EYPS certificate

[Smiley]

Got my certificate this morning with a EYP pin badge, which I wasn't expecting

[The Juggler]

def. one to frame and put on the wall

[Bumble Beez]

Gat news...that needs to take pride of place!

Sarah x

[Smiley]

I plan to buy a frame over the weekend and display it in my hall.

[Gem wright]

Congratulations!!?, this is something I've been looking into. I'm starting my early years degree in October through the OU and thought about doing my early years teacher afterwards, but this does feel a world away at the moment! How long did it take you to complete and did you juggle childminding and studying at the same time well? Gem x

[butterfly]

Congratulations!! I did mine back in 2010 but didn't get a pin badge!

[Smiley]

Gem, yes I studied with the OU and achieved my degree in December 2009 and yes I was childminding throughout and very busy with full places. I then sat on the fence for a few years but started EYPS with Best Practice Network at the end of January this year and completed at the end of May.

Butterfly, the pin badge is white, about the size of a 10 p coin with EYP in the centre (large red letters) and Best Practice Network around the edge. Not sure when I'll wear it, probably at the next LA childcare forum in September but hardly anyone knows so it may get noticed!

[butterfly]

Ooh I did mine with Best Practice - maybe I can get one!!

[Bluebell]

fab news smiley - definitely need to find an occasion to wear it!
Gem - hope you enjoy your course - i did my degree years ago on an unrelated subject so can't comment on doing it while childminding but i did attend 3rd year modules as part of my EYP which I loved. Wish I had the time and money to do a second degree but have decided to do some post-graduate studies instead.

[Gem wright]

fab news smiley - definitely need to find an occasion to wear it!
Gem - hope you enjoy your course - i did my degree years ago on an unrelated subject so can't comment on doing it while childminding but i did attend 3rd year modules as part of my EYP which I loved. Wish I had the time and money to do a second degree but have decided to do some post-graduate studies instead.

I have been reading tonight about all the changes to the EYPS it's now going to be early years teacher. Sounds really interesting and something I would love to do. I can start it in my last year of my degree, so sometime yet!
Good luck and enjoy your post grad studies.

[Stapleton83]

Congratulations - am just looking into doing mine!!!

Sam x

[denny7]

Congratulations to Smiley

Please let me know where you did your course, how long it took you and the cost involved.

Many thanks
Denny7

[Bluebell]

I'm sure Smiley will be along to answer and will correct me if I'm wrong but I think she did it through best practice which offer it with quite a minimal ammount of days to attend I believe. Local colleges and universities also offer it so may be worth checking out.
I'm not sure if this is still the case but it is fully funded to do this course and you can also claim back time taken out of your setting to reimburse your loss.

Whichever provider you use for the course will be able to advise you on this, in my case the provider claimed the funding direct so I just had to turn up and then claim the reimbursement

[Smiley]

Thanks Bluelion, yes with Best Practice. There were 4 days to attend, well two were actually only half days and I was on my own for two of those! It's very flexible and attendance although advisory is not compulsory as the evidence portfolio and assignments are all submitted online and tutor feedback comes this way too. My region is Yorkshire and Humberside and there are a few venues for the attendance. As a childminder, I found it very flexible and easy to collate everything.

[Bluebell]

Best practice certainly seem to have an excellent reputation for being flexible and for supporting childminders to get through it.
Going through college was less flexible because they were mainly dealing with full time students doing it alongside their degree.