The first graduates to complete the two-year part-time foundation degree in Early Childhood Studies and Practice awarded by the University of Sunderland are clearly elated at achieving their goal. The photographs of their graduation ceremony show a group of jubilant women in the requisite caps and gowns, surrounded by proud family members.
The Government intended foundation degrees to offer early years practitioners pathways into senior prac- titioner roles and teaching, as students can progress to an honours degree with only 15 months' further study. However, some of this year's 11 Sunderland graduates express disappointment that the qualification has not led to their taking up nursery nurse jobs at senior practitioner level, because the money is simply not available in school budgets to create these posts.
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