Published at 11:02, Saturday, 21 November 2009

Sarah Cooper’s teenage ambition was to work with children. It didn’t take her long to fulfil that dream, starting work at St Aidan’s Nursery in Carlisle shortly after leaving college with her NNEB qualification.

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Sarah spent around a decade working up to the position of deputy manager before being offered the chance to set up a rural nursery in Crosby, east of the city.

Since it opened in 2005, Crosby Nursery has gone from strength to strength. There are now almost 140 children on its books.

Crosby has also been praised by the education watchdog Ofsted. Inspectors say it offers the best standards of care and education. So you’d be forgiven for thinking that Sarah would have little time to do anything else.

But that’s where Sarah’s journey begins.

In less than 18 months she transformed herself from a ‘humble nursery nurse’ to a highly-qualified early years professional.

Sarah wanted to go back to school to ensure she would be well qualified to lead the nursery in the future. At the same time, she faced the added pressure of moving house and planning her wedding to fiance Nick.

The first snag was that she couldn’t do the higher-level management qualifications she wanted to without getting the English and maths GCSEs she failed to get at school.

Sarah, now 32, said: “There have been massive changes in childcare over the last five years and within six months of starting here I realised that there would be a time that I had to get ahead of the game and do things differently.

“For the first couple of years at Crosby I really dedicated my time to getting the nursery off the ground but then I had to do something. When the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) qualification was mentioned I knew I wanted to do it. It’s the qualification in the sector.”

She added: “I never ever thought I would go to university. I was a humble nursery nurse that enjoyed childcare. But now the Government wants to increase the skills base and professionalism of early years and they want everyone to get higher qualifications.

“I know I want to stay in early years, that’s where my passion is, so tutoring and getting a teaching qualification wasn’t going to be an option for me.

“To do any of them I had to re-sit my English and maths GCSEs. I’m not a big sums person and had to do a series of tests that were the equivalent to the GCSE. I was very nervous but I revised hard and in my own time. I’d get my husband Nick to help me. I was so determined to do it because I knew what my end goal was.”

Sarah contacted Cumbria County Council’s children’s services to discuss her options, discovering financial help was available to support her studies.

Sarah spent her day off each week travelling to Lancaster University to do her level five and six – degree equivalent – childcare management and learning development qualifications.

For a year, Sarah worked on her level five course one week, the level six course the next. They were her first management courses.

Sarah gave up weekends and evenings to focus on her studies.

After completing her management courses, Sarah had to produce a portfolio of evidence to achieve the new goldmark in childcare management – the Early Years Professional Status.

She said: “For my EYPS journey I had to complete 39 pieces of evidence. I was able to use examples of what happens at work. It was a great way to review what happens at work. I didn’t find out for three or four months if I’d done enough but when the news came through the relief was immense.”

Sarah added: “The journey has changed me. I can’t believe what has been achieved in such a short length of time. I’m more proactive now and I’m a big reader. Reading helps me catch up with what is happening across the sector. I also network with other nurseries now and I don’t think that was a big part of what I did before. I’ve also developed my own understanding of management and how different things like body image or language can affect staff.

“We’ve also got staff working towards their own qualifications now. Some are doing foundation degrees.”

Sarah praises the team and owners – James and Maria Sedgwick – of Crosby Nursery for their support.

She said: “I wouldn’t have got through this without their support and that from Nick. There were many times I’d be sitting up on the computer at one in the morning and Nick would come up with a cup of tea checking I was okay.”

Sarah’s efforts have now been rewarded by judges at the Nursery Management Today awards who have shortlisted her for manager of the year.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk