Jill Whitehouse is a former Deputy Head Teacher of a primary school in the Northeast of England with over 30 years’ experience in Primary and Early Years education.
Since October 2022, Jill has been a facilitator of the NPQ in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL).
Introduction
I have been educating young people for over 30 years, starting as a primary school teacher and subsequently developing into leadership roles, first as an assistant head and finally as a deputy headteacher. It was during my time in leadership that I completed a legacy NPQ in Headship. This experience has been invaluable in my current role as an NPQ Early Years facilitator.
How would you describe the NPQEYL to an existing or aspiring early years leader?
The NPQEYL is primarily a leadership course. It is focused on the skills, knowledge and practical experiences that are needed to lead a group or whole setting. It is designed for people in the widest range of early years settings such as schools, childminders and nurseries, who have a clear focus on driving forward progress in the early years.
How have you found the reformed NPQs
The new reformed NPQ is fantastic as it’s a blend of online and face to face learning. The participants are from a wide range of settings at various development levels, so group learning is amplified through sharing experiences.
You have been facilitating the NPQEYL for over a year now – what are participants saying about the course?
The participants are gaining confidence, knowledge, and key leadership skills. They have established a support network with the other participants, learning from each other in addition to learning from the course content. They are developing and implementing initiatives in their own settings and working together in a rigorous and challenging environment.
They are focused on obtaining a nationally recognised qualification that is based on up-to-date evidence-based leadership skills.
As a facilitator, what is most inspiring about delivering the NPQEYL?
The NPQEYL puts a spotlight on how important early years provision really is. As a facilitator, knowing I am supporting the development of the next generation of leaders is extremely inspiring.
How are the participants on the NPQEYL developing as their course has gone on?
I see the participants regularly as the course progresses both in person at the live face-to-face days and during online sessions. For over 18 months I have seen how they have developed individually and how enthusiastic they are when they have experimented implementing their learning in their own settings – and seen what impact it has.
The content of the course is one thing, but the progression and confidence building that comes from interacting, implementing, and developing ideas with others is the real boost. I have heard of many instances where participants are being asked to share their new skills across their own nursery groups and networks, which is real testament to the content of the NPQEYL.
How is the NPQEYL course delivered?
The course content has clearly been designed by early years professionals. Participants have access to all the content online and have engaged enthusiastically with their self-study periods. Between the face-to-face days, they are using the outputs of their self-study and personal reflection to swap and share ideas and then they get to implement these in their own settings. The course is designed for participants to share their experiences in a safe environment and take new learning back into their own settings.
Would you say the NPQEYL can be completed around any existing commitments?
Yes, the way the entire course has been structured is very manageable. The live sessions really build on the flexible self-study periods and the online aspect allows participants to progress through the course in manageable and flexible chunks. Like all training programmes, a certain amount of time commitment is needed but what the setting and individual gets back is enormous.
Would you recommend the NPQEYL to other Early Years professionals?
Absolutely. I think the NPQEYL is worth its weight in gold, and I would recommend it to any aspiring or existing leaders working in early years. It is a fantastic leadership program that delivers opportunities for leaders to thrive in any early years setting.
The government is fully funding this early year’s leadership training for eligible participants in 2023/24 giving settings even more passionate colleagues, who are bursting with new ideas and knowledge. So, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Anyone considering doing the NPQEYL should definitely go for it!
Find out how the NPQEYL might benefit you and apply today on GOV.UK.