The Level 1 Early Excellence Accredited Qualification (EExAQ) will be piloted in kindergartens in China and with educators in the UK before its international roll-out next year.
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The modular assessed qualification will provide evidence-based and practical training for educators new to working with children aged three to seven in kindergartens across the world.
It has been developed in response to the need for high-quality training and professional development to sustain quality provision in international kindergartens, which are interested in adopting a 'EYFS inspired' approach.
A team of consultants from EEX, led by international director Jan Dubiel, will spend 10 weeks in the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Hangzhou trialling the training materials and student assessments with a range of kindergartens.
It will also be trialled in the UK next year, focusing on teaching assistants, newly-qualified teachers, Level 2 teachers with one to three years’ experience and Level 3 EYFS leaders.
The development of the qualification follows a number of visits to China by EEX.
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Liz Marsden, founder and Chief executive of EEX, said, ‘We are uniquely placed to support the development of quality Kindergarten provision because we work not only with early years but also with practitioners in KS1. Although in the UK, the EYFS and the National Curriculum for KS1 are separated, we have always ensured that the pedagogical approaches applied are part of a progressive continuum. This fits very closely with an international view of Kindergartens which educate children from up to the age of seven.’
Jan Dubiel, international Director of EEX, added, ‘This is a really exciting venture for me. I am really looking forward to taking the essence of the EEX approach to an international audience. Since its inception, EEX has been informed by an international view of early years and we have always been interested in establishing a view of what is defined as a ‘universal’ view of early childhood education and how this is shaped by local cultural, societal and political circumstances. This project will enable us to fully explore the realities of this and provide evidence based professional development that draws from the best early childhood education traditions.’
