EYPS

[venus89]

I started my EYPS course with really very little idea at all what it was all about. All I knew was that it was going to be lots of hard work (!) and was about proving my leadership skills. I chose it as I'd done the DHC, got a diploma and got a degree and I wanted something which would challenge me more and also something which would give me job prospects once I leave Childminding.

So I thought it might be useful to others considering the course to tell you about my experience so far..... I'm not yet half way through the Short pathway. For me that's a 6 month course. I go into uni 8 times over the course of those 6 months - the parents have been wonderfully flexible about this but there is a £1000 bursary to cover replacement childcare if needed. Half way through there's a Gateway Review. This sounds scary but I'm assured it's actually good fun. It's a half day assessment at the university which has three parts. There's role play with an actor, to demonstrate what you'd do in a particular setting-relevant situation. There's a presentation to give. And there's an interview too. This isn't a pass or fail thing but it's to assess any gaps before the written tasks and the setting visit.

The written tasks are what I'm working on (slightly obsessively) at the moment. The idea of EYPS is that you evidence that you meet 39 standards. These are categorised in 6 sections: effective practice, knowledge and understanding, relationships with children, communicating and working in partnership with families and carers, teamwork and collaboration, and personal professional development. You build up evidence in a folder - this might be work you've done like planning, annotated photographs, sections from your Ofsted report...... There are also 6 written tasks where you write about different things you've done. For instance, you might write about how you changed how snack times worked during playgroup because of x, y and z reasons. And you put in the margin how this shows that you are meeting the standards.

The written tasks get sent to the assessor and she'll look at the folder come the setting visit. The assessor comes for a whole day to look at the folder, inspect the setting (that'll take about 2 minutes in my case ), speak to you and to three nominated witnesses. What my tutor hasn't been able to clear up is how this will work as a Childminder. I suppose they'll just have to be a bit flexible to take into account how we work alone so there's nobody to keep an eye on the children for us when we have our interview with them. I already said that if a child needs me at that stage then they'll just have to wait until I'm free

Finally, we've all been assigned a mentor who has achieved EYPS themself. Mine is another Childminder so she'll be able to be a huge help because she's been there and done that.

So far, it's going okay. I've had mixed feelings about it but I think that if I use the support available and work really really hard it will be achievable, with a lot of organisation. It's already impacting on what I do and how I think about my work, both as an individual and working with others, in positive ways: being more organised, thinking more about how to involve the parents. I'm even going to give a training session of my own .

The one thing that I have noticed which has cause me some concern is that even though the CWDC assess everything, regardless of which university you study through, so everyone should have the same information, that even between the tutors delivering my course there is different information being given about what can or cannot go into the evidence folder. I was lookimg on the EYPS forum last night and again there is one person saying their tutor said x and another saying their tutor said y. But apparently the keyword is triangulation - the assessors want to see three ways that you meet a standard. In what you say at the setting visit, from your witnesses, and in written form through the tasks and folder of evidence.

Hopefully this will have some benefit if you're thinking about going into it so you're a lot more prepared than I was!

[Pipsqueak]

Thanks for that hunny, that is wonderfully informative and very inspiring. Its great to hear it as it happens.

come back and keep us updated - blog style please.

on the EYPS forum is that the EYFS forum part of it???? I'm on there - just started mooching about.....

[The Juggler]

that's brilliant Venus. January is seeming a whole lot less scary after reading this. I was building it up into a big nightmare

[venus89]

thank you both.

Pipsqueak - I have an apology to make, I just looked it up and it was one the foundation stage forum http://www.foundation-stage.info/for...?showforum=122, one of the posts I was browsing last night - somebody on the EYPS forum put a link to it in one of their posts and that's where I got confused Happens too easily! Are you going for EYPS?

[Pipsqueak]

thank you both.

Pipsqueak - I have an apology to make, I just looked it up and it was one the foundation stage forum http://www.foundation-stage.info/for...?showforum=122, one of the posts I was browsing last night - somebody on the EYPS forum put a link to it in one of their posts and that's where I got confused Happens too easily! Are you going for EYPS?

Considering it Venus. got to get my maths GCSE first. not sure why when i am already doing 99% of the job though!!!! lol

[venus89]

Considering it Venus. got to get my maths GCSE first. not sure why when i am already doing 99% of the job though!!!! lol

Lol - I think it's always nice to have a bit of recognition, plus it increases employability too

[tashaleee]

Thanks for the info Venus - Im not really fully aware of what getting the EYPS entails - nor am I far enough along the FD degree course to consider how far im going - but appreciate the time you took to post and it definitely sounds very interesting

[Pipsqueak]

Lol - I think it's always nice to have a bit of recognition, plus it increases employability too

yes I think thats right - I would like the recognition.

[The Juggler]

yes I think thats right - I would like the recognition.

just hope there are some early years jobs left in next year or so if they don't get rid of all the depts. Hammersmith and Fulham got rid of almost their entire EYES Team the other week

[venus89]

Well with the whole education system having their shakeup then who knows what will happen - that's why I'm doing EYPS now, because I'm not 100% sure of its sustainability, and at the very least they surely won't keep it free and keep giving out the bursaries for too many years?

[venus89]

Thanks for the info Venus - Im not really fully aware of what getting the EYPS entails - nor am I far enough along the FD degree course to consider how far im going - but appreciate the time you took to post and it definitely sounds very interesting

You're welcome, and that's why I wanted to do it. I went in knowing nothing about it, though that's possibly just me being a bit rubbish, so if I can help others then that's good

[Pipsqueak]

Well with the whole education system having their shakeup then who knows what will happen - that's why I'm doing EYPS now, because I'm not 100% sure of its sustainability, and at the very least they surely won't keep it free and keep giving out the bursaries for too many years?

When I was chatting to my lecturer she asked why i wanted to do EYPS as in her opinion it was not going to a valid or recognised qualification within a few years. Schools won't recognise iti even now!

[venus89]

When I was chatting to my lecturer she asked why i wanted to do EYPS as in her opinion it was not going to a valid or recognised qualification within a few years. Schools won't recognise iti even now!

That's kind of depressing, isn't it? But from the little I've done already I think it will improve the work I do, both as an individual and otherwise. And that can never be a bad thing. A lot of the training I do won't have any impact beyond that which it has on my Childminding business but I'd go mad in this job if the paperwork and training was taken away
And today my charming first aid teacher let me off the homework because he said I had enough on my plate already

[Pipsqueak]

That's kind of depressing, isn't it? But from the little I've done already I think it will improve the work I do, both as an individual and otherwise. And that can never be a bad thing. A lot of the training I do won't have any impact beyond that which it has on my Childminding business but I'd go mad in this job if the paperwork and training was taken away
And today my charming first aid teacher let me off the homework because he said I had enough on my plate already

Oh I agree with you Venus, for what I already do it would be great to have that recognition as we have already said. I also think it would expand me yet again in terms of professional development and confidence. I think it would improve my work and it would also give me 'status' that is much needed for me (minders) to be taken seriously - especially from the sour faced old hag (a particular EYPS) at our local CC.

[venus89]

You asked for an update, so.....

Today we had our preparation for the Gateway Review. Today's session was compulsory for doing the review, which is not only the midway point but also the point at which they can tell you to go away

The good news is that today has set a lot of minds at rest. We started by looking at the group exercise - this is the presentation to a group. Which isn't as scary as I was imagining as rather than a stand up presentation you sit down in a group of 4, all doing EYPS, and talk for 4 minutes about some kind of change you initiated in your setting. Each person takes turns to talk then there's a group discussion, amongst the four of you, for 14 minutes. All this is being watched by 2 assessors who are looking at your leadership skills, so it's about drawing others into the conversation if they're quiet, communication, and about decision making. Then,as a group, you have to draw conclusions based on everyone's presentations and write them up on a display board.

Part two was looking at the written exercises - 5 or 6 in 20 minutes, based on scenarios that you might find in your setting, post it notes people might put on the desk, that sort of thing. We can write bullet point answers as to how we would deal with a situation.

The next bit was the role play, again setting specific, so in the role play that was done today it was a manager bringing in a new staff member (the actor) to chat to them about the changes they'd made (fencing off the messy play area so the children couldn't access, and taking away the sand and water play as too messy) and how she would deal with that. They did a brilliant job, goodness knows how I'll cope!

The last thing we looked at was the personal interview. This will be based in part around a written standards reflection we have to submit a week beforehand and focusses on our strengths and weaknesses in terms of meeting the standards. That's my job tonight! Along with the SEF

So... I think we're all feeling more confident about the Gateway than before. Whether I'll get through is another matter, but I'm certainly better prepared to try. Fingers crossed! And toes. And legs. And anything else crossable....

[The Juggler]

thanks for the update hon. good luck with it allx

[manjay]

Thanks for sharing. Really good to hear about your journey as it is not something that is available in Wales.

Good luck

[sarahlou]

I completed my EYP in march although people are saying it may not be recognised it's good as you assess your own setting and allows you to make changes that you may not have done before if u need any help i still have all my stuff

[The Juggler]

I completed my EYP in march although people are saying it may not be recognised it's good as you assess your own setting and allows you to make changes that you may not have done before if u need any help i still have all my stuff

well done you. can I come to you if I start mine in jan?

[sarahlou]

defo found that i needed a good support network so no worries