NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning
An introduction to supporting teaching and learning in schools. This is the Award, which requires no placement.
- Level
- Level 3
- Qualification number
- 603/2495/8
- Awarding organisation
- NCFE
- Regulated status
- On the RQF, regulated by Ofqual
- Delivery
- 100% online
This qualification is awarded by NCFE and regulated by OfqualNCFE Account No. 11001657
Course overview
This qualification covers the knowledge needed to support teaching and learning in a school, including how children develop, safeguarding, and the role of the teaching assistant.
It is the Award rather than the Certificate. That distinction matters: the Certificate expects around a hundred hours in a school placement, while the Award is knowledge based and can be completed without one, which is why it is the version we offer online.
Entry requirements
- There are no formal entry requirements. No school placement is needed for this Award.
The course guide
Everything on this page as one document you can keep, print, or send to whoever is deciding with you.
- How you are assessed, and who checks the marking
- How paying works, and what is due when
- Entry requirements and where the qualification leads
Generated from this qualification's record, so the units and hours in it are the ones on this page. The fee is here on the page rather than in the guide, so a saved copy cannot quote you an old one.
How you are assessed
Your work is assessed by our qualified assessors, internally quality assured, and externally quality assured by NCFE. Assessment is against the criteria published in the qualification specification, and your assessor tells you what is needed before you start each unit.
For what happens after you submit: who marks it, who checks the marking, how long feedback takes and what to do if you disagree with a decision, see how assessment works.
If you need an adjustment to how you are assessed, for a disability or any other reason, ask us before you begin. We arrange adjustments under our Reasonable Adjustments policy, and you can request one online.
How we assess and quality assure is set out in DAIS-POL-016 Assessment and Internal Quality Assurance.
How you study, and what you need
You study online through our virtual learning environment, which is where the teaching material, your assessment submissions, your feedback and your progress all live. You work at your own pace, with tutor support throughout. Everyone completes a short online induction before starting an assessed unit.
| Device | Laptop or desktop computer |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later |
| Browser | Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, latest version |
| Internet speed | 10 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload |
| Webcam | Required for live sessions and identity verification |
| Microphone | Required for live sessions |
These are the minimum requirements published in DAIS-POL-024 Online Learning and Digital Delivery.
Support, and how quickly we reply
These are the response times we commit to in policy, not an aspiration.
| What | How | Response |
|---|---|---|
| General questions | Message your tutor in the VLE | Within 2 working days |
| Assessment feedback | Returned in the VLE or e-portfolio | Within 10 working days of submission |
| Technical problems | Technical support email | Within 1 working day |
| Urgent welfare concerns | Email to the Designated Safeguarding Lead | Within 1 working day |
Published in DAIS-POL-024 and DAIS-POL-009 Learner Support.
Registration and your certificate
We register you with NCFE before you begin any assessed unit, and we collect your Unique Learner Number as part of that. When your assessment decisions are finalised and quality assured, we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal and you are notified digitally. The certificate comes from NCFE, not from us.
Set out in DAIS-POL-008 Learner Registration and Certification.
Other names for this qualification
The regulated title is NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning, qualification number 603/2495/8. People also look for it as:
- Level 3 CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning
- CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning Level 3
- NCFE Level 3 CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning
- 603/2495/8
- NCFE 603/2495/8
- CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning course online
- CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning qualification UK
- CACHE Supporting Teaching and Learning distance learning
If you arrived searching one of those, you are in the right place: they all describe this one qualification.
Common questions
Who awards NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning, and how do I get my certificate?
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning is awarded by NCFE, an Ofqual-approved awarding organisation, and sits on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The qualification number is 603/2495/8. The Data and AI School of London is an NCFE approved centre (Account No. 11001657). We register you with NCFE before you start any assessed unit and collect your Unique Learner Number. Once your work is assessed and quality assured we claim your certificate through the NCFE portal, and it is issued by NCFE rather than by us.
What do I need before I can start?
There are no formal entry requirements. No school placement is needed for this Award. We assess every applicant individually and will tell you if a different level would suit you better.
Can I study this entirely online?
Yes. Teaching, materials and assessment are all delivered through our Moodle-based virtual learning environment, so you can study from anywhere in the UK. You need a laptop or desktop computer, a current version of Chrome or Firefox, and a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up. Tutor support is available throughout, and we answer questions within 2 working days and return assessment feedback within 10 working days of submission.
Can I enrol now?
Not yet. We hold NCFE approval to deliver this qualification and enrolment has not opened. Register your interest and we will contact you when it does. We do not publish a fee until enrolment opens.
Not sure this is the right qualification?
Ask before you apply. We will say honestly if a different level would suit you better.