EYP Update: EYP Champion - Leah Burke

Leah Burke is passionate about her role and believes that EYPS is key to driving up standards of care and education for young children.

As Early Years Professional for the Children's Place chain, she moves between the group's seven Yorkshire nurseries, supporting staff to ensure that practice is of the highest standard and helping to implement change when and where it is needed.

Children's Place is a strong supporter of EYPS and currently has four managers on track to complete the status. Meanwhile, another three members of staff are undertaking foundation degrees with the aim of going on to EYPS. This is also providing the impetus for others to move up to Level 4.

Finance for these training initiatives has come from the Graduate Leader Fund and the group has organised itself with enough supernumeraries to enable flexibility for study time.

Leah undertook the one-year full pathway after taking a degree in Theology and Religious Studies and opted for EYPS when it popped up as an option on the Bradford College website.

She says, 'I had been thinking about primary school teaching, but as I had done a lot of relief work in nurseries since the age of 17, EYPS presented an ideal opportunity for me to work with a younger age group.

'I absolutely love my job. I feel my role enables me to make a difference to children's lives. I also love the opportunity to work with staff. It's very rewarding to be able to inspire and encourage someone at Level 2, who is new to the setting and perhaps a bit afraid to tread on anyone's toes.'

Leah is prepared to support colleagues studying for EYPS in any way she can, acknowledging that they have a lot of experience to bring to bear.

'Sometimes that support comes down to offering an extra pair of hands or cover. Very often the person will need to lock themselves away in a room to get some research done, and I can be out on the shop floor keeping an eye on things. Having been through the pathway myself, I can relate to the challenges and can recommend books that helped me. Sometimes it can just be about sitting down and having a cup of tea together and a chat.'

Currently Leah is focusing on particular nurseries where help is needed in the learning environment. She will sit in with staff and make assessments and recommendations, often to do with role modelling and resources.

'The emphasis is very much on identifying areas for improvement and ensuring that reflective practice is happening across the board,' she says.

'At the moment I am mainly based in the rooms, but in the future I would like to be able to take staff out for training and provide the distance that can really help with developing reflective practice.

'My aim is always to increase the knowledge of staff and embed the fact that what we do as EYPs is vital for children's positive development. There is no doubt that the more EYPs we have, the better children's experiences will be.'