hi again, as everyone was so helpfull with my last question i thought i'd run this by you

I am currently doing my DPP and am planning what to do in september, I have a degree in a non-related subject and my boss has suggested i enroll on the long route of the EYPS, however I have only been in the industry a few month and feel i maybe out of my depth going straigt to this level and am considering taking the long route and doing a 2nd degree part - time in early years.
Does anyone have any experiance /advise which may help?

I would say hold back, get some experience under your belt post DPP and then think about EYPS. The prob with EYPS is that much of it is about leadership, and without the right work experience, you will find this hard to prove, regardless of whether you have a relevant or non relevant degree.

By all means undertake the early years degree, but think carefully about EYPS if you have limited experience. However, if you have loads of experience and are in a setting where you can and do influence practices, then go for it.

I would agree that going for EYPS at this stage isn't really appropriate - in fact I think you might even struggle being accepted onto it? -Can anyone with EYP experience confirm/clarify that rash statement???

I would spend some time consolidating, perhaps visit other settings, read and develop your understanding of Early Years before you take on EYPS.

What does anyone else think?

Sue

I went down a very similar route to you smallsmall, but I had longer in the setting before starting EYPS. I would certainly echo what everyone else is saying and hold off before doing EYPS. Instead have a break, or if you want to keep studying do small courses which will be of benefit to your setting. If you can, consider courses from outside of your LA, national stuff, etc for a different outlook. If you really want to do an Early Years degree then go for it but I didn't do that and I didn't feel I struggled.

We have lots in common!

I hope to finish my Dpp by June and I then plan to do EYPS long pathway next September, by which time I will have just over 3 years experience. I nearly did it instead of Dpp last year but I am so glad I didn't. I think the more experience you have the easier EYPS will be. I plan to do some voluntary work in other settings before I start as I am in pre-school I have no experience of under 2's. I thought about doing foundation degree, but I don't think I would get any funding as already have a degree. Is there anyone at your setting doing EYPS?

do you have an unrelated degree Vicky?

What's your first degree in?
My boss wil be doing EYPS next September and we have a lady there on placement from the EYPS long route who has had no experiance in a setting atall and has been a registered childminder for only a year but has a degree in law :-S she seems to be finding it ok at the minute and the management would be supportive but i don't want to take on to much but you are right i checked with student loans and if you already have a loan you cannot apply again :-( which would mean another degree would have to be part-time for me.
I also have no experiance in under 2s but we have a baby nursery in another place which they have said i can go to to get experiance.

Yep - applied biologcal sciences - so I am great on body parts and bug hunts !