How can early years settings benefit from free leadership training?

For too many years, early years leaders providing education and care for children under the age of five have struggled to access high-quality continuous professional development (CPD) that is tailored to the uniqueness of their role.

The new National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) course marks one of the biggest developments to early years training that we’ve seen in recent years – a brand new leadership framework for those leading in early years settings, providing an evidence-based scaffold for practitioners.

As we know, it’s a challenging time for early years provision across the country. A recent survey by the Early Years Alliance found 30 per cent of providers were operating at a loss, while an additional 34 per cent said they expected to be in 12 months' time. With budgets stretched, prioritising the development of both yourself and your team can be difficult.

The NPQEYL offers a solution. Fully funded by the Government, this landmark programme is free for leaders in state schools in England, private and voluntary nurseries, and childminders with leadership responsibilities.

Research has shown that settings providing high-quality CPD are holding on to their staff for longer, with educators less likely to move schools or leave their role. This is crucially important at a time when low retention rates continue to affect the sector.

Designed around specific areas of leadership
Jacquie Rowe has been a kindergarten manager since 2019 and hasn’t undertaken any CPD since starting her role – until now. Driven by a ‘personal love of learning and self-reflection’, Jacqui is excited by the opportunity to ‘have that self-study accredited and recognised in [her] setting’.

According to the Effective Leadership in the Early Years Sector (ELEYS) study, ‘...there are still a majority of early years “leaders,” represented in around 30,000 pre-school settings, whose specific training needs are not currently being (collectively) met’.

The NPQEYL is designed around areas of leadership that are specific to the early years context, attending to both the specialist areas like child development, and approaches to setting improvement like professional development.

At Ambition Institute, our vision is an education system where every child can thrive no matter what their background.

High-quality early years provision plays a positive role in both raising attainment for all children and closing the gap between outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. In fact, the Education Policy Institute has found that 40 per cent of the attainment gap is already evident by the age of five, making early years settings crucial for excellent, high-quality education and care.

Research has also shown that the impact of CPD on children’s outcomes compares to the impact of having a teacher with ten years’ experience and has a greater effect on attainment than other interventions schools may consider. It is therefore one of the most effective levers early years leaders like Jacquie can use to improve the prospects for her children. 

Jacquie continues: ‘I applied to refine my leadership skills in early years and to share and learn best practice from others in the field. I hope my knowledge and skills will reflect the quality of early years care, education and staffing skill, and knowledge that our setting can offer.’

Through its development programmes, Ambition Institute will support more than 27,000 teachers and school leaders this year. Collectively, these teachers reach more than three million pupils. Ambition Institute wants to ensure there are expert teachers in every classroom and setting, being led by expert leaders, giving children the best possible start in life.

If you’re an early years practitioner who is qualified at level 3 or above, and you’re a leader or aspiring leader of early years education and care for children aged between birth and five years old, find out more about Ambition Institute’s NPQEYL here.