Training
The Pre-school Learning Alliance offers a wide range of adult learning opportunities for parents, early years workers, volunteers in community settings and those wishing to return to study.
The Chief Inspector for Adult Learning has named the Alliance as one of the top training providers in the country. This recognition reflects the consistently high levels of attainment achieved by our learners as well as the excellent quality of teaching delivered by the Training team.
Whatever your interest in working with children, we have a course for you. However you choose to study we are committed to supporting you to achieve your potential.
To find out more, you can download Delivering Training.
Key benefits
- Extensive range of courses for adult learners at all levels - from a half day workshop to two year qualification courses.
- High quality courses developed by experienced specialists in the early years sector, wider adult and family learning fields.
- Courses tailored to meet individual needs and learners supported to fulfill their learning goals.
- Courses are responsive to the needs of parents and early years settings while also reflecting latest statutory requirements and changes in national and local government policy initiatives and priorities.
- A community-based approach ensures all courses are located in accessible venues as close to the learners as possible.
- Flexibility is important so courses take place during the day, evening and sometimes at weekends throughout the year. Distance learning options are also available in partnership with the National Extension College.
- Experienced tutors with extensive early years experience understand the demands of studying and recognise the challenges many learners face juggling work, family and learning commitments.
- Additional reading and writing skills support is offered with materials developed specifically to identify any special requirements learners may have. Appropriate support can then be arranged.
Early Years Professional Status
Government’s drive to support the improvement in quality of early years care includes a major review of the qualifications available to practitioners. Targets have been set that by 2010 all Children’s Centre’s will employ a person holding Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) to lead the curriculum provision for children. By 2015 all full day care settings will have to employ an EYPS qualified person to lead the curriculum. This new status is graduate level and is achieved by demonstrating a range of skills, knowledge and competences across the full range of early years provision. For more information visit www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/eyps.
The New Qualifications List for those Delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage
Changes are also being made to the qualification requirements of all staff working in early years settings. Currently settings are being asked to review the qualifications of all staff employed to ensure that the qualifications they hold are ‘full and relevant’. To support this task the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is developing an ‘audit tool’ that is due for introduction in September 2009 that will help setting managers to identify what qualifications are required and how staff can be supported to gain these awards.
Some older qualifications are not considered to be suitable for practitioners working in settings today and people holding these are required to take additional courses to ‘top up’ their skills and knowledge; or in some cases, take an entirely new qualification.
The Diploma in Pre-school Practice, (DPP; level 3 awarded by CACHE) and Certificate in Pre-school Practice (CPP; Level 2 awarded by CACHE) are both ‘full and relevant’ so practitioners holding these qualifications are able to continue in their roles without the requirement to undertake further study. However it is important to ensure that staff keep their knowledge up to date and there are recommendations made by the CWDC as to where practitioners they should look to undertake further study. For full details please visit qualificationslist.cwdcouncil.org.uk or for details on Alliance courses click here.
The PPA Foundation Course which was delivered until 1991, before the development of the DPP and CPP, is not considered by the CWDC to be full and relevant. Practitioners who hold this as their only qualification will be required to undertake a new qualification to demonstrate and be assessed in their current knowledge and practice. Again visit qualificationslist.cwdcouncil.org.uk for more information.
Funding for Training
To support its training provision for vocational qualifications the Alliance receives funds from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Most learners are expected to contribute an element of the fee and the cost of registering with CACHE the awarding body. Also some local authorities provide bursaries to practitioners to help them achieve their qualification. The particular requirements for any type of support differ depending on a number of factors including the status of the learner and the course they are following and these are explained to learners and their employers before or at the beginning of their course.
First Aid Training
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage requires that within each setting
‘At least one person who has a current paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises at all times when children are present. There must be at least one person on outings who has a current paediatric first aid certificate. First aid training must be approved by the local authority and consistent with guidance set out in the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage.’
Settings should contact the Early Years Team at their local authority for details of approved first aid training providers in their area.
Further information
For more information on the Pre-school Learning Alliance's interesting and wide-ranging training programme, please contact your nearest divisional centre:
North Division Centre
T. 0113 252 2848
F. 0113 238 3773
E. northdivision@pre-school.org.uk
South Division Centre
T. 020 7697 2599
F. 020 7700 1324
E. southdivision@pre-school.org.uk
East Division Centre
T. 01954 232 327
F. 01954 232 702
E. eastdivision@pre-school.org.uk
West Division Centre
T. 0121 643 0063
F. 0121 693 0063
E. westdivision@pre-school.org.uk
For distance learning courses, please contact the NEC:
www.nec-childcare.co.uk