The final report of an impact study into Early Years Professional Status, commissioned and funded by Essex County Council, found EYPs benefited greatly from access to continuing professional development.
The Achieving Outcomes in Essex report said, 'Investment in continuing professional development for EYPs by the local authority is extremely valuable for practitioners, for settings, and for children and families and should be continued.
'The EYPs in this study benefit from substantial support from the local authority. While this is not the norm in other local authorities it seems to indicate such support is essential and should be considered at national level.'
The research, between 2010 and 2013, assessed the extent to which 200 EYPs in Essex were meeting the five Every Child Matters outcomes of being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic wellbeing.
Dr Geraldine Davis, co-author of the study with Tricia Capes from Anglia Ruskin University, said CPD helped EYPs to improve their practice beyond gaining EYPS and led to further leadership training.
The researchers compared Ofsted reports of 30 early years settings from 2005 and 2006 with reports after the same settings had taken on an EYP, which showed that after taking on an EYP settings previously graded as satisfactory improved to good or outstanding, while others achieved higher ratings.
