificate, which can be used as evidence for compliance and audit and towards your continuing professional development (CPD). National Nursery Training is an NFAQ-accredited provider and an accredited CPD Training Provider (#776846) with the CPD Accreditation Group.
