The University of Chichester has been appointed as a provider of the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) programme by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and works in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University. Early Years Professionals are key to raising the quality of early years provision and are ‘change agents’ to improve practice. They will lead practice across the Early Years Foundation Stage, support other practitioners and model the skills and behaviours that safeguard and support children. EYPS is not a qualification but a new status that recognises the expertise of practitioners and their professional leadership skills. Graduates with an HE level 6 degree and a wide range of experience and qualifications, working in a range of settings and roles, are potential candidates for EYPS. Practitioners who have relevant experience and a level 5 Early Years Foundation Degree are also eligible to undertake training for EYPS which will include a ‘top-up’ to the required level 6. They must be working in the private, voluntary or independent early years settings or in children’s centres. It is possible for graduates with an unrelated degree to undertake the full pathway to EYPS for which a bursary is available.

Indicative Course Content

EYPs will be trained to:

• Work as part of a team in early years settings or wider children’s services
• Take responsibility for leading and managing play, care and learning
• Have a secure and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of early years practice with children from birth to five
• Be skilled and reflective practitioners

The training will enable them to demonstrate that they meet a set of national graduate-level EYP standards when working with children from birth to five years. The length of each candidate’s training pathway is based on the relevance and level of their qualifications and experience and is determined through consultation in preliminary interviews when a personalised training plan is drawn up. It may be as short as four months, for those already close to meeting the national standards, or as long as fifteen months for those needing further experience before undertaking the validation process.

Assessment

All candidates, irrespective of their training programme, undertake the same assessment process:

• A one-day review of skills to provide feedback to candidates
• Five written assessment tasks based on experiences of early years practice
• A one-day assessment visit to the candidate’s setting

Attendance

The duration and frequency depends on the length of the pathway and the requirements of the candidate’s personalised training plan.

All candidates will attend the Validation Preparation Sessions and carry out a programme of professional development.

In addition, those ‘topping-up’ their Foundation Degree will undertake a programme of study which will enable them to gain the required level 6 degree. Some candidates may be required to gain experience, in their own or another setting, with an age range of children with whom they have not regularly worked.

Home/EU Fees

For eligible candidates, all EYPS training pathways are fully funded by CWDC. For short and long pathways supply cover is available for settings.

For candidates working in the private, voluntary and independent early years settings, employers may receive additional support from the Local Authority.

Overseas Fees: Not applicable to this programme.