The management team at Class Recruit came across an industry news story recently that highlighted the importance of SENCo qualifications to the Bristol Early Years sector and nursery job recruitment in general.
It has been announced by the Department of Education that Best Practice Network has won a new contract to deliver a new training programme for up to 5,000 Early Years SENCos from September.
The Early Years SENCo qualification will be aimed at Level 3 Practitioners in independent, private and voluntary settings, and will include childminders.
Read the full news story here.
This is particularly good news for the Bristol Early Years sector, as it demonstrates the vital role that SENCo practitioners play in Early Years settings, and for children with special needs.
Having a SENCo department or a trained SENCo practitioner means that all areas of children's learning and their needs are being fully met and supported.
With the ongoing struggle to provide significant funding in settings across Bristol and the wider South West following the pandemic, nurseries are struggling for staff, and in particular to hire more trained SENCo educators.
The online-based four-month long training programme gives the opportunity for Level 3 educators to expand their knowledge while still working in a regional nursery setting in Bristol, Bath, Weston, Clevedon, Portishead, Gloucester or Cheltenham.
They do not need to be out of work or to provide a long-term commitment to a higher education centre.
Signs of additional or special needs in children are not always recognised early enough, due to an ongoing lack of staff, funding and training in nursery settings across the South West.
Providing a new Early Years SENCo programme that is so accessible will benefit nurseries by noticing signs of SENCo and understanding how to properly support the child and their family in the most effective way.
From a Bristol Early Years recruitment consultancy perspective, a Level 3 Educator with SENCo qualifications will allow them to be an excellent candidate in the Early Years sector across the region.
An individual supporting many different nurseries in the South West would be able to use this qualification by perhaps noticing SENCo traits in children from an outside perspective.
They can then work alongside the key workers and teach them how to support these children further.
Check out these free resources for Early Years candidates from Class Recruit.
We are always available to have an informal chat with new or experienced nursery job candidates and can be reached on 0117 930 4000 or by visiting here.