EYPS in association with
Outstanding Professional Development
Delivering beg425er outcomes for children
Strength in numbers
With over 3,000 early years professionals already in the workforce, and programmes fully subscribed for
this term, it is reassuring that the quality of candidates continues to impress tutors and mentors.
G
OOD NEWS for Early Years Professional determination, and their impressive capacity to meet
Status (EYPS), we now have over 3,000 the challenges they face. We would like to introduce
professionals across the country and you to Tania, who is currently on our full training
CWDC reports that all providers were pathway. She decided to make a positive career
fully subscribed for September 2009. At Best Practice change from medicine to early years and is confi dent
Network we have taken some time to refl ect on our in her decision to take this new direction:
experience of working on the EYPS programme. ‘I originally trained to be a doctor and worked in
Tutors on our programmes are continually medicine for a year after graduating, but knew long
impressed with the expertise, talent and commitment before that that it was not something that I really
to improving children’s life chances of the EYPS wanted to pursue. I was looking for something that
Maureen Lee
candidates they are supporting. At course sessions they I felt was equally worthwhile, because that is very
are buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm, always looking important to me. I had been very impressed by the
is director of
for new and better ways of working. Th ey bring the idea of Sure Start Children’s Centres, which I had
development and
39 standards to life by identifying and sharing their come across during my time in medicine.
learning at Best Practice
strengths, and those areas of the standards where they ‘It was through Sure Start that I found out
Network and leads on
need to focus more sharply to improve their provision. about EYPS and the opportunity to train to work
training for the EYPS
In expressing their leadership and support for with children from birth to fi ve. Th e Best Practice
colleagues, EYPS candidates implicitly show that Network full pathway was attractive because it is
they are leading and supporting practice. Th ey use so fl exible and I could retrain in just a year. I am
those skills to support and challenge others in their on a steep learning curve and I do not always get
EYPS groups, for example, when someone is feeling everything right, but I am enjoying the challenge. I
overwhelmed or less positive than their usual self. feel it is a real privilege to be working with such little
But the challenge for many aspiring EYPs is to people and it is a much more joyful environment
express examples of their leadership and support than I was used to before.
more explicitly – the early years sector is known for its ‘I feel there is great scope with EYPS. It seems
teamworking approach and this often makes it diffi cult it has the potential to open many diff erent doors,
for candidates to think specifi cally about their own role including those which could encompass my other
in bringing about improvements in their setting. interests, such as health education, supporting new
Th ey think ‘we’ before ‘I’. But to achieve EYPS mothers, teaching swimming and encouraging
they need to be able to pull out the ‘I’ aspects from children to be outdoors.
collective eff orts, while still demonstrating and leading ‘I would encourage any graduate who is committed
teamwork and collaboration. Not an easy challenge. to working with very young children and their families
On the longer programmes tutors and mentors to consider the 12-month full pathway to EYPS. You
visit candidates in their settings. Th ey are delighted to also need the confi dence to lead other practitioners
see candidates in action and to meet colleagues and in improving their practice – EYPs need to be able to
managers. Th e visits demonstrate that, as a provider, sensitively and supportively encourage, guide and train
we are working closely with the settings to ensure that others in the settings where they train and later work.’
candidates get all the support and opportunities they As Tania moves toward setting visit assessments,
need to work successfully towards EYPS. we have refl ected again on the assessment process.
Some (but not all) candidates enter the full training EYPS is unique because it has a common assessment
pathway with very little experience of working with process for candidates on all pathways, whether
young children and know they have a great deal to the purpose of assessment is to validate many years
learn. Th ey bring with them high level interpersonal experience of working with young children or quality
and communication skills, prior experience of assuring new entrants to the profession.
leading and supporting in other contexts and, most Th is is a real strength – everyone must demonstrate
of all, commitment to learning and developing – all achievement of all standards, across the age groups
essential ingredients for achieving success as an EYP. (babies, toddlers, young children) and the two
Our full training pathway candidates are a very dimensions of personal practice, leadership and
important part of our EYPS provision. We have support. It brings integrity to the programme and
been very impressed with their commitment and status, and provides national consistency. eye
10 Originally published in eye Volume 11 No 8 December 2009
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