Advice needed from early years practitioners

[Alwaysworthchecking]

At the risk of asking a silly question, what is an Early Years Practioner? I get that it is someone who works in the EYFS and that it appears to be a kind of umbrella term, but how exactly do you come to define yourself as one?

Also, if you are qualified to teach in the 4-8 age range, haven't worked for years and are have recently started work in a nursery school (albeit on a voluntary basis), could you reasonably call yourself one?

Thanks! I'm trying to work out whether to apply for a particular job, without having the selection team laugh my application form off the table.

I know I should know this stuff but times, practices and labels have changed a lot and it's been a while.

It's just a posh name for a nursery nurse.

An early years professional however is something different.

think its a new term for Nusery nurse tbh

Is ia anyone (including teachers) who work with children 0-5

If you are qualified to teach then you are a teacher. If you are teaching in an Early Years class (nursery or reception) then you can call yourself an Early Years Practitioner if you really want to (lots of teachers hate the practitioner label)

I think it could be, is there a person spec? I guess some places would just mean a level 3 nursery nurse and others might be a early years teacher :)

This is slightly different I think - there is a course you can do.

www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/eyps

The course if for Early Years Professional Status which is generally for settings that don't employ qualified teachers although some teachers who work with 0-3s in CC for example may also have EYPS. It isn't open to teachers in maintained settings.

Thanks everyone. Also I'd like to apologise for not being able to type 'practitioner'. Durr!

There isn't a person spec as such, apart from the usual character traits and stuff.

I recently looked into getting EYPS but I don't work enough hours and I don't mentor other staff.

So I guess, with a 4-8 BEd I am at least qualified to work as an 'Early Years Practitioner' even if my experience is probably not recent enough (or enough of enough). The setting is for 3-4 year olds. I currently volunteer with 2-4 year olds.

mrz 'Practitioner' gets on my nerves too, but then so do a lot of words in common parlance.

Do you have qts?

If you do the ratio of the pvi setting moves from 1 to 8 to 1 to 13 if the employ you. That alone should make you desirable.

Simbacatlives, I do. Crikey - 1:13?! Oh well, it's nice to be desirable for something. The current post-holder has QTS too, I believe.