Analysis: New Level 3 is unveiled
A qualifications shake-up and the latest on inspections were the hot topics, reports Ruth Thomson.
Plans to develop a new Level 3 qualification were announced at the Nursery World EYFS: Six Months On conference in London last week, attended by more than 270 delegates from across the country.
The new qualification is seen as key to streamlining the current number of Level 3 qualifications and helping the sector meet the Government target that all staff be qualified to Level 3 from 2015.
The target is currently an 'aim', but the Government is considering making it a 'requirement' - an intention first flagged up in the recently published Next Steps for Early Learning and Childcare - Building on the Ten-Year Strategy (see Nursery World, 4 February).
Making the announcement, Pauline Jones, Early Years National Programme Manager at the Children's Workforce Development Council, acknowledged the complexity of the qualifications system, with its five related frameworks.
But, she added, 'try to envisage a world where there is one qualification. There would be so much clarity and we would be able to ensure the quality of that qualification much more easily than the situation we are currently in, where there are more than 300 qualifications.
'By developing one qualification that can be achieved in bite-size chunks, we believe we have the opportunity to overcome many of the issues that have been in the sector for some time.'
The second workforce target - to have an Early Years Professional in every setting by 2015 - may too become a 'requirement', and will be no less easy to achieve.
Ms Jones explained, 'We think we would need 20,000 EYPs by 2015 to enable every early years setting to have one EYP. An NDNA survey identified that currently, 19 per cent of PVI settings have someone with EYP status, so we have a long way to go. But what we have achieved so far is amazing, given the timescales.'
But a comment from the floor showed the extent to which financial pressures on providers may thwart Government goals. One provider said, 'Until the Government takes pay and conditions seriously and takes advice about what it really costs to run a nursery, then they (providers) will look at these qualifications and say "Why? Why bother?"'
INSPECTION
Don't write so much in your Self-Evaluation Form, was one tip from Ofsted's Liz Elsom, divisional manager for children's policy and frameworks. This message was reiterated by Beth Harris of Childcare Consultancy, advising on how to complete the SEF.
'Our early evaluation is that people are putting far too much in forms,' Ms Elsom told delegates. 'Really, it is about picking a few examples to show where you are, rather than describing everything that you do. So, please don't write so much.'
Other tips were: be specific; be concise; if possible, submit it online (it's easy to update); and consider using your old inspection report as a starting point.
As to how settings are faring under the new system, Ms Elsom said, 'It's too early to say what patterns are emerging. Our early impressions are that good and outstanding providers aren't having any problems with the EYFS, but providers who are just about satisfactory and who may sometimes dip down to unsatisfactory are finding it more difficult to get satisfactory. But those are just emerging feelings, rather than based on absolute evidence.'
Ms Elsom also pointed out that Ofsted has now changed the way it deals with the weakest providers. Rather than reinspecting them quickly, those under 'Inadequate 2' are now placed on a monitoring programme, and revisited every three months or so.
QUALITY
What is quality? And how do you deliver it? These two questions were central to many of the presentations, case studies and workshops of the day.
A common theme for speakers was the need for practitioners to familiarise themselves with the theories of early years practice.
'The EYFS is littered with links to research and theory, but unless practitioners know why theories are important, they might be tempted to skip over them and place less importance on their meaning,' said Jools Page, lecturer and programme leader for the MA in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sheffield. 'It is only when practitioners have an understanding of theory that they can translate it into their everyday practice.'
Practitioners were also urged to understand the language of early years practice and apply it in appropriate ways. Among the words currently causing confusion are 'assessment', 'outcomes' and 'child-initiated'.
'There are lots of words in education-speak,' said Jan Dubiel, EYFS programme leader at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. 'We need to reappropriate them, and take ownership of them and apply them in a way that makes sense to us.
'Let's be clear, assessment is about knowing your children; it's not about recording. As for child-initiated learning, it's the most important part of what children do, because that's the moment in which they take ownership of their learning.'
Mr Dubiel said the document Progress Matters, due out at the end of May, 'is designed to give sensible, workable, manageable support in using data to demonstrate progress and track children's development.'
And the QCA is preparing a questionnaire to evaluate the EYFS. 'Please, please, contribute to it,' urged Mr Dubiel. 'It will give you a direct voice in influencing what happens and it give us a clear picture of how to take things forward.'
MORE INFORMATION
Forthcoming sources of information to help settings in their practice include:
'National Strategies - Early Years Quality Improvement Support Programme (QISP)' (http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/123129)
A DVD looking at leadership and the role of EYPs from the CWDC
Good practice examples of the SEF later in the year from Ofsted
EYFS POLL RESULTS
To kick off the conference, the 270 delegates were asked to vote on four questions. Here are the results:
1. For all delegates
Do you believe that the EYFS is helping to improve the quality of early years provision?
51% said very much
26% said a bit
2% said not at all
21% said too soon to tell
2. For local authority delegates only
Do you feel that your local authority has provided enough training on the EYFS for early years providers?
43% said yes
46% said no
10% said not sure
3. For childcare providers only
Do you feel that your local authority has provided enough training on the EYFS?
26% said yes
70% said no
4% said not sure
4. For all delegates
Are local authority targets for outcomes under the EYFS compromising care and quality of provision?
42% said yes
58% said no
