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Early Years Workforce & Qualifications
The Webinar: The qualifications requirements for early years workers. New qualifications and apprenticeship developments and how you can find out which qualifications are accepted.
Workforce Requirements The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children from birth to five years learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. The safeguarding and welfare requirements cover the steps that providers must take to keep children safe and promote their welfare, including staff to child ratios and staff qualifications. The learning and development requirements cover the areas of learning and development which must shape activities and educational programmes for children in all early years settings, the early learning goals that providers must help children work towards (the knowledge, skills and understanding children should have at the end of the academic year in which they turn five). Also the assessment arrangements for measuring progress. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Staff ratios in in Early Years Settings The Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework sets out the requirements for staff:child ratios in early years settings and the qualifications practitioners must hold. • Under 2s: 1 member of staff per 3 children • 2 year olds: 1 member of staff per 4 children • 3 & 4 year olds: 1 member of staff per 8 children (or 1:13 if they hold Qualified Teacher Status/Early Years Teacher Status)
Staff quali lific ications in in Early ly Years Settings Staff Ratio and Qualifications requirements are set down in the EYFS. For a majority of early years settings: • The manager must hold at least a DfE approved* level 3 qualification • Half of all other staff must hold a DfE approved* level 2 qualification • The remaining staff can be unqualified. There is no requirement for graduates, except in maintained school settings, where staff leading classes are required to have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). To count in the ratios at level 3, staff holding an Early Years Educator qualification must also have achieved a suitable level 2 qualification in English and maths as defined by the Department for Education on the Early Years Qualifications List published on GOV.UK. * DfE Approved – sometimes referred to as 'Full and Relevant’ and included on the Early Years Qualifications List published on GOV.UK.
Types of f Qualifications It is important that qualifications are available to those who wish to enter the profession and those already working in early years who wish to develop and progress. Vocational qualifications offer a combination of theoretical teaching and practical experience. We have: • Standalone qualifications delivered by colleges and training providers – a mix of classroom and work placement training and assessment. • Apprenticeships - jobs with training to industry standards developed by employer groups. To be able to practice in early years at levels 2 and 3, individuals must achieve a qualification that meets the criteria set by government. DfE works closely with awarding organisations and employer apprenticeship groups to make sure that the qualifications and apprenticeships developed are suitable.
How does DfE fE decide which qualifications to approve? • We set criteria for the skills, knowledge and understanding that that someone must demonstrate to successfully achieve the qualification. • The criteria are developed in consultation with the early years sector. • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-practitioner-level-2-qualifications-criteria • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-educator-level-3-qualifications-criteria • Awarding Organisations develop their qualifications using the criteria. • DfE assess the qualifications and approve those that meet the criteria. These are then added to our online Qualifications List.
How do I I know whic ich qualifications are DfE fE approved? • The Early Years Qualifications List (EYQL) provides guidance and qualification lists to help those delivering the EYFS to identify qualifications that are approved by DfE at levels 2 and 3 (both pre and post September 2014). https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder The lists are provided in spreadsheets, which can be sorted and filtered. Because of changes to the qualifications criteria there are different lists, depending on when the qualification was started. • The EYQL also provides guidance on level 6 ratio requirements (EYTS, EYPS, QTS) and maths and English requirements.
Tips fo for Using the EYQL • Guidance is available on a tab to help search the spreadsheets. • Use the title shown on the certificate. • Use filters on pre-September 2014 list for for the qualification level awarding organisation (include various) • If qualification title found and states ‘Yes’ - remember to check for notes/additional requirements (column E). • Qualification titles have to match exactly those on the EYQL
EYQL has information on: • Paediatric First Aid requirements. • Literacy and Numeracy requirements. • Overseas qualifications. • Early Childhood Studies and related degrees. • Qualified Teacher Status, Early Years Teacher Status and Early Years Professional Status. • Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Qualifications (post Sept 2014) • Nursing qualifications • Apprenticeships • Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) • Careers progression map https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder
Apprenticeships – jo jobs wit ith tr training to in industry ry standards • Integrated programme of on and off-the-job learning which enable apprentices to gain and apply the skills, knowledge and understanding required by employers in a particular sector. • Apprenticeships are particularly suitable for early years because they offer hands-on experience alongside theory-based learning • Existing Early Years Apprenticeships • Level 2 – Average 12 months to complete • Level 3 – Typical duration : 18 months All apprenticeships are approved by DfE, for level 2 or level 3 practitioners as appropriate.
Paediatric fi first aid (P (PFA) ) Qualifications Newly qualified staff with a level 2 or level 3 early years qualification, awarded after 30 June 2016, must also have either a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate within 3 months of starting work. If they do not have this you cannot count them in the EYFS staff:child ratios at level 2 or level 3. The EYFS includes details of the requirements and criteria for effective PFA training at Annex A. You may also wish to encourage new staff to complete PFA training so that your early years setting can apply for Millie’s Mark . This is a voluntary quality-mark awarded to settings where all staff have an appropriate PFA qualification.
Help with qualifications Contact us • Use our contact us form on GOV.UK if you have any queries.
Questions?
New/Upcoming Developments • Level 2 Practitioner Qualifications • Apprenticeships • T levels
Level 2 Early Years Practitioner • New criteria published summer 2018. • Level 2 qualifications must meet this new criteria from 1 September 2019 to be DfE approved. • Awarding Organisations have developed new qualifications - listed on the EYQL: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eyfs-staffchild-ratios-dfe- approved-qualifications
New style apprenticeships Apprenticeship standards show what an apprentice will be doing and the skills required of them, by job role. Standards are developed by employer groups, known as ‘trailblazers’ and industry experts in conjunction with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/ New Early Years apprenticeship standards are in development for levels 2, 5 and 6. See Employer guides to apprenticeships: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships- guide-for-employers
T-levels • T-Levels will be two-year courses equivalent to three A-levels, combining classroom theory and practical learning and will be available to 16- to 19- year-olds who have completed GCSEs. • There will be 25 T-Levels in total which are being phased in over the next four years. • Early years sector will be one of the first new technical qualifications to be taught at selected schools, colleges and other further education providers across England. • T-Level students will need to complete a high-quality industry placement to build the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a workplace environment. • UCAS recently confirmed that T-Levels will attract points equivalent to three A levels, offering students the option of progressing to higher technical training, a degree or an apprenticeship. • There is a new website is aimed at young people preparing to take their GCSEs next summer, so that they have the information they need about the new qualifications. https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
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