Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship Level 5 - NTU in Mansfield Higher National Diploma

Investigating Childhood: Action Research for early Childhood Practitioners (30 credit points)

• This module examines what is meant by action research and what it entails.
• Students will develop an action research project in their own setting, which will focus on enacting change at a policy or practice level.

Improving Quality in Early Education and Care Environments (15 credit points)

• This module explores quality from a range of perspectives encouraging students to critically reflect on their role and the role of others in impacting quality.
• They’ll develop a critical awareness of how quality information is used to improve practice.
• They’ll acquire the skills necessary to critically consider the unnecessary influences on quality within policy and practice development.

Current and Emerging Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education and Care (15 credit points)

• This module explores the history of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) pedagogy from local and international perspectives.
• Students will consider the impact of pioneers in the field and their ongoing contribution to contemporary practice.
• They’ll be encouraged to examine how pedagogical theories positively contribute to contemporary practice and what limitations their might be in following these theoretical perspectives.
• They’ll explore the idea of curriculum critically considering what it is, why it is relevant and the ways in which such approaches might restrict or limit practice.

Advanced Practice in Safeguarding and Child Protection for the Early Childhood Practitioner (15 credit points)

• This module explores three main aspects of child protection.
• Students will examine the role of the practitioner in dealing with child protection, the process required and the how to deal with disclosures.
• They’ll demonstrate how they support current practice in their own setting, lead practice and address the challenges faced when using locally policies systems and practices supporting children in their care.
• They’ll examine and demonstrate how a practitioner operates holistically using multi-agency approaches and how to facilitate this for a child centred outcome.

Managing and Leading People in Children’s Early Education and Care Environments (15 credit points)

• This module is concerned with developing students understanding between leadership and management as well as the methods these are applied through in early years settings.
• Students will examine the knowledge gained to develop appropriate activities to lead and manage a team in an ECCE environment.

Managing Children’s Early Education and Care Environments (15 credit points)

• In this module students will consider the nature and purpose of curriculum with a focus on how management implements the curriculum in meeting the individual needs of children.
• They’ll consider how to manage staff resources effectively to ensure high quality provision.

Mentoring and Supervision in Early Childhood Education and Care Practice (15 credit points)

• This module supports students in understanding mentoring and supervision as a means of establishing learner relationships that allow individuals to take control of their own professional development.
• Students will also develop confidence and motivation through the consolidation of reflective practice to drive their own personal and professional development.

Completing your Apprenticeship

To achieve the apprenticeship, all apprentices must complete an End-Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is an independent assessment that ascertains whether an apprentice is competent in their occupation.

Gateway

Gateway is the period of time between the end of the off-the-job training (practical period) and the beginning of the assessment period when EPA will take place.

At Gateway, the apprentice, employer and training provider will review the apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours to determine whether they are ready to take their EPA. This is normally done at a Gateway review meeting which takes place near the end of the apprenticeship. At this meeting, all three parties will check that the mandatory aspects of the apprenticeship have been completed and that the apprentice is ready to take their final assessment(s).

Apprentices must meet the Gateway requirement set out in the assessment plan before taking their EPA.

End-Point Assessment

This apprenticeship is non-integrated. This means that the end-point assessment is administered and assessed by an external organisation. For this apprenticeship standard there are eleven End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAO), the preferred EPAO is Training Qualifications UK but employers may choose to select an alternative.

Details of the assessment elements can be found in the assessment plan.

There are two elements to this end-point assessment:

1. Observation with questions
2. Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence

This apprenticeship standard aligns with the Criteria of Level 3 Eary Years qualifications for the Early Years Educator.