Training: Students face problems with lack of hours spent in nursery placements

02 September 2021

News

Some early years students experienced limited hours in placements due to the impact of Covid PHOTO Adobe Stock

Awarding bodies have adapted qualifications to help students whose placement time has been reduced by the pandemic.

With widespread closures and limits on the numbers of people coming in and out of nurseries, many students have faced difficulties accessing the number of hours they were required to spend working in an early years setting.

Ian Everitt, programme area manager for childcare at Leicester College, said, ‘There are concerns that students did not have as much time as before.’

Assessment service Pearson, which offers BTEC qualifications in childcare, and CACHE, which provides a variety of early years qualifications, both working in partnership with the Department for Education and other awarding organisations, offered three options for students:

Julie Hyde, director of external and regulatory affairs at CACHE, said, ‘Some learners weren't affected at all, because they got their placement hours, while others were. We worked with providers to ensure that when learners were able to get into settings, their options were maximised. In reality, we won't have the full picture until the end of September.

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