EYPS Short EPD pathway

Short extended professional development pathway candidates are usually experienced and confident in most areas of the EYPS Standards but lack some experience, confidence or knowledge. For example, some candidates do not have recent experience of leading the practice of practitioners working with all three age groups - babies, toddlers and young children. They may need placements in other settings or to make arrangements to spend time in other rooms within their own setting. Others may lack confidence or experience in leadership more generally and will benefit from studying leadership theory and applying it specifically to their own practice.

This EYPS training programme spans six months and training providers have flexibility about how they approach provision of training.

Short EPD case study: Sarah Stone

Sarah works at Zebedees Day Nursery in St. Andrew's, Bristol. Her job title is "Early Years Professional" which involves overseeing the learning opportunities for all children attending, including babies, toddlers and pre-school children. Sarah achieved EYPS through our short extended professional development pathway and found it gave her the best chance to work in a sustained way with her colleagues to ensure they were working in a genuinely collaborative and developmental way.

Sarah was delighted to receive Early Years Professional Status and felt that it gave her an official recognition of her role working in Early Years. Sarah's is a complex role requiring sensitivity and good communication skills in relationships with all age groups of children, with other practitioners, including professionals from outside the setting and with parents and carers of the children. Sarah says that she "feels excited to be part of a quality raising initiative which has the needs and rights of the individual child placed firmly at the centre."