Nvq3 Or Dpp

[Panders]

Just wondered, which is the harder route NVQ3 or DPP? I have been told that NVQ3 doesn't require written assignments, can this be true?

[kristina]

Hi

 

I have done my NVQ3 CCLD and really enjoyed it, there was some written work but it really is minimal!

At the moment I have 2 staff members just finishing their Diploma in Pre-School Practice and they have done nothing but moan about it!!

 

It also depends what you want to achieve, with the NVQ3 it covers birth to sixteen years so does give you a wider career choice. And I just found the NVQ suited me better as a qualification.

 

As you can tell I'm all for the NVQ, but there will probably be someone along in a minute who will disagree!!

 

Good luck whichever you choose!!

 

Kristina

[korkycat]

I've just had a staff member withdraw from an NVQ3 CCLD course because of the workload! She was expected to do lots of written work and research on her own and was finding it all really stressful. Having done the DPP twice! it was much better supported and the aim was to give every student the support required. It all depends on the tutors and who is running the course. A colleague at another setting has had a new employee with NVQ3 who only did 8 sides of A4 written (or so he said). My staff member is excellent at her job and I wish I'd not sent her to do the NVQ as her self esteem has taken quite a knock. What happened to the idea that NVQs were meant to be practical qualifications?

korkycat

[kristina]

I've done my A1 assessors award and with the NVQ most of the criteria should be assessed and not written! In fact at an assessors meeting the idea is to create a 'slim portfolio'!

 

As I mentioned earlier the written work for my NVQ was minimal (a bit more than 8 sides of A4 though!), I think it does depend on the college/tutor that you have. I studied at Havering College and my tutor Sue was brilliant, also it really does depend on the individual.

 

Kristina

[HappyMaz]

I've done my A1 assessors award and with the NVQ most of the criteria should be assessed and not written! In fact at an assessors meeting the idea is to create a 'slim portfolio'!

Well then it must depend on the college offering the NVQ. That certainly isn't the experience of either of my members of staff who have or are still doing their NVQ. There seem to be endless questions to answer, and masses of written work.

 

MrsWeasley can speak for herself - but it was very many more pages than 8!

 

Maz

[Inge]

think it depends on learning styles and how good the setting is ..

 

The peoplet who did DPP always found it a positive experience, and were well supported... it also ended up shorter time to complete.

 

doing nvq relies on good assessors... had several students with very poor assessors, one we had removed as she was so bad! ( she was talking on her phone making appointments while with us, and lots of other issues)

It also took longer to complete and seemed never ending to them, repetative as well.

 

but with a good assessor and experience it can be a very good .

 

Inge

[Sue R]

Yup!

 

It's back to the old chestnut that NVQ was NEVER designed to be a college course, so I continually get hot under the collar about this!

 

NVQ should just be about verifying your practice. As such it should not be offered to school leavers (ERK!! Someone tell MY employers, never mind anyone else!) or 'taught'.

 

DPP is a taught course, and a very GOOD one. However, as someone has already said, when I last checked it didn't cover the age range of NVQ. That said, up to 16 is going some!! Sorry, personal bias creeping in here

 

Sue

 

PS - Inge - you are very right, it relies on GOOD assessors!

[Rea]

I did the DPP, my firends did the NVQ. They were all aware that they were lacking information. Its all very weLl doing your own research but it helps if you've had some tutor input too, and this is what they missed. Whether that was just their tutors I dont know but 4 friends with 3 seperate NVQ courses over a span of 5 years would suggest its not just te tutor/assessor.

 

The NVQ and DPP are level 3 but maybe the DPP isnt so well known? I've had to explain it to many people in the past, but I always felt I was learning.

[HappyMaz]

The NVQ and DPP are level 3 but maybe the DPP isnt so well known? I've had to explain it to many people in the past, but I always felt I was learning.

I forgot to say that I did the DPP and I really valued the discussions and arguments we had in class, moderated by our very knowledgeable and experienced tutor. I needed to be taught since I didn't have the experience or knowledge in order to 'just' validate what I knew (or didn't) by doing an NVQ. So it was really the only option for me - had I needed to do as much research in those early days I think I would have run for the hills!

 

Maz

[Guest]

I have completed both....... I found i learnt more on the DPP as it is taught, i found this really useful, the teaching was good and it was great to learn about all the different observation methods and theories. The NVQ relies on you reading about it or knowing your own practice, i found the nvq is good if you have a good assessor and have worked in childcare for a while and have some expereince under your belt, i have had a few through my setting where the nvq assessors werent very good and were asking me to write witness statements for everything, even though half of what they were asking for i hadnt witnessed, for the planning section they just took the planning from our planning folder and the student didnt plan anything...on the other hand i have had some assessors who were brilliant. It all depends how you prefer to learn.

[Panders]

Thank you so much for all your responses, I did the DPP in about 1995/6 and it was a great course then, especially meeting with other students each week and discussing the course content with tutor and visitors. I felt it had real value when I had completed it and also felt ready to take on running my own group a couple of years later.

 

I have been concerned that the NVQ3 didn't give enough preparation for this particular leap when one considers the amount of paperwork involved. A young friend has embarked upon NVQ route, having given up DPP after one term because of the amount of written work it needed. I fear from what she has said that her manager is "helping" and little too much, i.e. a recent planning assessment was very much spoon fed to her. My friend does have a number of years experience with different age groups and a couple of years in nursery - but what is expected of her in her new job even before she has qualified as an NVQ3 I feel is too much, she is taking on a lot of responsibilties.

[dottyp]

Hi Panders

 

I did a DPP3 in 2001 and found the whole course excellent from start to finish. We had a great tutor and a group of 16 students would gather once a week for the next instalment of the student handbook. It was an organised, methodical approach, taking notes from the tutor and listening to student input. We then returned to our work place to implement what we had learnt along with many essays and planning. It took four terms and felt we could always ask for extra help should anyone need it.

 

However, now a manager myself, I have mentored 5 members of staff on both NVQ and DPP courses. The NVQ CCLD2-3 seems to be approached 'holistically' which seems to me a very 'hap hazzard' way of learning. One minute staff were looking at health and safety and the next they were looking at child development. They were advised to flick from front to back of the student hand book, completing areas in no particular order! I think it is purely a matter of choice in the way each person learns, but I would definately go the DPP route.

 

dottyp

[Inge]

so many of us did DPP... and I am another .. well sort of I did mine before it was called DPP - they changed it just after I completed it, in name mostly content was the same...

 

and I too agree it was so much better in content and having completed NVQ as well , unless experienced it was a minefield for the other students, and many of those I studied with and completed it I would not want to employ in a level 3 role!

 

I encouraged all hwo asked to do DPP, and they were happy in their choice watching others who started NVQ before them, still struggling when they had all qualified.

 

and they found it easier to progress to FD as they were used to the written work involved.

 

Inge

Edited October 20, 2009 by Inge

[thumperrabbit]

and I too agree it was so much better in content and having completed NVQ as well , unless experienced it was a minefield for the other students, and many of those I studied with and completed it I would not want to employ in a level 3 role!

 

I encouraged all hwo asked to do DPP, and they were happy in their choice watching others who started NVQ before them, still struggling when they had all qualified.

 

Inge

 

I'd agree with this too Inge, when we are recruiting although we ask for level 3 we also look to see how many other courses they have done to 'support' their qualification, as the NVQ on it's own is not enough in our opinion.

Edited October 20, 2009 by thumperrabbit

[MrsWeasley]

MrsWeasley can speak for herself - but it was very many more pages than 8!

 

I did more than 150 pages of written work...

[Guest]

Hi

I have just completed the DPP with National Extension College (waiting for one more result!). I will say as others in that it was a really useful course, very in depth for those without much childcare experience. I really feel as if I have learnt from it. Mine was a long distance course so I did not attend college. However, I found using this forum to get info, reading and doing research no problem.

The only thing that does annoy me is that many have never heard of the course, I keep having to say it is equivalent to a level 3 and it only goes upto pre-school age. Although if you are doing NVQ 3 chidcare at a pre-school how can you say that you are experienced enough to work with age up to 16?

Another thought is....a colleague of mine has done NVQ3 so can she work for after school club whereas I have DPP (equivalent to level 3!!!) would I be able to do the same???? I think she would and I wouldnt!

[Panders]

I was under the impression that the DPP allowed you to work with children 2 - 8 years of age, not just pre-school, has that changed?

[Guest]

Panders I think you are right...however, I cant remember anything in the course matrials that actualy dealt with older children. it did seem to be 5yr and under to me? Apart from the child development section. So therefore I would not be able to be employed at after chool club (children up to 11 yrs) whereas someone with NVQ3 can be?

Edited October 21, 2009 by marley

[bugbabe]

A few of us in the setting have completed the distance learning DPP and had heaps of work and really felt like it was a meaty course, which produced a large file at the end, with lots of good working knowledge gained.

 

Whereas the NVQ3 seems far easier from what I have seen (a staff member is currently coming to the end of level 3) and as long as the setting is running to standards with good paperwork; policies and planning, it seems far easier and much less work and is completed far quicker.

 

Personally I dont see it as an equivalent qualification, but thats just my opinion.