A population boom coupled with the imminent arrival of free childcare provision for two-year-olds is cranking up the pressure on early years settings across England. Now, added to the mix, the government has created two flagship qualifications for early years settings in England in its drive to boost the quality and status of childcare practitioners. Its More Great Childcare report put the roles of early years teachers and early years educators at the heart of the childcare reforms.
Early years teachers (EYTs) will replace the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) programme, which was launched in 2007 to produce well-trained and well-qualified practitioners. The government has pledged that existing early years professionals will be seen as the equivalent of early years teachers when it comes to recruitment and status, and will not be expected to do any further training.
"Early years teachers will be introduced to build upon the strengths of the Early Years Professional Status programme," stated the Department for Education. They will be "specialists in early childhood development, trained to work with babies and young children from birth to five" and will meet "the same entry requirements and pass the same skills test as trainee primary school teachers".
The department this month published the standards, or minimum requirements, for the new qualifications. In broad terms, EYTs will have to set high expectations that inspire, motivate and challenge all children; promote good progress; demonstrate good knowledge of early learning; plan education and care according to children's needs; safeguard and promote children's welfare; and carry out accurate assessments, which include the progress check for two-year-olds.
Given the childcare profession has long felt undervalued, it may seem a step in the right direction. However, despite having to undergo the same skills tests as primary school teachers, early years teachers will not enjoy Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Foundations for quality
More Great Childcare was intended to be a response to Professor Cathy Nutbrown's government-commissioned report on early years qualifications, Foundations for Quality. This called for an increase in the number of qualified teachers with specialist early years knowledge, and Level 3 as the minimum qualification standard for the entire workforce (equivalent to A-level standard).
Nutbrown had originally called for an early years specialist to hold an early years-related degree such as Early Childhood Studies followed by a postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE). However, the early years teachers are not required to follow a PGCE course. "Because my recommendation on QTS was not accepted, the hoped-for parity with primary and secondary school teachers will not be realised," says Professor Nutbrown, who fears the decision will create a "two-tier status for 'teachers'".
She also questions whether early years professionals are simply being renamed and says it is "insulting" if so. Nutbrown is worried about the implications of having EYTs who will be told they are not qualified to teach children in year 1 at school and cannot achieve the promotion and pay available to teachers of older children. She adds: "Why is the title 'teacher' being used to mean something quite different from the commonly understood, established and accepted meaning?"
Penny Tassoni, president of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey) echoes the wish for EYTs to have qualified teacher status and therefore parity with school teachers. "It made me feel disheartened as it wasn't Cathy Nutbrown's vision. She did some fantastic consultation and said early years teachers should be specialists in their areas. I feel we have short-changed the profession," says Tassoni.
Some question whether it is desirable to achieve named teacher status. London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) chief executive June O'Sullivan says: "Teaching in the early years is much more subtle and not so formal as schools. On the other hand, if we want equal status, this might help to broker it."
The training programmes for people wishing to become early years teachers begin in September 2013. Entry requirements will be a degree plus GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in English, mathematics and science.
Early years educators
Alongside this change is the advent of early years educators (EYEs), and the aim of the reforms is that most staff working in early years hold this status. The role of the early years educator sets out to replace the myriad early years qualifications, which are said to confuse both employers and parents. Training programmes for EYEs will begin in September 2014.
EYEs will be specialists with a Level 3 qualification approved by the Teaching Agency. They will often be expected to act as assistants to early years teachers and have at least GCSE grade C in English and maths. The new standards for this role include supporting and promoting children's early education and development; planning and providing effective care, teaching and learning that enables children to progress and prepares them for school; and safeguarding and promoting the health, safety and welfare of children.
The maths and English GCSE requirements for EYEs have caused some concern in the sector. Pacey's Tassoni, like many, believes qualifications are a good way of raising the status of the profession. However, she says: "I wouldn't like to see it being used as a barrier to prevent more mature people getting jobs in childcare. But we should be showing that childcare is a career to aspire to and it is not a default option. It is a sector that requires fast-thinking, reactive staff. But there are plenty of capable people working in childcare and it is a shame if we create barriers."
LEYF's O'Sullivan also has doubts: "I have no objection to setting a benchmark, but there is no guarantee or robust evidence to show that having maths and English GCSEs will give the practitioner the right literacy and numeracy skills. I am not sure it is the right marker."
Aside from not conferring qualified teacher status to the new early years teachers, the sector has also been critical of the omission of learning through play from the standards for the new roles. This is despite the fact that play is a key element of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for under-fives. The sole mention of the word play in the standards comes in relation to the early years educator qualification, which should cover "purposeful play opportunities and educational programmes which include the learning and development areas of current early education requirements".
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, says: "We are dismayed that the government has chosen to ignore the advice of qualified and experienced early years and childcare practitioners and make no explicit reference to learning through play in both of these qualifications.
"In our consultation responses to the government, we stressed the importance of referring to learning through play in these qualifications, as this is the cornerstone of high-quality early years provision in this country. That the government has chosen to ignore such a key foundation of early years practice is a grave concern."
Leitch is also unhappy that the early years educator qualification contains no explicit reference to working with children with special educational needs, nor to the rights of the child. However, he adds: "We are glad to note that the qualification now includes requirements about diversity and equality, which were previously absent, and that the role of EYEs is to promote young children's speech, language and communication development rather than direct development in these areas."
Another worry is how nurseries, pre-schools and children's centres are going to afford to employ these well-qualified staff, with most settings struggling on already tight budgets. "This will increase staffing costs for providers and therefore additional investment will be needed to ensure take-up," says 4Children chief executive Anne Longfield.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, echoes her concerns: "A more highly qualified workforce has been shown to offer better outcomes for children. However, nurseries need the right support to invest in staff qualifications; our recent business performance survey showed that fewer than 50 per cent of nurseries expect to make a surplus this year and that 76 per cent of nurseries have seen training offered by their local authority reduced or significantly reduced due to spending cuts."
Funded training places
While the government has yet to address this issue directly, it is investing some money into the qualifications through funded training places to practitioners working in early years settings in "areas of deprivation". This appears to be a recognition that the two new roles are integral to the delivery of free childcare for disadvantaged two-year-olds, which comes into effect in September.
In a letter to all local authorities in England, childcare minister Elizabeth Truss said: "The evidence shows that the success of the early learning for two-year-olds programme will depend on places being of the highest quality. The government's wider reform programme will raise the status and quality of the workforce by introducing early years teacher and early years educator qualifications and free up local authorities from unnecessary duties, so that they can focus on championing the needs of children, especially the most disadvantaged."
The focus on the new free entitlement is certain to shape existing practitioners' training requirements. LEYF's O'Sullivan says: "A lot of our CPD (continuing professional development) will be focused on the disadvantaged two-year-olds and getting parental involvement. We will also be targeting child development, language and vocabulary."
Truss believes the new qualifications "will mean parents and employers can have more confidence in the quality of the staff looking after their children". While scepticism about the reforms persist in the sector, that would certainly be a worthwhile outcome.
BECOMING AN EARLY YEARS TEACHER
There will be four pathways to achieve early years teacher status:
Early Years Teacher Programme: Graduate Practitioner Pathway - six months part time; suitable for graduates working in the sector.
Early Years Teacher Programme: Undergraduate Practitioner Pathway - 12 months part time; for practitioners working in the sector who hold a Level 5 qualification (Foundation Degree).
Early Years Teacher Programme: Graduate Entry Pathway - 12 months full time; for graduates in any discipline who have a limited experience of working with children aged up to five, but would like to pursue a career in early years.
Early Years Teacher Programme: Undergraduate Entry Pathway - 12 months full time; for undergraduates in their final or penultimate year of a degree in Early Childhood Studies.
Entry requirements will be a degree plus GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in English, mathematics and science. From September 2014, they will have to pass the same skills test as classroom teacher trainees before they start their courses. Practitioners working in disadvantaged areas will be prioritised in terms of funding from the Department for Education for the programme. Childminders can apply to go on the EYT programme but they will have to show they can lead and support other practitioners. Training for EYTs will begin in September 2013.
BECOMING AN EARLY YEARS EDUCATOR
Early years educators will be expected to have at least a C grade in GCSE English and mathematics before they can go on a Level 3 training course. The course is estimated to take around two years. Training for the EYE Level 3 qualification will begin in September 2014.
