Why I became an EYT

When I started my early years initial teacher training, I was a new mum, already working as a teacher and head of early years. I already had plenty to do. But despite what my timetable and home life was telling me, my brain wanted to learn and understand more, particularly when it came to the foundation years.  

It was a long time since I’d started out, as an NQT, in Kilburn, London. I still remember the excitement of setting up my first Year 5 classroom.  Finally, I could arrange the desks how I wanted, plan my own displays, try new things.  There was a huge sense of achievement being able to ‘make my mark’, putting into practice all I had learned during my training.  Everything was coming together… 

My role gave me a great deal of autonomy when it came to the planning and delivery of the curriculum as I worked in a single-form entry school.  At times, the responsibility of having a class of 36 with such a diverse range of needs was overwhelming, but the school was incredibly supportive and I was fortunate enough to work with staff who believed I could do it.  Looking back, I suppose we were all seen as ‘leaders’; everyone had a role to play and throughout the school there was a strong sense of collective responsibility.

Of course, it wasn’t all plain sailing.  Some days everything I planned went out of the window.  It might have been because of the child who was sleep deprived and hungry, or the refugee who had just arrived, frustrated and confused.  Yet, all the challenges, tears and less-than-perfect lesson observations provided the most enlightening and rewarding learning curve. 

I knew then that I’d definitely need to strengthen my emotional intelligence to ensure that I was resilient enough to last.

Eight years after starting out, and from a senior management position in Key Stage 2, I accepted a position as head of early years and Key Stage 1.  Similar feelings returned to that of my NQT year. Was I out of my depth? Did I know enough? It felt an opportune moment for some serious reflection on my personal and professional development. I felt confident and secure with my primary practice but my knowledge of early childhood education and pedagogy lacked deeper understanding.

Reflecting on practice

In my first few months as head of department, it also quickly became apparent that the school’s values and practices, which underpinned our growing provision, needed to be revisited.

The reception children were happy and confident individuals, however, they were not self-motivated (this was something I had been seeing in my KS2 children - overly fussy parents were felt to be the cause but I started to think that maybe they were only part of the problem), as a result the children found problem solving and open ended tasks more challenging.  These types of tasks were limited and still involved lots of adult direction.  Timetabling was also an issue with teachers working to 'lessons'. As a result children barely had time to understand a task before they were being asked to tidy away ready for the next thing.  Through my conversations with staff I found out that training had not been priority.  Change was associated with more work and less time and there was a 'it's always been done this way' approach.

The variety and diversity of resources were limited, toys were shared and often had to be 'booked' in advance. As a result there was hardly any flexibility with planning and children weren't always seen as individuals, even though our school celebrated the individual. 

We said we listened to the children but it seemed apparent that we weren't actually really listening. I wanted to find out why and how I could help overcome some of the challenges we were facing – challenges that I started to believe could be impacting on later learning.

Combined role

Diversifying my attention from KS2 down to KS1 and early years felt like a giant leap.  It came as no surprise when some early years staff (and parents) voiced their scepticism over the head’s decision, as Year 1 was seen to work very separately to the early years. The head and I knew we needed to have a more holistic approach, both from a practical point of view and also from the children's point of view in terms of teaching and learning practices and transition.  It was also hard for some to accept that things might need to evolve because the test results were good and the Ofsted report said good.  

However, I was incredibly fortunate. My headteacher at the time displayed an unfaltering belief that I would succeed and because of this, I started to believe I could do it.  The next hurdle was just determining where to start.

With an Ofsted visit pending (as one always is), I quickly decided to get stuck in.  I took advice from other leaders and spent time listening, observing and talking to the children, staff and parents.  My bedtime reading became a combination of riveting policy documents, early years pedagogy and inspection standards.  Initial feedback and progress against our existing improvement plan was positive.

So, when our local authority advisor asked whether I had considered gaining my Early Years Teacher Status, I was intrigued by what this could offer.  After finding out that I was eligible for the graduate pathway, I completed the course at the University of Northampton within a year.

Why do it?

At various points since, I have been asked how becoming an EYT has impacted on my practice.

Quite honestly, I find it difficult to know where to begin. I usually start by asking ‘Do you want to hear about how it helped me review my workload and empower the staff?’   Or, ‘are you interested in hearing about how it informed my setting’s teaching strategies to improve early childhood care and education’? Before finally asking, ‘do you want to know about how it helped me become a confident and holistic leader?’

One thing I have discovered from working with various setting over the years is that having an Early Years Teacher as a leader can be a powerful resource.  Global research from across the sector collectively supports these findings. We know that the quality of early education and childcare is much higher in settings which are led by early years graduate teachers. 

In my opinion, helping practitioners to reflect, review and revise with reason facilitates outstanding practices.  Ultimately, the training inspired my pedagogy, leading me to implement more research based concepts and approaches.  Projects quickly became shared ventures, and departmental problems deemed not my sole responsibility to solve.

For our KS1 and early years community, creating a positive working environment which valued autonomy and fostered intrinsic motivation was key.  Over the years, as new practices were embedded, it was incredibly rewarding to see a once segmented department became a visibly strong one. 

One of the most significant achievements for me as an EYT was seeing how my leadership style and curriculum changes empowered others to find a confident and collective voice.  The children told us they were happy, healthy and positively curious.  We grew little learners with strong voices - voices which are fundamental in keeping the child at the centre of teaching and learning discussions for years to come.