Work Matters: New Leaders in Early Years Programme - Right on target?

Small in scale but big in funding, the New Leaders in Early Years programme was recently unveiled with a flourish by the Children's Workforce Development Council as a positive indicator of the Government's commitment to the sector.

Tuition fees are covered as part of the package. Students also receive a bursary of £8,000 in the first year and a working wage of about £17,000 in the second. At the end of the twoyear course, candidates graduate with an MA in Early Years and Early Years Professional Status.

It all sounds very encouraging, but the devil is in the detail. Those who have checked out the eligibility criteria will know that not only is an upper second or first class honours degree required, but it should also be 'in a subject predominantly unrelated to childhood studies'.

In the words of one poster on the Nursery World forum, 'So leaders in early years will have no previous experience in childcare, no relevant degree, and this will help us how?'

AIM OF THE PROGRAMME

Thom Crabbe, national manager for early years and disability at the CWDC (right), reiterates that in essence, the programme is about injecting new blood into the sector.

'It is about attracting those who might not have considered this specialism before,' he says. 'While we want to attract people who come from good academic backgrounds, we also want those with the personal aptitudes and skills we are looking for.'

He points out there are funded routes to Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) available for those with an Early Childhood Studies (ECS) degree, and these pathways have recently been increased to accommodate a wider range of individuals, at different levels.

'For EYPS, course fees are met and paid for, and different course formats have different funding implications,' he says. 'We have 4,000 new candidates for 2010-11 and will have 8,000 by the end of the year. Life beyond this is contingent on the spending review, but momentum is steady.'

Undoubtedly the biggest objection to the New Leaders programme from those posting on the Nursery World forum has been that the programme excludes those with an ECS degree.

Thom Crabbe says, 'We take this point, but those with an ECS degree are not the target for this programme, and we need to be clear in the way we talk about what it is intended to achieve.'

So how should one interpret the 'New' of the title? Seen in a positive light, it suggests that new people, from outside of the early years sector, will be brought in to add value - rather than suggesting that existing specialists will be superseded.

'There was lots of deliberation about the name, and historically there are always issues around professional sectors targeting new entrants,' says Mr Crabbe. 'It is true that many who graduate with an ECS degree and who go on to do a master's will not have the programme's level of funding. But this has a particular aim and purpose in mind.

'There is a benefit in bringing people into the environment from different backgrounds. They bring different skills and a fresh way of looking at things. The full EYPS pathway has met with similar opposition, but it has had a positive impact. At the end of the day, there is progression and all views and opinions are important.'

He adds, 'Candidates will not just be people who have recently graduated - they can be in an age range of 21 to 61, as long as they have the credentials. We will be trying to get the balance right.'

Meanwhile, the track record of similar initiatives suggests that they have a quantifiable impact.

Mr Crabbe says, 'Teach First has had good results and is continuing to grow. We want to show how you can develop good practice through this kind of pitch.

'Assessment is going to be very competitive. There will be a strong focus on people working in settings where there are challenges in helping children to succeed. They will be expected to work in environments where they can most powerfully make a difference. They will work in settings and communities where the effects of good practice can be profound.'

RAISING THE STATUS

Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent has a thriving Early Childhood Studies department and is clearly delighted to have won the tender to deliver the programme.

Dr Catherine Meehan, programme director (right), reports that there has had to be some accountability to the university's ECS students but stresses there are other opportunities for them.

'Existing early years specialists have pathways with EYPS being built in to ECS degrees offered at our university,' she says. 'Many of our students working at different levels are already working in nurseries and are eligible for different pathways with bursaries attached.'

She points out that many of the ECS degrees are multi-disciplinary and graduates may pursue a variety of professions including police work, social work, teaching, playwork, research and working with children in galleries and museums.

'The Kent and Medway area is well positioned to offer a rich range of placements across nurseries, childminders, children's centres and PVI settings,' she says. 'We are aiming for a range of placements in rural and urban areas, with an emphasis on areas of disadvantage.'

At the application stage, candidates will be screened and are then invited to assessment days at the centre, where tools that are 'tried and tested' will be used to gauge their suitability.

'It is very important that candidates buy into it wholeheartedly,' says Ms Meehan. 'It is a two-year course which is extremely intensive, giving candidates a master's degree and EYPS. In the second year the course will provide employment.'

She believes the initiative follows the lead CWDC has taken to improve the status of the whole workforce, where improvement is ongoing at grassroots level. Those on the New Leaders programme will benefit from the expertise and reach of the university.

'Our department of childhood studies is a large one, with strong community and local authority links which provide a range of valuable placements,' says Ms Meehan. 'Our selection panel comprises stakeholders including representatives from the NCMA, local authority and PVI settings, some of whom double up as verifiers and assessors for EYPS. This representation will ensure that the course delivers a strong practical application and is not just about academic credentials.'

Dr Meehan herself has experience of working with children in a range of settings in her native Australia before becoming an academic. She says, 'I have a personal interest in the individual candidates, in terms of who they are and where they have come from. There will be some very interesting profiles which will be useful for the wider profession.'

CWDC's Thom Crabbe agrees. 'New Leaders may be a small programme, but we expect to learn much from it. We are certainly listening to the comments on the NW forum. We hope the programme will be seen in the context of its appeal and focus, and as a small-scale initiative that can make a big contribution.'

ONLINE AT NW ...

'So all those people currently studying for early years degrees clearly are not the best - how sad that actually knowing and understanding your job through education and experience is belittled.'

- Joshuajones

'The requirement of a degree in the childcare sector raises the sector to the same level as other professions, where the first degree simply denotes that the applicant has a nominal "degree" of intelligence. It is the second and third degree which count for the rest of the employment world. Are we saying the childcare sector should be different? Are we saying that people who are not intelligent enough to gain a basic degree should look after, and formulate the early path of education to our children?'

- Whmon

'It's not the requirement of a degree that is the issue here, it's the fact that having an early years degree excludes you from the programme. It suggests that by having an EY degree you're not worth investing in as a new leader.'

- Curly

FURTHER INFORMATION

The closing date for applications is 6 October.

Go to www.newleaders.org.uk/apply