Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) training is tailored to suit the requirements of each trainee and their employer setting. In this case study, we meet Ben Jayne who began his EYTS training, having already gained several years of experience as an Early Years Practitioner at Cirencester Opportunity Group in Gloucestershire.
Meet Ben: Early Years Practitioner and EYTS trainee:
Ben contacted e-Qualitas as an established Early Years Practitioner, with over 8 years of experience employed at COG.
Ben’s Bachelors degree in English met one of the key eligibility criteria for EYTS; his hunger for learning and his passion for providing the best possible education and support for the children at his setting made him perfectly equipped to qualify as an Early Years Teacher.
In this short video, Ben shares an insight to his experience of EYTS training and how it fit around his full-time position of employment.
Meet Catharine, COG’s Chief Executive
As COG’s Chief Executive, it was ultimately Catharine’s decision to confirm Ben’s enrolment on the EYTS programme and to agree to support Ben’s training in partnership with e-Qualitas.
Catharine supported Ben directly as his Key Colleague a role that she shared with the centre’s Pre-school Manager Sharon Pitts.
In this short interview Catharine discusses her experience of being Ben’s PCF and also reflects on Ben’s professional development while on the programme. Catharine also shares her thoughts on the benefits of EYTS to the wider setting and observes the benefits of the training being fully online.
Communication and Language: Ben’s Specialism in Phonics
Trainees on e-Qualitas’ EYTS programme specialise in a specific area of Early Years Teaching, tailoring their qualification to their needs and in many cases the needs of their employer setting.
Ben’s background as a graduate in English and his passion for communication and language, led him towards a specialism in Phonics.
In this interview Ben discusses his journey towards choosing his specialism and reflects on the many benefits of this to the children he works with.
Meet Sharon: Ben’s Key Colleague
All EYTS trainees are observed and supported by a colleague who becomes their Key Colleague, (previously known as a Professional Critical Friend), during their training.
While a Key Colleague does not need to be more experienced or senior within the setting, they must be a colleague within the setting who is able to observe the trainee’s practice and to reflect on the application of EYTS training.
In Ben’s case the Key Colleague role was shared between Catharine (see above) and Pre-School Manager Sharon. In this interview Sharon discusses her experience of working with Ben as his Key Colleague during the EYTS year.
You can learn more about Cirencester Opportunity Group, and the education they provide, by visiting their website here.
If you or a colleague would like to learn more about EYTS training, please visit our dedicated Early Years Training page, or otherwise complete the short form below if you’d like to hear from our admissions team directly: