Opinion

Jane Harris: 'The Government must reinstate its Early Years Professional Development Programme'

Viewpoint
The Government must reconsider its decision to shut down the Early Years Professional Development Programme and reinstate this lifeline for early learner educators, writes Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK.

With a heavy heart, I recently wrote a letter to thank the dedicated staff who took part in the Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP), expressing deep gratitude for their unwavering professionalism, hard work and the extraordinary good they have accomplished. 

Over two years, this programme has reached more than a 100,000 children — helping their speech and language and personal, social and emotional development. And the staff who took part now have the skills to help more children, making it a sound, strategic investment. 

The training programme gave early years staff new skills in language and communication, personal, social and emotional development and early maths. When polled, 93 per cent of participants said they would recommend the programme, a testament to its effectiveness. And many reported how Ofsted praised their use of EYPDP strategies and best practices. 

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Early Years Educator

Munich (Landkreis), Bayern (DE)

Deputy Manager

Play Out Nursery in Ipswich

Nursery Practitioner

Play Out Nursery in Ipswich