Understand why Continuing Professional Development is integral to the role of the Early Years practitioner
Table of Contents
Case Study
Three qualified practitioners are applying for the position of deputy manager in your setting.
One of the applicants is a room leader and has been in the setting for 9 years. She knows all the routines, parents and families. She is also a mum of 4 and feels that, as she has her qualification and people respect her, she need does not attended courses where the tutor is usually half her age and therefore has less work experience.
The second applicant is a newer member of staff who has worked in the setting for 14 months. She attends courses all the time, trying to get herself into a position of authority as soon as possible in order to achieve a higher rate of pay and some standing in the setting.
The third person who applied has also only been in the setting for 14 months and loves her job. She is not as highly qualified as the second applicant but has a career plan and regularly updated her CPD. Others in the setting always come to her when they need to understand good practice in an area of the curriculum, she reads a lot to keep up to date with changes in early years practice, and is on a job shadowing link with another nearby nursery that has received an Outstanding from OFSTED.
- Which person would be the most suitable candidate based on what we see here and why?
- What should the manager be looking for in a deputy?
- Does it matter what parents, children and colleagues think of her, or how well they know her?
It is rare that there is just one way to respond to a scenario or situation, so do not consider that the response you have chosen to this scenario will be judged as right or wrong. Share your scenario with a work colleague and ask them to tell you if they think you have responded appropriately. Ask them to challenge your response if necessary. You do not need to submit this task for assessment unless asked to do so by your tutor.