Early Years Practioner Certificate At Ou

[Guest]

Can anyone out there let me know if they are currently studying e123 and e124 with the ou so I can understand if it is really difficult or manageable with support from ou and work. I currently work in wraparound care but am going to get involved in the actual nursery sessions as well and wondered how many would be appropriate for this type of study. I also noticed that somebody said that LEA helped with the cost of this course but I am being asked to bear all costs and its quite a cost. Still do not know how to reply to a message to me so could you help so i can reply direct. Thanks everybody nice to know theres people out there.

[Guest]

Hello Timmy and welcome

 

I did E123 (started May 2003 and still waiting for result). E124 began this Feb. Some in my tutor group for E124 are doing E123 at the same time.

 

I am SureStart funded. They are paying my course fees for 2 years, and giving me a £500 bursary for each of these years. I also have a laptop and printer on 3-year loan. This package is available via the OU (call fees and registration). However, to get this, you need to link E123 and E124 to the EY foundation degree as well as to the certificate. Talk to regional support (or your E123/E124 tutor(s)) first if necessary.

 

This funding is on first-come, first-served basis, so it may be too late for you to get it.

 

However, before I had the offer of SureStart funding, the OU had offered to waive my fees for E123 and E124 (and presumably future courses) because I recieve tax credits. You can ask about this via your regional support or fees and registration.

 

Another source of money when you are SureStart-funded is "supply cover". Your setting can get £500 a year to pay you for time off for study, when they are paying someone else to work in your place. My setting, reluctantly, has received this. They have given me some of it, but kept some back to cover their costs.

 

SureStart (and the government) wants us to go down the training route. It is up to us to grasp the opportunity before they change their minds!

 

If I can help you with more specific contacts, let me know.

 

We are all in this together.

 

Where are you, by the way? Do you use OU FirstClass?

 

Get back.

 

Diane.

[Guest]

Hello Timmy and welcome

 

I did E123 (started May 2003 and still waiting for result). E124 began this Feb. Some in my tutor group for E124 are doing E123 at the same time.

 

I am SureStart funded. They are paying my course fees for 2 years, and giving me a £500 bursary for each of these years. I also have a laptop and printer on 3-year loan. This package is available via the OU (call fees and registration). However, to get this, you need to link E123 and E124 to the EY foundation degree as well as to the certificate. Talk to regional support (or your E123/E124 tutor(s)) first if necessary.

 

This funding is on first-come, first-served basis, so it may be too late for you to get it.

 

However, before I had the offer of SureStart funding, the OU had offered to waive my fees for E123 and E124 (and presumably future courses) because I recieve tax credits. You can ask about this via your regional support or fees and registration.

 

Another source of money when you are SureStart-funded is "supply cover". Your setting can get £500 a year to pay you for time off for study, when they are paying someone else to work in your place. My setting, reluctantly, has received this. They have given me some of it, but kept some back to cover their costs.

 

SureStart (and the government) wants us to go down the training route. It is up to us to grasp the opportunity before they change their minds!

 

If I can help you with more specific contacts, let me know.

 

We are all in this together.

 

Where are you, by the way? Do you use OU FirstClass?

 

Get back.

 

Diane.

dianne, thankyou for all your information. I have been sent some forms from the ou to ask for assistance with the costs. How did you find e123 and do you think i am mad for doing e123 and e124 together. I am starting an options short course on childcare in July just to get me back into studying mode and understand that there is loads of support when you start. Did you find going to the tutorials good and also what would you say is essential reading for these subjects. I am in denby dale in west yorkshire but i originated from hemel hempstead and am still called a southerner. Talk to you soon debbie

[Guest]

Hi Debbie,

 

E123 was a bit slow to start with, but then got more interesting (more applied, I suppose).

 

Overall, I really enjoyed doing it.

 

The OU support is excellent.

 

My E123 tutor was a super person. However, I understand that other tutors provided rather different support! I would not have missed the tutorials for anything - the best bit was getting together with everyone else (whatever their settings) and sharing the good and bad bits.

 

Now I've started E124. The tutor is very different and is providing more constructive interaction. My fellow tutees (some of my old friends from E123, but lots of new faces, too) are a constant support.

 

As I said, there are many doing E123 and E124 simultaneously. My current tutor does not see this as a problem (she is tutoring both at the same time).

 

In some ways I can see that it may be good - for example there is some common ground that is taken from a different perspective in the two courses (e.g. creativity).

 

As for suggested reading:

 

The priority with E123 was familiarity with the setting's curriculum and guidance (national standards), and I didn't really look beyond these and the course materials until I got to the ECA (final project), when I started reading around the things that had interested me for my own progression.

 

It's still early days for me with E124, but the course guidance again specifies a need for familiarity with curriculum and standards. I am currently doing a bit of reading around 'inclusion', but only to cope with the first TMA. Otherwise, I am just concentrating on the course materials and trying to 'talk' to others in the tutor group as much as possible (unfortunately, my setting is not supporting my training, so I cannot discuss assignment plans at work).

 

I would suggest that you use first class: your tutor group conference (but these are not always very active) or the main E123 and E124 conferences for your intake . \if you get stuck on something, people are generally very helpful.

 

My other MAJOR suggestion is this site: there are so many friendly people here who are willing to share their experience and expertise. I have come on here when I wanted help with work generally, or with assignments, and every time someone has come up with help or suggestions. Im always impressed that people respond, and it is wonderful! So carry on here.

 

Best of luck,

 

Diane.

 

P.S. I am a Southerner too - originally from London, but now in Cambridgeshire (via Essex, West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Avon, Somerset and Hertfordshire again).

[Guest]

sorry me being silly, just tried to add an avatar

[Guest]

Hi Debbie,

 

E123 was a bit slow to start with, but then got more interesting (more applied, I suppose).

 

Overall, I really enjoyed doing it.

 

The OU support is excellent.

 

My E123 tutor was a super person. However, I understand that other tutors provided rather different support! I would not have missed the tutorials for anything - the best bit was getting together with everyone else (whatever their settings) and sharing the good and bad bits.

 

Now I've started E124. The tutor is very different and is providing more constructive interaction. My fellow tutees (some of my old friends from E123, but lots of new faces, too) are a constant support.

 

As I said, there are many doing E123 and E124 simultaneously. My current tutor does not see this as a problem (she is tutoring both at the same time).

 

In some ways I can see that it may be good - for example there is some common ground that is taken from a different perspective in the two courses (e.g. creativity).

 

As for suggested reading:

 

The priority with E123 was familiarity with the setting's curriculum and guidance (national standards), and I didn't really look beyond these and the course materials until I got to the ECA (final project), when I started reading around the things that had interested me for my own progression.

 

It's still early days for me with E124, but the course guidance again specifies a need for familiarity with curriculum and standards. I am currently doing a bit of reading around 'inclusion', but only to cope with the first TMA. Otherwise, I am just concentrating on the course materials and trying to 'talk' to others in the tutor group as much as possible (unfortunately, my setting is not supporting my training, so I cannot discuss assignment plans at work).

 

I would suggest that you use first class: your tutor group conference (but these are not always very active) or the main E123 and E124 conferences for your intake . \if you get stuck on something, people are generally very helpful.

 

My other MAJOR suggestion is this site: there are so many friendly people here who are willing to share their experience and expertise. I have come on here when I wanted help with work generally, or with assignments, and every time someone has come up with help or suggestions. Im always impressed that people respond, and it is wonderful! So carry on here.

 

Best of luck,

 

Diane.

 

P.S. I am a Southerner too - originally from London, but now in Cambridgeshire (via Essex, West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Avon, Somerset and Hertfordshire again).

diane, when you say that your setting is not supporting you now do you mean that it is not a recognised qualification because my headmistress seems to think that it lacks practical experience unlike nvq3 and it is for managers really but I think that because you must be in an early years setting that it would give you the practical experience. Do you know whether it would help your career or is it not generally recognised.

Thanks and sorry for all the questions. debbie

[Guest]

Debbie,

 

When I say that the setting is not supporting me, it is, I think, a 'personal' thing.

 

Back in 1999, when I completed my IPP (a PLA course which was only underpinning for a level 2 qualification), the setting's manager said that there were no funds for me to do any further training, because she and one other were starting NVQ3 and another wanted to do NVQ2 (she completed and has since moved on) .

 

So I bided my time. In 2001, when I had my one and only appraisal, I said that I still wanted further training, but all they could come up with was a range of short courses funded by the EY partnership budget. I did everything on offer, and just aimed to broaden my experience.

 

In early 2003, I raised the 'proper training' subject again - no joy, as one of the staff had still not got her NVQ3.

 

At this point, I took things into my own hands, and when I discovered that the OU would pay my fees (due to low income) and that the EYFD would accept me even though I had no level 3 qualification, I jumped at the chance. Subsequently, I got the funding for the first 2 years from SureStart, rather tha the OU.

 

The setting did not like my decision. In their opinion, since the manager and her deputy have NVQ3, there was certainly no need for anyone to go for a level 4 qualification. They feel that this is an 'over-qualification' for a community pre-school such as ours. However, our EY teacher mentor thinks otherwise!!

 

Anyway, the setting is 'blinkered' to the fact that I am training. They do not acknowledge what I am doing, do not give me any time in the setting for observations, planned activities, etc. (I do these on my non-working days, in between changing nappies and taking children to the toilet - all unpaid). They do not let me see any of the documentation (children's records, EY newsletters, PLA contact magazines, etc., etc.). They will not read through my assignments, etc. Hence, they are not supporting me.

 

Others in my tutor group, including childminders, are receiving much more positive messages, and we are all optimistic about recieving our level 4 qualifications (hopefully - lol), which are DfES/OFSTED-recognised.

 

As I say, my situation is probably unusual.

 

I hope this answers your question.

 

Enjoy it, whatever you decide,

 

Diane.