Qualification Levels: Part 4 - Into the light

In the early years sector, Level 4 has tended to stay out of the spotlight. A Level 5 apprenticeship joined existing apprenticeships at Level 2 and 3 in August, but there are no current plans to develop an apprenticeship at Level 4. ‘Traditionally a Level 5 qualification is management level, so that’s why the Level 5 apprenticeship has been developed as opposed to a Level 4,’ explains Julie Hyde, director of external and regulatory affairs at awarding body NCFE Cache.

‘Level 4 is a bit of a Cinderella qualification,’ says Jill Taplin, course co-ordinator for the North of England Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies Programme. Since September 2014, Level 4 early years qualifications must meet the Early Years Educator (EYE) criteria if staff are to be counted in the EYFS staff:child ratios at Level 3. There are only a handful of ‘full and relevant’ qualifications at this level, including qualifications in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood studies and Montessori early childhood practice and pedagogy. To count in the ratios, staff holding an EYE qualification must also have achieved suitable Level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications.

Deeper study

Level 4 qualifications are important because they allow students to immerse themselves more deeply in their studies, says Taplin. ‘There is a Level 3 qualification covering some aspects of Steiner, but some students find it frustrating because it doesn’t go into what is behind the approach,’ she explains.

‘Most of our students are “second career-ers”, some of them have postgraduate qualifications, so they are coming into the sector with a lot of knowledge,’ says Preeti Patel, head of education at Montessori Centre International (MCI). ‘We wanted to develop a qualification where they felt they were being challenged academically.’

‘Our recruitment profile is quite different to the average person coming into Level 2 or 3,’ explains Karen Chetwynd, MCI’s director of academic quality and partnerships. ‘They are often already at a level where they want to stand on their own and perhaps run their own establishment, so a Level 4 was necessary.’

At the time the Level 4 qualification was being developed, there was not the same focus on Level 5 as there is now, she says. ‘The level four gives them a lot of scope and scale. They can really do quite a lot with it, it goes very in-depth and in the end it means that they feel comfortable and confident to hold senior roles as necessary.’

Montessori

MCI worked with awarding bodies CACHE and the Crossfields Institute to develop specialist Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications in Montessori pedagogy. Until September this year, all centres delivering these qualifications have registered through Crossfields, but centres can now register with NCFE directly to deliver the qualifications.

‘We hope that by enabling centres to register learners through NCFE directly, it will lessen their administrative burden and streamline processes,’ says Janet King, sector manager for education and childcare at Cache.

The Level 4 Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy – Birth to Seven is currently delivered directly by MCI, offering the qualification through NCFE Cache, and Westwood Training and Consultancy, working with Crossfields.

MCI is open for applications at a variety of locations, called Host Centres, which offer a blended learning experience.

After completing the Level 4, students often get more involved in continuous professional development rather than upscaling to a Level 5 qualification, says Patel. ‘Most of them already hold degrees, so that is not necessarily a route they want to follow again – but some do carry on, and progression routes are much more widely available than in the past,’ she says.

Steiner Waldorf

The Level 4 Diploma in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies is a part-time course delivered from centres in London and York. ‘A lot of applicants are mothers and need that part-time option,’ says Suzanne Leek, administrator and lead IQA for The London Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies.

The programme is aimed at those without recognised early years qualifications intending to apply for an assistantship in a Waldorf kindergarten, practitioners wanting to become a group leader in a Waldorf kindergarten in the future, and those working in mainstream education who want to know more about Waldorf principles and practice. In August this year, responsibility for the qualification passed from NCFE CACHE to the Crossfields Institute, which had been involved in its development.

Care has been taken to choose inspiring and nurturing venues, and both courses include study days and residentials. Course content aims to strike a balance between the study of Waldorf principles and practice and an artistic programme including singing, playing the lyre, drawing, painting, basket making, handwork and craft.

Previously delivered completely face-to-face, trainers are looking to continue with some online elements first introduced due to the pandemic. ‘The induction to the course was six days residential, now it is four days, followed by an online weekend session,’ says Taplin. ‘For those who are parents, six days away from children can be very difficult.’

Students take part in 100 hours of placements, and assessment takes place through a range of methods, including written assignments, observations, assessed discussions, and evaluations of artistic work presentations. The qualification itself is a simple pass or fail, but students also receive grades. ‘We want them to have that feedback especially if they are considering going on to more academic routes,’ says Taplin.

The course takes two years to complete, but can be stretched out to four years if circumstances make it necessary. ‘Sometimes people go and have a baby and reappear,’ says Taplin. Students tend to be self-funded or funded by their settings, although last year, first-year students were able to access some one-off bursary money donated by a German software company. Year 2 students can take out interest-free loans offered by a Steiner-inspired charity.

CPD

There are also a range of Level 4 qualifications that are designed to support Level 3-qualified practitioners to further their knowledge. ‘In our portfolio of qualifications we have a Level 4 Certificate for the Early Years Advanced Practitioner, which a lot of practitioners will do to give them that higher-level qualification that expands their knowledge and gives them continuous professional development, but in a more formalised way,’ says Hyde.

Other qualifications cover special education needs, physical activity and nutrition, and working with parents, allowing practitioners to specialise and drive change in their settings.

Level 4 students – Sharie Zhang and Andrew Hayward-Rutter

Sharie Zhang started the Level 4 Diploma in Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Studies when her second child started school. ‘I found the Waldorf perspective very interesting.’ she says. ‘The fact that the qualification is recognised means I can work in mainstream settings, which is important as I have no Waldorf kindergartens near me.’

Zhang was a little intimidated by the thought of the residentials, but ultimately found them inspiring, giving an opportunity to meet people from many different backgrounds. She felt the artistic programme gave her a chance to open up. ‘Before, I felt it was just my brain that was working, but afterwards I felt like my heart and body were waking up, I felt more whole,’ she says.

Zhang already held a PhD in biology, but she did not have the required level of qualification in English to count in Level 3 ratios, so took a GCSE in English language alongside the diploma. She now works as an agency teaching assistant, working with Reception and nursery-aged children. ‘I let children take their time, if they are upset I give them emotional support,’ she says.

Andrew Hayward-Rutter studied for his Level 4 diploma in 2018 and 2019 and went on to take his Level 5 last year. He became interested in alternative approaches to early education after working as an au pair. ‘I was interested in the curriculum the course offered, and the part-time delivery worked for me,’ he says. He was able to gain a paid position as a teaching assistant, working with three- to six-year-olds, allowing him to combine his placement requirement with paid work.

Hayward-Rutter, who already held a degree in biology, says he particularly liked the craft and handiwork activities. ‘I also liked looking at tech and media and how it affects child development,’ he says. He now works as lead teacher in a small Steiner Waldorf kindergarten in Norfolk, supported by an assistant. He wants to continue working in early years in alternative provision, and would like to bump up his Level 5 to a Level 6. ‘But a lot of courses are very expensive, and I am not sure if it is worth all that money.’