Reception year forms part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and so there may be some reception class teachers who are interested in taking the NPQEYL.

We would encourage participants to review the NPQEYL content framework and reflect on their own ambitions and aspirations when considering whether the NPQEYL is the right course for them. There may be other NPQs available which are more suitable.

• Culture - you will establish and sustain an effective nursery culture by setting the strategic direction within a climate of mutual trust and respect, underpinned by evidence-based practice. 
• Child development, curriculum and assessment - you will learn how to establish and support high quality early education in your nursery, underpinned by formative assessment and tailored to children’s needs.  
• Additional and special educational needs and disabilities - you will learn how to ensure all children experience success, enabling colleagues to identify and meet individual needs.  
• Professional development - you will ensure that colleagues engage in effective and supportive professional development, making use of existing frameworks (including mentoring and coaching) to build upon existing knowledge and skills to improve outcomes for children. 
• Organisational management - you will learn how to ensure   the protection and safety of children and colleagues through the establishment of effective systems and processes, managing human and financial resources and fulfilling all statutory duties to enable a sustainable and thriving nursery community.
• Implementation - you will learn how to plan, deliver and sustain change successfully within your context by understanding the stages of implementation and aligning it with wider nursery improvement priorities.
• Working in partnership - you will effectively work in partnership with all stakeholders, including parents carers, external agencies and services.

Our participants have outlined many benefits to studying for an NPQEYL. Overall, they outline how the programme has given them professional confidence, time and space to reflect on themselves about the kind of leader they want to become and increased knowledge in their chosen area of study. 

You will be able to:

• Develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to implement new professional development initiatives successfully through a supported implementation project.
• Learn how to promote a culture of a collaborative environment through understanding relational leadership.
• Support staff through coaching and mentoring skills.
• Cultivate leadership skills which are responsive to the needs of children, families and adults you work with in your own unique early year's context. 
• Assess your current knowledge on child development and identify areas in which you need to develop your understanding.
• Learn about the skills of being a good early year’s leader and understand how leaders adapt to different situations. 
• Access research and materials and have many opportunities to discuss a variety of pedagogical approaches and models with other colleagues.

We know that all children need early years professionals who are committed to their care and education and are confident learners themselves. Our programme has been developed with early years experts to:

• Create professionally confident early years teachers, practitioners and leaders.
• Grow the next generation of early years leaders with the skills and knowledge to use the evidence-base for the benefit of their children and families.
• Retain the best early years professionals who are excellent, collaborative role models for their nurseries and communities. 
• Inspire early years leaders who can harness the power of rich learning environments for all children no matter the current circumstances.

Eighteen months followed by an eight day open book summative case study task.

Summary of programme and learning hours

• Audit before start of the programme: 1 hour.
• One day induction conference at the beginning of year one: 4 hours.
• Four self-directed learning, learning journal and implementation project: 32 hours.
• Three mentoring check-ins: 3 hours.
• Peer learning group sessions: 3 hours.
• Three face-to-face events: 3 hours.

Total programme = 75 hours

Full scholarship funding, with no cost to the participant, for the NPQ in Early Years leadership is available for those who meet the following criteria:

• Are, or are aspiring to be, a headteacher or head of school with responsibility for leading a school-based nursery for children aged 0-5 years.
• Are, or aspiring to be, a manager of a PVI for children aged 0-5 years. 
• Are, or aspiring to be, a childminder with leadership responsibilities.

Scholarships

Teachers and leaders, employed in:

• State-funded schools or state-funded 16-19 organisations in England
  This may include nurseries within schools, or local authority nursery schools.

Early Years practitioners and leaders, employed at:

• Childcare providers registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, providing childcare on non-domestic premises
  People or organisations providing care for individual children in premises that are not someone’s home. These are usually nurseries, pre-schools, holiday clubs and other group-based settings.
• Childcare providers registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register, providing childcare on domestic premises.
  Providers where four or more people look after children together in a home that is not the child’s own.

Early Years practitioners and leaders, working as:

• Childminders, registered on the Ofsted Early Years Register
  People who look after one or more children who they are not related to, for payment or reward. The care takes place in a home that is not the child’s own.
• Childminders, registered with an Ofsted-registered Childminder Agency, caring for early years children
  Childminder Agencies were introduced in September 2014 as an alternative registration option for childminders.

The programme is fully funded for PVI nurseries, school-based nurseries, and childminders with leadership responsibilities.