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Training Special Report - On course

Careers & Training Apprenticeships CPD Qualifications Management
Karen Hart looks at the early years training and qualifications landscape, from the review of Level 3s and roll-out of T-Levels to the changing attitudes to apprenticeships
The pandemic has sparked questions about the skills needed to operate in ‘the new normal’
The pandemic has sparked questions about the skills needed to operate in ‘the new normal’

The pandemic has challenged settings to adapt to new situations and respond more quickly to the needs of children and families. Many settings now believe they are operating in a new normal based on this experience.

Inevitably questions are being asked about what kinds of skills and professionalisms are needed to operate in this brave new world and what training and qualifications can support them.

There now seems to be a recognition that qualifications need to reflect a stronger emphasis on effective leadership skills, provide more flexibility in moving between different specialisms and make it more easy for Level 3 practitioners to advance their careers.

MOVING FORWARD WITH LEVEL 3

Currently the sector is waiting for more details from the Government on the direction of travel for Level 3, following its post-autumn budget commitment to reviewing all Level 3 qualifications.

The review of Level 3 qualifications forms part of a £153 million Early Years Education Recovery Plan, which includes expanding Level 3 SENCO training.

Meanwhile, it was understood that the Government is consulting on plans to replace all college-based Level 3 early education courses with its Education and Childcare T-Level, launched in 2020 and set to roll out to all 16-19 providers by 2024. This means that the main routes into an early years career will be the T-Level, with funding for overlapping post-GCSE options, including many BTECs, losing funding by 2024.

Following on from GCSEs, T-Levels are equivalent to three A-levels. The two-year courses, which have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, include the Level 3 Technical Qualification in Education developed by NCFE and CACHE.

With the first cohort of T-Level practitioners due to qualify in 2022, the sector is waiting to gauge their potential to boost the workforce.

FINDING NEW ROUTES TO LEADERSHIP

Established as an accreditation for those working in schools, the National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) it is seen as potentially a positive development for those working in the PVI sector.

Available from autumn 2022, the NPQs are a national, voluntary suite of qualifications, designed to support the professional development of teachers and leaders. They are aimed at those qualified to at least Level 3 who are, or are aspiring to be, managers of PVI settings, head teachers of school-based or maintained nurseries, or childminders with leadership responsibilities.

More details, including training providers, will be unveiled next year.

According to Velvet Jones, spokesperson at the Department for Education, the qualification has been designed to strengthen early years practice in the wake of Covid.

She says, ‘The NPQEYL is a high-quality CPD offer that has been developed to underpin and increase early-years-specific pedagogical leadership in early years settings, strengthen staff pedagogy, and support children whose development has been impacted by the pandemic. It is underpinned by an evidence-informed content framework, which sets out the things that participants should know and be able to do after completing the course.’

APPRENTICESHIPS

Apprenticeship training programmes, with their minimum requirement of 20 per cent off-the-job study, provide workplace training that is appealing to growing numbers of new entrants.

There is the bonus of having the opportunity to take Functional Skills in Mathematics and/or English alongside the training programme if needed, and as apprenticeships are funded from contributions made by the Government and employer, there are no student loans or tuition fees to pay. Apprentices are also eligible to receive the national minimum wage for 16- to 18-year-olds and minimum wage for those over 19, having completed their first year.

While apprenticeships have historically been sometimes looked upon as a less favourable option to launch a career than a degree, they now seem to be growing in popularity.

The Early Years Educator Apprenticeship has proved useful in allowing nurseries to ‘grow their own’ Level 3s, while the Level 5 Early Years Lead Apprenticeship, launched last August, is hoped to provide a big boost for the sector.

Aimed at new recruits, those newly qualified and established practitioners, it offers the advantage of progression without necessarily doing a university course. The DfE added the Level 5 apprenticeship to its full and relevant list of qualifications in October.

Through this route, practitioners with Level 3 qualifications, including those from other sectors – such as those who work in social care or as teaching assistants – are now able to progress their learning at the same time as gaining a ‘full and relevant’ qualification that allows them to count in ratios. This licence to practice is seen as a definite advantage.

Early Years Lead Practitioners are envisaged as working with children in the same way as their Level 2 and 3 colleagues. At the same time, their practice will be informed by a wide range of pedagogies and an enhanced knowledge of child development.

EARLY YEARS DEGREES FOR THE FUTURE

It is now more than 26 years since the first Early Childhood Studies degree students graduated. Since then, the number of degree courses available to students wishing to study for a career in early years has grown enormously, with early childhood now firmly established as an inter-disciplinary academic field in its own right, and the need for highly qualified graduate practitioners has never been so high.

The Graduate Competencies Framework, introduced by the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network in 2018 and updated in 2020, has been implemented by 28 universities on their degree courses. These competencies aim to ensure that students are able to put their knowledge into practice. Following the recent consultation looking at the early childhood studies degrees Benchmark standards, there is recognition that degrees need to achieve greater consistency in order to meet current professional demands.

Meanwhile, it is hoped that the Government’s move to invest in more Initial Teacher Training places, as part of its Covid Education Recovery plan, will see the number of applicants continue to increase.

‘Attracting more degree students with a fresh approach’

Philippa Thompson, principal lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, and co-chair, Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network, says, ‘I believe greater recognition of being part of a specialised workforce will encourage more students into early years, but this goes both ways; we also need to support workplaces to understand what degree students bring to the nursery, and that’s a strong grounding in both theoretical knowledge and the practical skills that come from hands-on practical experience.

‘We also need a greater understanding from the DfE as to what our students are learning through their studies and what they can actually do – you can’t just push the agenda without showing a real understanding of the discipline. Of course, pay and conditions will always play a part too, and wages need to increase to show respect for hard work and qualifications gained. The incentive to study for better-paid careers is obviously a draw.

‘Early Childhood Studies degrees consider developing a wide-ranging understanding of practice across the world. The term early childhood is used rather than early years, as students study early childhood from conception to eight rather than birth to five. Degrees are not restricted to England and EYFS; as we want our students to be critical thinkers, taking a questioning approach to practice without having to think about frameworks.

‘Of course, some students will need a really good working knowledge of the EYFS, but we don’t all have to do it the same way, as there are many alternative approaches to learning and development. We encourage our students to be open to new ways of thinking, who question the approaches they take, who can see the power of play, and who can develop a child-led approach.

‘The recent consultation on the subject benchmark statements will help create greater consistency across degrees and certainly make them more fit for purpose, given their greater prominence to practical skills and our key areas of equality, diversity and inclusion – how are these approached, as well as embedding sustainability throughout all areas. We want our future practitioners to be creative in their thinking, and by bringing a fresh new feel, we can hopefully encourage more students into the sector.

‘For example, we recently brought our architecture and early childhood students together to work on designing an outdoor space for the university research nursery. They all met online to pool their ideas – this was during lockdown – then shared all their work with those developing the new nursery. It’s this type of creative thinking that develops critical thinkers.

‘Also, if more students are to be encouraged into early childhood, we need to show the sector as a challenging and exciting place to be. Running a Forest School module as part of the degree, you often hear, “No, Philippa, it’s cold outside!” Then by the end, that’s all changed to, “I want to work outdoors forever!” This is what we need, to show early childhood as the challenging, unpredictable, fun place it is.’

‘Why I’m still studying…’

Ricky Bullen is a pedagogy coach, part of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)’s Learning and Development team. Ricky initially took an LEYF foundation degree course and is now working for a (BA) full degree.

He says, ‘The LEYF degree course proved very beneficial to me both career-wise, and in helping me think about the whole, broader concept of early years. There was a strong focus on play, in line with the LEYF pedagogy; not just looking at new games to play, but asking ourselves how we define the very nature of play itself.

‘We were encouraged to question our motivations and career choices, asking where we thought we would be best suited within the organisation. We looked at career opportunities within the sector, what these involved and further training opportunities.

‘While studying, I worked as pedagogy mentor, and have since moved to the role of pedagogy coach, which is perfect for me as I love supporting others to reach their full potential.

‘For me, the reason early years is looked on as a less accomplished area of the education sector is simple – poor pay. How will we be looked on as equal to other areas of the workforce if we’re not considered worth paying well? But, better training and qualifications are at least a big step in the right direction. I never knew anyone who had a degree when I was growing up.

‘I’m still studying with LEYF, working towards my Level 6, which is a BA top-up, then, hopefully in the future, a Master’s. I’m staying with LEYF though – they’re not getting rid of me that easily.’

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