Sophie Spurrier
Nursery director and head of nursery, Under 1 Roof (U1R) Nursery – Thanet
YES
‘This is a fantastic idea to have an experience-based route! I am director of a 93-space nursery with 29 staff, 21 of which hold a relevant early years Level 3 or above.
‘The remaining staff are all training to do their apprenticeship and count as unqualified in the rooms. However, I believe this should be down to the owner/manager’s discretion as, for example, I have an apprentice who has worked in early years settings, schools and as a drama teacher for many years and hasfar more experience than some of the interviews I have held with those who have the full and relevant qualification. I also have a staff member who has been a teaching assistant in many age groups and holds a Level 4 qualification, but this is not classed as full and relevant to work in a nursery. They are doing their Level 3, which seems a little bit of a backwards step when they have worked in the education sector for so long and I am confident they are competent in their role.
‘The education sector is crying out for more Level 3 staff in settings, and this will be even more prominent when the nine-month-old funding starts in September. Recruitment is hard, and I am finding that I am having lots of people apply online that do not hold the full and relevant qualification but, on paper, have a wealth of experience with their own children and in other education settings. They interview extremely well, and I am torn with what route to take: someone with the “qualification”, but who lacks what we’re looking for? Or someone who isn’t “qualified” and is perfect to work in the setting?
‘Having an experienced-based route in will not negatively impact provision if clear guidelines and training are put in place to ensure key areas of a child’s development are not missed. Having a mentor on site, with a qualification and experience to support and develop experience-based roles, similar to an apprenticeship, would ensure new staff are getting not just an overall idea of the day-to- day running of a nursery but also how to support children, their next steps and vital child development milestones. They should observe qualified staff interactions with children, have observations themselves with feedback and targets and follow a programme of professional study, while working in the setting to gain an experience-based Level 3.
‘We are losing [out on] potential staff that would be brilliant in supporting our children due to not having the piece of paper to allow them to do so, and we continue to see this downward trend in Level 3-trained staff.’
Karen Derbyshire
Operations Director for Early Years at training provider Realise
NO
‘The Government consultation around the experience-based route being introduced for Level 3 staff-to-child ratios has the potential to fundamentally change the strong principles on which training provision of early years practitioners has been built on.
‘That’s why I’m very strongly against proposals which have the potential for someone who has been working in the early years sector for six months to be granted Level 3 status by a colleague who has been operating in the industry for a similar period.
‘The fact the Government is looking at ways to drive new recruits into the sector and ensure the number of qualified staff increases is very welcome. But there is a clear risk these proposals could undermine the very thorough and regulated training process which rightly exists in early years.
‘There is arguably no greater responsibility than overseeing the education and wellbeing of other people’s children, and ensuring those practitioners have full and relevant qualifications is a vital part of the individual’s career development. Measuring that development is also crucial. Here at Realise, our assessors require at least three years’ experience after achieving a full and relevant Level 3 qualification themselves to be eligible for their role, as well as having a Level 3 assessor award and a teaching qualification. On top of that, the results from our assessors are reviewed by our quality assurance team at Realise and an external awards board.
‘All those processes and rules ensure every learner achieving a qualification has done so in the correct way – and is fully prepared for the major responsibility being a Level 3 practitioner brings.
‘While the new recruit is likely to have a qualification from another sector, there are concerns that by not engaging in an official Level 3 qualification in early years, they will be missing skills in vital areas of early years.
‘The other issue is that the competency judgements don’t pass from one nursery to another, so if a practitioner moves on, they may be deemed Level 3-qualified in one nursery but not another, which raises concerns around consistency.
‘I’m all in favour of having more flexible and adaptable approaches to training – it’s vital to engage learners and nurseries alike. However, let’s not allow that to threaten the quality and regulation of training delivery or devalue the role of practitioners. Those learners pushing themselves to the limits to secure official qualifications deserve more – as do the children attending the nursery.’
