Returning to studying for older and more experienced staff can sometimes be daunting, but at Tonbridge Day Nursery all the senior team have become engrossed in their respective new learning journeys.
Tracey Humphreys manages the nursery, which is part of the Asquith chain. She says that when the EYFS was launched in 2008 it prompted her to re-evaluate her qualifications and those of her staff. Ms Humphreys has now completed a foundation degree and five senior team members have gained a CACHE Level 4 in Children's Care, Learning and Development. An additional nine members of staff have recently completed their Level 3 and two juniors have gained Level 2. Ms Humphreys has recently employed a practice leader who is studying for a degree and EYPS.
'The introduction of the EYFS and the CWDC's workforce reform agenda spurred me on to develop my own capabilities, and with the help of local borough council funding I was able to enrol with West Kent College to take a foundation degree,' she says.
'After completing a year of this, I realised that ideas around practice had developed significantly and it became a priority to involve all staff in a programme of professional development.'
Ms Humphreys reports that although staff members have busy working lives and many already held responsible positions, they were willing to register for training with the Childcare Company, which provides training for the chain.
'Because everyone agreed that CPD was a priority for our setting, we all pulled together to make it happen,' she says. 'We held mentor evenings to support each other, and a support network between ourselves developed. Most of the study was done out of hours and the study was internet-based, with periodic observations by tutors from the Childcare Company.'
Ms Humphreys believes that the learning journey for individuals has ultimately helped to strengthen what the team does as a whole. 'Through undertaking the Level 4, practitioners gained a deeper knowledge of policies and procedures and how they impact on practice. We have made positive changes to our environments and created a culture of self-reflection and evaluation.'
This reflection includes regularly discussing up-to-date research and theorists in the staff room. 'We now have some very lively debate going on about their importance and validity for the practice we implement,' Ms Humphreys says. 'To support this, we have created monthly team targets and present our efforts to each other.'
She believes the nursery is benefiting from the fact that out of 23 staff, 17 have studied for new qualifications.
'Our staff have become passionate and enthusiastic about who they are and what they have achieved,' she says. 'They are now keen to build on what they have achieved, and we hope to see many moving to foundation degrees and beyond.'
