Liverpool Hope University College opened the Centre for Early Years Management and Leadership with 50 students enrolled on early years management programmes, including a foundation degree in management childcare provision, developed with the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses, and a nursery management degree course.
Petra Luck, lecturer in business and management, said, 'We are passionate about quality and firmly believe that managers of early years have a key role to play in delivering outstanding provision. This centre is set up to allow leading practitioners to share their knowledge and understanding and to provide a resource for those managing early years.'
The centre has arisen out of a partnership including the National Day Nurseries Association, PANNand nursery group Busy Bees. Its visiting professor is John West-Burnham, a world expert on educational leadership.
It has two lecturers and a research assistant and will draw on staff from the college's Management and Business Centre.
The centre hopes to attract early years practitioners who would not normally consider a higher education qualification. Many students are sponsored by their employers or by early years partnerships.
Meanwhile, the National College of School Leadership is to offer the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership to private sector providers.
There are 400 places, open to leaders or aspiring leaders of integrated children's centres, leaders or deputy leaders of early excellence centres and leaders of early years extended services in schools, on the fully funded one-year course, which starts in September. The closing date for applications is 17 June.
For details see www.ncsl.org. uk/npqicl or call 0845 601 3032.
To be eligible applicants must be , such as Sure Start centres, neighbourhood nurseries and nursery schools, designated or nominated as children's centres. The course is also open to leaders or deputy leaders of early excellence centres and leaders or co-ordinators of early years extended services in schools. A spokesman confirmed that the deadline for applications has been extended to 17 June.
The college is also half-way through a three-year European project, funded by Leonardo. In September students from Bulgaria, Finland, Northern Ireland and the UK start a one-year pilot course to study for the degree-level certificate in European Early Years Management.