What do the changes for the Early Years Educator criteria mean for the sector?

The new Early Years Educator (EYE) criteria has now been published and the new standards will come into effect from 1 September 2024. In our recent webinar, we discussed the changes and what these mean for the EYE sector. We explored embedding the results of the criteria into qualifications as well as progression routes and qualifications in line with the Early Years Recovery Programme, including where T Levels fit. 

If you missed the webinar or would like to rewatch it, you can watch the webinar here.

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Following the Q&A during the webinar, we’ve summarised the questions covered:   

General 

When will the new workforce EYE standards be available to help us start planning for September 2024?  

We’re in the process of review and hope to have the standards available from Autumn 2023. 

How do we find out our point of contact and book a consultation?  

Once you’re approved for T Level delivery your account executive will make direct contact with you which will include the link for curriculum consultations with the Provider Development team. Any queries prior to this can be sent to [email protected]. 

How many visits from an assessor do you feel will be needed per year?  

There is no absolute golden rule here as we need to be student centred, and it depends on numbers of students often as well as need. As a minimum, we’d suggest once per term but as frequent as possible. T Level students will be observed throughout their two-year programme in line with the moderation process, and in the second year will also complete three structured observations, so this will boost the visit requirements in year two once the window opens. 

Will the Diploma for the Early Years Workforce qualification still contain a longitudinal study in the new reforms? 

There will be a requirement for students to carry out observations in their placement settings, but the intention is to allow flexibility in approach and discretion. However, methods of assessment have not yet been confirmed and we’ll update you on these in the coming months. 

Within the current EYE competence, there are a total of 41 criterion that students need to achieve in order to gain their licence to practice. How many will this increase to when this is updated and implemented in September 2024? 

There are several more as the original criteria has been arranged differently allowing for a focus on SEND and safeguarding which now have criteria categories of their own. However, despite the increase of criteria the nature of these allows for holistic opportunities and criteria grouping. 

Can the course be completed by distance learning?  

Some aspects of knowledge may lend themselves to this, but each unit will likely contain skills. Modes of accepted delivery must be agreed with your EQA. 

Will internal quality assurance (IQA) still be required? 

IQA processes for standardisation will remain an indicator of best practice and contribute significantly to best practice.  

T Levels  

Where do IQA roles fits into the new T Level? 

Internal quality assurance will remain best practice. We deliver standardisation training with providers to ensure you fully understand marking criteria and to provide consistency across providers. Internal quality assurance will remain best practice. We deliver standardisation training with centres to ensure you fully understand marking criteria and to provide consistency across providers. 

How do we access your assessor training?  

Assessor training can be accessed here. Standardisation training for T Levels will be available from Autumn 2023.   

Apprenticeships  

What should be the approach for work-based apprenticeship learners where the course is 18 months and learners don’t necessarily start in September with the academic year? 

The point of registration is crucial here, for example  if students begin prior to 1 September 2024 the current EYE criteria will last despite the programme extending post September 2024. If you’re registering after September 2024 the qualification will have been mapped to the new EYE criteria. 

Level 3 

Will the Level 3 Early Years Educator for the Workforce be changing? 

Level 3 qualifications form part of the remit of the post-16 reform and the Early Years Educator for the Workforce qualification sits within the first cycle; qualifications for first delivery from September 2025. For the EYE Workforce qualification to be eligible for centralised funding, it will need to fit with requirements outlined by IfATE and the Department for Education (DfE) for the Occupational Entry category, therefore some changes will be needed for any awarding organisation which intends to offer this qualification. We’re committed to our offering in this area and once the DfE and IfATE reviews all submitted qualifications for cycle one and provides an update, we’ll confirm details of any changes. We’ll be hosting webinars and providing updates on the reform process, not just for Level 3 but for Level 2 and below in this sector, as well as others. 

Could you confirm the updates for the Level 3 EYE for adult learners? 

The Level 3 Early Years Educator Workforce qualification is eligible for first teach from September 2025 as an occupational entry category qualification through the reform process and will be funded as an adult route from 2025-26 onwards. DfE and IfATE will review all AO’s qualification submissions for intention to offer from summer 2023 onwards and once we have further details on specifics, such as any changes, we’ll share these with you at first opportunity.  

You can find further information on the reform process including timelines for Level 3 and also those Level 2 and below applicable to progression in this sector here.  

What is the registration process?  

If students are registering on legacy qualifications in September 2023, for example Diploma or Technical Diplomas in Education and Childcare, we would advise that students are registered onto the Diploma rather than the Certificate in year 1 and transferring in year 2 to the Diploma in September 2024 to avoid funding implications. 

If you have any further questions, please contact [email protected]