Early Years

EARLY YEARS

TACKLING CLASS SIZES

& THE ‘EARLY YEARS PROFESSIONAL’

Linda Taaffe (Waltham Forest NUT & NUT National Executive member)

The two motions in the early years section outline some important issues that link in with all other sectors. The first is about class size. The second is about the new ‘Early Years Professional’ (EYP).

Class size in the Foundation Stage

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Union policy on a Reception class size limit of 27 seems to have gone off the radar

few years ago nursery and Reception were brought together as a distinct Foundation Stage. This was a good move. It meant that very young children were not subjected to the demands of the national curriculum, and located their learning in a less prescriptive way - although it fell short of the continental model of including six year olds.

Also, in the early days of the Labour government, a limit of 30 was introduced for all reception classes. This was progress in response to problems in some areas where Reception classes were over-sized.

However, like many things brought in by New Labour, it has turned out to be a double-edged sword, due to the way schools are now funded and the pressures of the “standards” agenda. Instead of three termly points of admission most schools now adopt two or even one point. They want them in for census day to get the finances; and they want to “get them in and get them on”. So, instead of starting in small reception classes, gradually building up numbers to often 20 or 25, now many children are dropped straight in to 30 in a class. These developments have implications for both staffing and children’s education, and particularly for 4 year olds.

Many 4 year olds are now in classes of 30, where they previously might have enjoyed more generous staffing ratios in nursery or playgroup. Lesley Staggs, an early years consultant, recently spoke out over the early admission of 4 year olds into Reception classes, raising concerns about language and social development, and lack of outdoor play, which boys in particular benefit from.

The NUT has a good nursery policy aim of 20 children to one trained teacher and one trained nursery nurse. The NUT also uses the DfES limit of 26 to two adults. However, our policy on a Reception class limit of 27 seems to have gone off the radar, as other adults, both trained and untrained support staff, have been taken on in Reception classes. Teachers have been hesitant about applying the 27 limit, which was made at a time when reception was deemed as part of “Infants”. It is time to have a proper class size policy to match the conditions in the Foundation Stage.

There a huge number of different possible scenarios in the Foundation Stage, so coming up with a common class size limit will not easy, but it is certainly time for a review. The Welsh Foundation Stage pilot is posing a one to eight ratio, although the ‘one’ is not necessarily a trained teacher. Early years organisations have suggested that any class with 4 year olds in it should be staffed by a trained teacher and nursery nurse to 20 children. This should be our starting point.

The Early Years Professional

The early years is often used as a training ground for changes that will eventually feed into all other sectors. This is why all teachers should be alarmed by the ‘Early Years Professional’. This new EYP qualification will have the same status as a teacher, but not the same pay or conditions. These will not be subject to national negotiation, but a matter for each employer. How’s that for individualised pay!

The Early Years Professional is being sold as a means of increasing training in the care industry – noted for its low pay and long hours. It is being introduced firstly in Children’s Centres, but in the long run it is intended that only a person holding this EYP status will lead practice across the Foundation Stage. This quite definitely opens the door to two-tier teachers. When budgets are under pressure there are no prizes for guessing the implications for Foundation Stage classes in schools.

The attempts by government to include the private and voluntary sector in the Foundation Stage curriculum could quite easily be a prelude to the possibility of hiving off the Foundations Stage in some way, probably similar to the incorporation of sixth form colleges.

We need to ensure that all teachers are aware of the introduction of the EYP and stop the possible erosion of teachers’ jobs.