According to the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) this is the first-ever Level 4 qualification to teach about the principles of sustainability through pedagogy, process and practice and create 'green champions' in early years settings.
The three-month e-learning course, which has already been taught at LEYF to 20 internal candidates, is due to open to the wider early years community in September.
The ‘Developing Sustainability in the Early Years’ qualification, accredited by CACHE, aims to embed an ethos of sustainability into the management of early years settings, training employees to become green champions, and teaching children about best practice.
Nick Corlett, who is leading the course, senior manager at Marsham Street Nursery and Pre-School and sustainability lead for the organisation, said, ‘Like many nurseries, LEYF is already committed to reducing waste and plastic and strengthening their understanding of organisational and pedagogical sustainability, but we all could be doing more, which is why this national qualification is so important for practitioners to undertake.’
LEYF said the launch of the qualification is part of the nursery group’s wider organisational commitment to green issues with the recent introduction of Green LEYF, to educate its nurseries and their communities about sustainability, and how to be as 'green-minded' as possible.
Reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage have been criticised for failing to include any reference to sustainability.
June O’Sullivan, CEO of LEYF, added, ‘When it comes to teaching about sustainability in the early years, England lags behind our international colleagues.
‘It is therefore imperative that sustainability is not only taught to early years staff but also incorporated into each setting’s pedagogy. Teaching about the Sustainable Development Goals makes us realise that sustainability addresses huge issues that impact on children from poverty to climate change. To make the world a better place for children, we must put the right foundations in place now and the early years is the best place to begin.’
Course content is framed around the eight key elements for sustainability (see box). Assessment of the ‘Developing Sustainability in the Early Years’ qualification is via a portfolio of evidence and learner enquiry, which must meet all set criteria.
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1 |
Reduce |
Decrease consumption of food wastage, materials and resources. |
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2 |
Reuse |
Use materials many times and for different purposes. |
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3 |
Repair |
Fix things rather than discarding them or repurposing them. |
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4 |
Recycle |
Be aware of alternatives to discarding rubbish and educate children on the importance and impact they can have through this. |
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5 |
Rot |
Let things go back to the earth to enrich the next crop of plants while also providing a habitat for many insects and small rodents. |
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6 |
Respect |
Nurture understanding of and respect for nature and natural processes and reduce the extent to which they are violated, showing consideration and compassion for people and animals. |
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7 |
Reflect |
The habit or skill of being thoughtful and asking questions. |
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8 |
Responsibility |
Be trusted to take care of something or to do something worthwhile. Be socially and economically sustainable, e.g. supporting fair trade and local markets to promote community wellbeing. |
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