Employing graduates is linked with improved outcomes for children in the early years. The University of Portsmouth’s Dr Nikki Fairchild is leading research into graduates’ impact in early years settings. ‘They are seen as connecting theory and practice, and ensuring the best outcomes,’ she says.
However, the wide range of early years degree courses available – there are around 320 in England alone – can be confusing to prospective students and employers. Researchers from the University of Plymouth and the Education Policy Institute found a significant amount of variation, including different entry requirements, content and requirements for placements.
Its 2020 report also found that while most courses had an emphasis on professional practice, pedagogy and reflection, there were concerns about vital content such as child protection and age-specific development.
Graduate competencies
In 2018, the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network introduced the Graduate Practitioner Competencies Framework, updated in 2020. There are nine competencies, including advocating for young children’s rights and participation, and safeguarding and child protection, which students must evidence through assessed placement tasks, observations of practice and academic assignments. The framework aims to ensure that students are able to put their knowledge into practice and develop a hands-on understanding.
Members of the network can embed the competencies into degree programmes that are mapped to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s benchmark statement for early childhood studies, either as part of a specially designed degree or as a pathway. There are currently 28 universities offering the competencies. Higher education institutions can award Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner status to students who successfully meet all the competencies.
Dr Eunice Lumsden, subject leader in childhood, youth and families at the University of Northampton, led on the development of the competencies. She says their strength lies in the fact they were created in collaboration with the early years sector, rather than being imposed upon it.
Professional roles
The competencies support early years graduates to play a vital role in a changing workplace, says Dr Lumsden. The Government’s Start for Life programme may provide new opportunities. ‘Our students’ knowledge and skills make them ideally placed to complement and work alongside health visitors and midwives, supporting parents, because they understand children’s learning and development,’ Dr Lumsden says. ‘The competencies shape this new genre of professional, who might work in an early years setting but also has a skills base that creates a fantastic foundation for other pathways, especially with the Family Hubs being developed.’
Research findings
Sigrid Brogaard Clausen at the University of Roehampton, Su Wall at the University of Derby and Tanya Richardson at the University of Northampton are researching how the competencies have been received by students, academics and placement mentors. Early findings suggest students are choosing to engage with the competencies as part of their degree to enable them to put the theories they are learning into practice. ‘They look at it as giving them a wider range of expertise, longer time in placements, more direct contact with children and families,’ says Wall.
Mentors believe students engaging with the competencies are more child-centred, professional and aware of the expectations and pressures on schools and nurseries. Some placement mentors said they had got involved because they wanted to support the development of a qualified graduate workforce, while others believed it would enhance their own knowledge and practice. ‘Settings say they learned so much from students, because they’ve come in with new ideas, and the latest research,’ says Wall.
Challenges and barriers
Time is seen as the greatest barrier. ‘Mentors are having to deal with that pressure of feeling they could do more to support the students if they had the time,’ says Brogaard Clausen. However, says Wall, both settings and students are rewarded when mentors are able to invest more time in student development.
The network plans to create resources for students, mentors and academics, including a series of short video clips to help them navigate some of the challenges and barriers that have been identified.
‘We want the mentors’ expertise and experience to be a part of the continued development of the competencies,’ says Brogaard Clausen. ‘We want to continue to hear their voices, we want to hear what their needs are.’ Settings interested in finding out more should contact the network, she says.
Diverse demographic
Research shows that early years degree students tend to be older than the broader student population, often taking degrees after they have been practitioners for some years, and are more likely to be studying part-time. They often hold vocational qualifications rather than A-Levels, and are more likely to attend local universities.
‘Some students may be 19-year-olds with no experience of early childhood other than their own,’ says Brogaard Clausen. ‘Then we’ve got students who have 15 years of practice experience. There is room for both.’
Due to this diversity, there can be challenges when it comes to finding mentors. ‘We may have a student who is already managing her own setting – where does she find her mentor? In another setting, perhaps?’ asks Brogaard Clausen. ‘That is where we are saying we need to think of the relationship between academic tutors, mentor and student as less hierarchical and more as an exploration together.’
Level 6 apprenticeship
A trailblazer group of employers chaired by Laura Upton, workforce improvement advisor at Leicestershire County Council, has developed a Level 6 apprenticeship standard, which it hopes will be approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).
Some, however, are unsure of the need for such a qualification in a sector which already has Early Years Teacher Status as well as the DfE’s National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL), which will be available from autumn 2022.
Early Years Teacher Status
The Government has pledged to expand the number of Early Years Teacher training places as part of its Early Years Education Recovery programme. EYTS was launched in 2013 in an effort to create a graduate-led workforce, replacing Early Years Professional Status. There are undergraduate and graduate routes to EYTS: Government funding covers the fees of the graduate route, with additional bursaries available and £7,000 on offer to employers.
The number of students signing up for the qualification has plummeted in recent years, with some blaming discrepancies between EYTS and Qualified Teacher Status. EYTS does not bring equivalent pay, and Early Years Teachers cannot lead nursery or Reception classes in maintained schools.
However, in 2020/21, the number of students signing up jumped from 357 to 628. Lumsden suggests workforce challenges may be driving practitioners to take the opportunity to upskill themselves. If the Government’s investment in EYT training bears fruit, numbers may rise further.
Level 6 student: Sophie Bayer, University of Portsmouth
Sophie Bayer, 21, has just embarked on an Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) at the University of Portsmouth. She has a foundation degree in photography and media, but after qualifying as a swim teacher, she wanted to work with children.
Bayer decided on the University of Portsmouth partly because it is her local university but also because she liked the degree content. ‘There is a lot of placement, and I am a hands-on learner,’ she says.
In the first year she is particularly enjoying a module on health and wellbeing, and is looking forward to studying the perspectives, meanings and contexts of play next year.
The University of Portsmouth has signed up to deliver the Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPC). ‘I feel like it will help me use my knowledge in my practice, and give children the best experience,’ says Bayer.
After graduating, Bayer plans to spend a year obtaining her PGCE to get Qualified Teacher Status and then work as a primary school teacher. She could have chosen a degree including QTS, but preferred the breadth of knowledge conferred by the Early Childhood Studies degree. ‘I think what I am learning about child development and psychology on this degree will support me when I become a teacher, giving me a better understanding of why children might be feeling upset, for example,’ she says.
Further information
To find out more about the Graduate Practitioner Competencies Framework, contact: S.Brogaard-Clausen@roehampton.ac.uk
