Early Years Lead Practitioner
Early Years Lead Practitioners (EYLPs) are highly-skilled professionals who lead daily practice in early years settings. They care for and support the learning and development of young children up to 8 years old. EYLPs adapt to each child’s needs and create an inclusive environment for all children.
Apply nowCourse Overview
This occupation is found in a range of educational settings which can include day nurseries, playgroups, nursery schools, pre-schools, kindergartens, primary schools, out of school environments and local authority provision.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to be a proactive and influential practitioner, working directly with children, skilfully leading day to day practice at an operational level.
As active practitioners they are effective role models of play based learning, supporting others to develop their own practice. They are highly skilled professionals who take an operational lead for the care, learning and development of all young children within their care, adapting to individual needs providing inclusive and holistic provision.
They engage with sector developments both locally and nationally, with a commitment to developing their own professional and educational competencies. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with children aged birth to eight years, families, practitioners, other professionals and appropriate agencies.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for supporting the quality of learning and development in their educational setting. They lead on the operational aspects of this provision and are typically responsible for leading other practitioners, an aspect or environment such as; Communication and Language, Planning and Assessment, Forest School, Physical Activity and Nutrition. They usually report directly to the head of the educational setting (The Manager, The Leader, The Director).
What will you learn?
Duty 1
Promote the health and well-being of all children, self-regulation and resilience through learning rich environments, opportunities for challenging play and a healthy attitude towards risk taking.
Duty 2
Provide playful, sensitive interaction opportunities that reflect children’s needs, interests and motivations in order to facilitate and extend deep level learning.
Duty 3
Participate in and lead daily routines and practice, including children’s personal care, play and maintaining the physical environment.
Duty 4
To be an effective key person and advocate for the child, supporting the child’s developmental, emotional and daily needs within a secure and caring relationship. To ensure the effectiveness of the key person approach across the aspect or environment for which they are responsible.
Duty 5
To take the lead and provide support in disseminating best practice in the use of observation, assessments and planning to meet children’s needs and extend their holistic development within the aspect or environment for which they are responsible.
Duty 6
Promote, demonstrate and facilitate a clear understanding of diversity and equality to support all children, including those with additional needs, those of high ability, those with English as an additional language and those with disabilities. To be able to use and evaluate distinctive approaches which engage and support inclusivity of all children within their social and cultural context.
Duty 7
Ensure full compliance with all safeguarding legislation, policies and strategies at a national, local and setting based level. Promote, implement and embed respectfully within practice, providing appropriate support to colleagues as, or supporting, the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Duty 8
Demonstrate leaderful practice through the effective deployment of resources and practitioners keeping the child’s voice and needs central to practice.
Duty 9
Reflect and build on practice through ongoing professional enquiry and action research to contribute to the pedagogical approach of their educational setting. To be accountable for day to day practice, longer term planning, management and training within the specific aspect or environment for which they are responsible.
Duty 10
Establish engaging, inclusive and collaborative relationships and participate in multiagency meetings. Enable and facilitate practitioners to develop professional relationships with parents, carers and multi-agencies to meet the individual needs of the children.
Duty 11
Lead as a reflective practitioner, committing to enhancing skills and knowledge to improve pedagogical practice. Guide and support the development of the reflective practice of others.
Duty 12
Initiate continuing professional development opportunities in response to identification of strengths and weaknesses both personally and within your team. Provide constructive feedback on points of practice on an informal day to day basis and contribute to formal performance management as necessary.
Duty 13
Ensure compliance with all Health and Safety legislation, policies and strategies at a national, local and setting based level.
Duty 14
Maintain effective administrative systems including development records, assessment, report writing and record keeping, such as risk assessments and safeguarding concerns.
Duty 15
Work in collaborative partnership with parents and carers in the planning, implementation and review of strategies in place to support children’s experience, holistic development, learning and progress.
Duty 16
To lead and manage across the area, aspect or environment for which they are responsible for.
Can I apply
for this course?
Minimum GCSE Grade 4/C (or equivalent) in Maths and English.
Occupational and sector qualification entry requirements may be stipulated by the recruiting employer.
Progression
Opportunities
All of the courses we offer at SNE are aimed to help progress your continuous professional development.
Typical progression opportunities can include Deputy Manager, Lead Practitioner, Early Years Coordinator and Early Years Support worker.
Register your interest
Get in touch with one of our experts now. They live and breathe SNE and will be able to advise you the best route for you or your business.
Apply nowLooking to empower your current staff?
Hiring an Early years lead practitioner Apprentice to support your business’s needs.
We can work with you to source a suitable applicant for your business or you can up-skill your existing employees. If the Apprentice is under 19 and your business has less than 50 employees, there will be no cost for the training. If they are over 19 and/or your business has over 50 employees then you will contribute 10% towards the cost of the training.
Learner testimonial
"I had an amazing experience training SNE. I gained completely new skills which gave me the confidence to pursue something I’ve wanted to do since leaving school. I’ve always worked in jobs that I was never fully happy in but always stayed put as I felt ‘comfortable’."
Laura - Level 3 Learner
