We recently caught up with Julie, Finance and Personnel Manager at Upshire Primary Foundation School, to learn more about how the Poppins Early Years Bursary has supported the school, the staff and the children attending. Read on to find out what she has to say:
“Staff receiving ongoing professional development opportunities and training is vitally important within the Early Years sector, especially due to recent Government legislation changes requiring all staff to have specific qualifications. Without the bursary, gaining training would have been a financial struggle, and thanks to the Poppins Early Years bursary, many people have accessed the training.
The Preschool here at Upshire Foundation Primary School has been around for 20-25 years.
ACL has been excellent and has always been a good provider that we have worked with for over 15 years. We currently have four learners who are on Early Years qualifications funded by Poppins, which has supported the need for Early Years-qualified staff. We currently have 10-11 staff members working within our preschool.
Our staff here are all drawn to specific age groups and overall, really enjoy working with small children and those specific age groups that they work with. The bursary has also given learners the opportunity to gain a qualification in the age category that they enjoy working with.
New guidelines for the Early Years Sector have caused a big shift in the EYS sector and a big upheaval. However, having the training from ACL has enabled us to retain staff that were not necessarily trained yet, and not having to pay for the course is such a bonus during these really hard times.
Within Upshire, we also encourage those who have completed a Level 2 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner to complete their Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years sector and upskill themselves within the sector. Quite a lot of our staff members accessing training are parents who need a career that fits around their lives, which not only benefits their role as a parent but also benefits their children who attend our school and the other children they are looking after.
We are looking to expand. We recently opened a baby room last September and are looking to increase uptake in this. We are also looking at creating a sensory room and learning space, which can be used to accommodate more children and aim to offer full wraparound care during school holiday periods.
I would say to anyone who is looking for a career in Early Years to tap into training providers like ACL and access the Poppins Early Years bursary – this makes the training accessible and, thanks to the qualification’s standard, supports the hands-on training, which is really beneficial. Do it! ACL’s Early Years qualifications are also not too challenging for individuals, and when multiple learners are all learning at the same time, this benefits each other as they can talk about the work they are completing for their qualifications. ACL also has a really good support network for learners and is very flexible in their approach to learning.
We have also found that those accessing the training and qualifications through voluntary hours have further supported our organisation and our volunteers’ personal development, which has provided some paid opportunities for our volunteers.
Thank you to everyone for your support; you have all been very supportive and helpful.”
If this story has inspired you, please take a look at our fully funded Early Years offer as part of the Poppins Early Years Bursary. Click here to learn more and take the next step in supporting your team, or yourself, to boost your skills and knowledge in the Early Years sector.
