I am a qualified nursery nurse and have also trained and worked as a state-certified midwife and a neonatal nursing sister. I have set up and run a private nursery for eight years.
My management experience includes a working knowledge of employment law, finance, health and safety regulations, staffing and child protection issues. I understand the theories of child development from a multidisciplinary perspective. I have completed paperwork to comply with Ofsted regulations and the Children's Act.
I have experience in dealing with children with special educational needs.
I know about the Foundation Stage curriculum and the importance of learning through purposeful play, including effective planning, evaluation and documentation.
I would now like to work towards a higher qualification. I don't have any A-levels so I would have to spend two to three years doing a Foundation Degree/HND followed by a top-up to an honours degree, and a PGCE if I wanted to become a teacher. This would take four to five years.
So, it appears that all my experience is worth no more than A-levels! This means that I am at the same starting point for further study as an 18-year-old school leaver. I feel that there should be a fast-track system to a graduate qualification for people like myself.
Incidentally, I don't want Qualified Teacher Status in the traditional sense, but I do want to be more highly qualified in early years as this would be more relevant to my profession.
Alison Tomlinson, Fir Trees Kindergarten, Beverley, east Yorkshire
