Guide to EYE: Part 2 - Designed to fit

The latest drive to raise standards in childcare produced its first tangible results in the form of the official Early Years Educator (EYE) qualifications criteria. Published by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) in July 2013, they heralded the start of a new push to raise the workforce standards norm to Level 3, as conceived by Professor Cathy Nutbrown in her 2012 report.

Since then, awarding bodies have been busily designing courses. Pearson, CACHE and City & Guilds have all gained approval from both NCTL and qualifications regulator Ofqual - both of which are required for any qualification that includes 'EYE' in its title. Montessori Centre International (MCI) has also released details of a qualification approved by NCTL, but is awaiting sign-off from Ofqual (see box).

All the EYE qualifications meet the NCTL's criteria in full. But awarding bodies have also augmented areas of study and methods of training following consultation with early years employers, professional bodies and learning providers.

Pearson will offer three qualifications - two collegeand one work-based. The college-based BTEC routes have an emphasis on play. The decision to put play at the forefront was based on views expressed to Pearson during focus groups and one-to-one consultations with sector experts. Pearson BTEC business manager Ria Bhatta says sector representatives were keen to take part.

Among those consulted were former Nutbrown Review panel members. Ms Bhatta says Pearson returned to Nutbrown's review when designing the courses. 'One of her recommendations was that learners experience placements in a number of settings, so in the BTEC learners have to do a minimum of three in three different settings,' she says.

These conversations also revealed providers wanted to see EYEs have more than just an 'understanding' of further development from age five to seven, as NCTL criteria states. 'In the BTEC qualifications, we have a requirement that learners experience one of their placements with the five to seven age range; it was something employers told us was important, so we made it compulsory,' says Ms Bhatta.

Pearson will assess the work-based and college-based courses in different ways. BTECs include exams on child development, which are set and marked by the awarding body. Other units are accessed via assignments. Students also have to submit a Practical Evidence Portfolio, which Ms Bhatta describes as a log students complete during 750 compulsory hours of placements. 'The BTEC diploma has been awarded the highest number of UCAS points for any EYE qualification - the equivalent of three A levels,' she adds. This means students who pass the course can also use it as a route into higher education.

On the work-based route, students will complete assignments and submit a portfolio of evidence to be assessed by the childcare provider. 'Observations will also form a big feature of the qualification,' says Ms Bhatta.

CACHE will also offer one work-based and two college-based qualifications (one of which is awaiting NCTL approval). The Level 3 Diploma in EYE and Care course carries UCAS points and is designed to be wrapped around other GCSE learning programmes. It can also be studied as a certificate or award, to allow students to 'step-off' the course earlier should they wish to pursue other subjects. CACHE senior subject specialist Janet King says the organisation included this flexibility on recommendation from learning providers.

CACHE's consultations with teaching centres and employers revealed a desire for EYE qualifications to have more emphasis on caring for babies and children with additional needs. Ms King says these subjects were covered by optional units in CACHE's former Level 3 Childcare and Education Diploma.

'In all our new EYE diplomas, that knowledge of working with children from birth to seven is built-in,' says Ms King. 'One of the things Nutbrown said is the workforce generally isn't able to meet the requirements of a Level 3 role, and one of the reasons was that learners with little experience of very young children ended up working in a baby room. We've surpassed the requirements of NCTL with that in mind.' CACHE's courses also have an emphasis on play.

When assessing EYE students, CACHE will use a combination of external assessment and internally-graded assignments. In the work-based qualification and the EYE and Care Diploma, students must pass mandatory units and complete a longitudinal study. Students on this diploma route must also complete three externally set and marked assessments. On the second course, the Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education, however, students must produce a reflective study, which is externally set and marked. This requires students to choose two different-aged children and complete a series of four observations on each.

'Each time learners are looking at a unique area of development,' says Ms King. 'They may choose social or cognitive development, for example. They're not only growing personally, because they have to work in partnership, but engaging with theoretical perspectives, philosophical approaches and current frameworks.'

City & Guilds is offering two EYE qualifications, one college-based and one work-based. As an awarding body that predominantly delivers apprenticeships, the college-based course is new territory. For this reason, neither course currently carries UCAS points. However, City & Guilds HSC and children portfolio adviser Suzi Gray says this may change in the future.

The provider consulted with more than 100 sector experts when designing the courses. The results displayed a desire for EYE qualifications to emphasise play, additional needs, observation and assessment and child development.

Neither of City & Guilds' qualifications include optional units. Ms Gray says this decision responds to employers' comments that too many learners arriving at a job believed they had learned everything they needed in college. 'Learners had a mix of optional units that actually wasn't really of value to that employer at that time,' she says. 'Employers were keen to make sure the EYE qualification qualified them in the first instance - generally they thought the continuing professional development aspect was picked up post-qualifying.'

Ms Gray says City & Guild's workplace qualification is unique because three out of 17 mandatory units are at Level 4. The course will be assessed by students submitting four mandatory assignments on child development, observation and assessment, theory and safeguarding. The observation and assessment assignment takes the form of a longitudinal study. Ms Gray says the rigour of this approach responds to Nutbrown's desire for qualifying early years practitioners to be rigorously assessed.

The college-based qualification has nine mandatory units. Students must submit a portfolio of evidence and sit two exams at the end of the two-year course.

MCI's EYE qualification is the first from Montessori to be approved by NCTL. The body will offer teaching on a part-time basis via its London colleges or online distance learning. It is still awaiting approval from Ofqual.

QUALIFICATIONS

Pearson

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate in Children's Play, Learning and Development (EYE) (VRQ), college-based, up to 280 UCAS points, www.edexcel.com/quals/btec-nat-cpld-14/Pages/default.aspx;

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development (EYE) (VRQ), college-based, up to 420 UCAS points (link above);

Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Diploma in Children's Learning and Development (EYE) (QCF), work-based, no UCAS points http://pearsonwbl.edexcel.com/quals/NVQ-competence-based-qcf/ cld-eye/Pages/default.aspx

Cache

Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care (EYE) (VRQ), college-based, 280 UCAS points, www.cache.org.uk/Qualifications/EYE/Pages/CACHE-Level-3-Diploma-in-Early-Years-Education-and-Care-(Early-Years- Educator).aspx;

Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Workforce (EYE) (QCF), work-based, no UCAS points, www.cache.org.uk/Qualifications/EYE/Pages/CACHE-Level-3-Diploma-for-the-Early-Years-Workforce-(Early-Years-Educator)-(QCF)-.aspx;

Level 3 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Childcare & Education (EYE) (VRQ) (TBC), college-based, UCAS points pending approval (qualification awaiting approval from NCTL), www.cache.org.uk/Qualifications/EYE/Pages/CACHE-Level-3-Award,-Certificate-and-Diploma-in-Child-Care-Education-(Early-Years-Educator)- (TBC).aspx

City & Guilds

City & Guilds Level 3 (Technical) Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner (EYE) (VRQ), college-based, UCAS points pending, http://www.cityandguilds.com/qualifications-and-apprenticeships/children/children-and-young-people/3605-early-years-practitioner-early-years-educator#tab=information&acc=level3;

City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner (EYE) (QCF), work-based, no UCAS points (link above)

Montessori

Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy -Birth to Seven (EYE) Level 3 and Level 4, college-based or distance learning, no UCAS points, http://www.montessori.org.uk/mci_training/mci_courses_award/early_childhood_diploma.

Part 3, published on 11 August, will look at the Pearson qualifications in detail