Nursery World - Guide to EYE: part 4 - An eye for a specialism

Gabriella Jozwiak explores Pearson's optional units for the Early
Years Educator qualification, which have been put together with
expertise from bodies such as PACEY and Skills Active.

Choice and specialism are prominent features of the two diploma-standard Early Years Educator (EYE) qualifications offered for the first time this month by Pearson. The awarding body has designed college and work-based routes for students aged 16 or above. Both last for a minimum of two years full-time or while in employment. The Government announced the EYE as the new Level 3 qualification in 2013.

Whereas core units of EYE qualifications must adhere to criteria set out by the National College for Teaching & Leadership to gain accreditation, awarding bodies are able to shape optional units without restrictions. Pearson approached its design by working with representatives from the early years sector. In the college-based diploma, units four and five (see box) focus on home-based care and were developed in consultation with PACEY. Unit seven was written in conjunction with Skills Active, 13 and 14 with Montessori and Steiner Waldorf, and the National Day Nurseries Association supported the final optional unit on career development (17).

Pearson BTEC business manager Ria Bhatta says the units are designed to cater for a range of students. 'For example, when they're doing their three placements, if one of them is in a Montessori or Steiner setting, the learner can take one of those options,' she says. 'Or if they have an interest in becoming a childminder they might want to do home-based care units.'

College-based students will study about five optional units, depending on the unit size, but all are set at Level 3. Every unit is assessed through assignments marked by the college and externally verified by Pearson. These include observations and witness statements from supervisors. Students also have to complete three separate placements within three different age groups totalling 750 hours. During these they must complete a Practical Evidence Portfolio (PEP), which is signed off by placement supervisors.

Pearson's work-based diploma (which replaces its current Children and Young People's Workforce qualification) has optional units similar to those offered by the college course. Units three and four are geared towards childminders - Pearson health and social care and childcare sector manager Cath Evans says her team was aware that plans to introduce childminding agencies mean some practitioners could benefit from managing home-based childcare services training.

Unit seven, which focuses on the needs of vulnerable children, is targeted at learners working in areas of high disadvantage. 'Students can really contextualise their learning to their work experience,' says Ms Evans.

Depending on which options they choose, work-based learners could study up to four units. They are all set at Level 3 and assessed through a portfolio that is marked in the workplace. 'The assessor could be a manager at the setting who also has done an assessor award, they could be from a college, or it could be someone internally who doesn't work with the learner on a day-to-day basis,' says Ms Evans. EYE trainees on workplace schemes do not have to complete work placements outside of their usual place of employment.

College tutors have not universally backed Pearson's range of optional units. At Brockenhurst College, which will offer the college-based Pearson qualifications, Lisa Bell says she is not keen on Pearson's decision to include some specialist units. The head of early years, health and social care says, 'Montessori and Waldorf are great approaches to early years, which could be covered in the play and curriculum (core) units rather than standalone units.'

Ms Bell views the unit focused on working as a community nursery nurse as 'an old-fashioned approach, as community nursery nurses are becoming few and far between'. She also suggests Pearson should have included more innovative units, such as working as a forest schools practitioner or an introduction to the Reggio Emilia approach.

Ms Bell adds that she is concerned the PEP will not be as robust a form of assessment as those in previous qualifications. 'Tutor visits forms within the PEP do not seem focused,' she says. 'It also seems like there is going to be a lot of contribution from the employers. I question whether this fair.'

Solihull College head of school for early years Helen Perkins likes the fact that the college-based qualification insists students do placements with children of different ages. 'In the past there was no requirement to do experience with different age groups, whereas this is much more robust.' Overall, she says, Pearson has responded well to Professor Cathy Nutbrown's childcare review, on which EYE qualifications are based. 'The stuff that we talked about in Nutbrown is there: the focus on babies, on development, and on being able to put those things into practice,' she says. 'There is nothing wrong with this qualification - it's sound, solid and robust. It will hopefully mean we have some respect back for what an EYE can do.'

EMPLOYER'S VIEW: PAT EVERETT, MANAGER OF HARPENDEN CHILREN'S CENTRES

'The overall content of the course is great - it is getting back to the nuts and bolts of childcare. If I was hiring someone to work at the children's centre having done this course, I would be keen to see they had chosen the 'Health, education and social services for children and their families' (college-based) unit or 'Contribute to effective team working in health and social care or children's settings' (work-based). That would give them a holistic view of working with families.

'Another good unit would be 'Understand the needs of children who are vulnerable and experiencing poverty and disadvantage' (work-based). This would be useful even outside of children's centres as there is now so much focus on working with disadvantaged families. Increasingly children's centres are only a small resource and early years settings are being asked to take those kinds of children. Their staff have to learn on the job as a result, especially with the funding for vulnerable two-year-olds.

'It is important that employers hiring someone with this qualification are aware of the core and optional units' content and which ones the candidate has studied. I would want an applicant to list all their units on their CV.

'Equally, it is important students choose their options carefully. Many school-leavers will be unsure about their career path. Colleges need to help people choose their units. For example, I'm not sure having a unit on cooking activities with children (college-based) is going to make you stand out against other candidates. If you have covered child development, play, learning and EYFS in core units, you should have a pretty good idea how to deliver a cookery session. Some of the optional units are almost a little bit devaluing - I would advise students to choose the meatier ones.'

PEARSON OPTIONAL UNITS

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development (EYE) (VRQ), college-based

Optional units:

1. Health, Education and Social Services for Children and their Families

2. Food and Mealtimes in the Early Years

3. Working With Children Under 3 Years

4. Working With Children in Home- Based Care

5. Managing a Home-based Childcare Business

6. Working With Children Who Have Additional Needs

7. An Introduction to Playwork Principles

8. Supporting Children's Imaginative Play

9. Cooking Activities With Children