Eyps Possible In Assistant Role?

[Guest]

Evening,

 

Just wondering about this.....

 

New pre-school setting, I am the leader and I have an Early years PGCE and have been deputy head of a school. All this seems to count for nothing in terms of the 'graduate leader fund' and I still have to do the EYPS as I don't have' baby experience' (despite with own children) in order to attract any funding to the setting that could lead them to be able to pay me at graduate status.Our setting is age 3-5.

 

Okay, am happy to do it but it seems as we are only open in the mornings we don't qualify for the funding. And setting can't afford to release me to do the baby experience without the funding.

The new staff consists of myself, my deputy (NNEB= lev 3), an assistant (early years teacher) and our newest member of staff who has a degree and has just completed an NVQ2. But... it was a primary teaching assistant NVQ2 therefore not deemed full and relevant so can't count her as qualified.

Chair has to fill in a training plan for LEA and it has been suggested to her that this member of staff do the 6 month short pathway EYP route as she has a degree. We would get funded supply cover but no money to pay her more upon completion.

 

I would like to do this course but can't currently be spared as I am one of the qualified people and leading the new setting.

My understanding of the course is that you have to undertake some kind of leadership activities and instigate change and manage others. Would this member of staff be able to do this in her assistant role when she is the least experienced/qualified of us all?

And what if we opened full time next year and we then qualified for the grant for extra pay- she would then be getting paid more than me even though I am the leader and am a qualified early years teacher.

 

I really feel that my qualification is being devalued under the EYPS system and that I have to do another course in order for my knowledge to be recognised.

Apologies for slightly irritated tone. I want everyone to be well-qualified but feel frustrated that a PGCE doesn't seem to be valued.

Do you think it she would be able to carry out the course requirements in a non-management role?

 

Thanks

 

Mrs Moany

[mundia]

Hello 'Mrs Moany'. I think a lot of us are a little bit moany to one degree or another regarding qualifications.

 

If you are working in a pre school setting, there is currently no requirement for you to do EYPS by 2015, this applies to full day care settings only.

Your PGCE counts as a level 6 if it is in early years. You can read a bit more about this on the cwdc site here. Your QTS status would only not count if it were achieved in KS2 or above.

(at least this is my understanding anyway)

 

There is no reason why you cant consider looking at getting experience with younger children in due course, perhaps in a year or two?

[Guest]

I work in a sessional pre-school which is open mornings only but our LA put forward a special case for us to be able to access the GLF and was successful. Has your LA said no, and if so have they tried to plead your case with the CWDC. Sorry of they have but it might be worth pushing a little to let them know how committed you would be. Also I got my baby experience during afternoon sessions so I wasn't missed from the pre-school in the mornings - it can be done but takes a bit of organising.