What is a Foundation Apprenticeship?
Skills Development Scotland, with the support of the European Social Fund, developed the Foundation Apprenticeship to allow senior phase pupils to complete a vocational award over one or two years.
Ankerville delivers the Foundation Apprenticeship Social Services Children & Young People (FA SSCYP) using a blended learning approach to this award by combining face-to-face and online learning along with a key element of this award which provides pupils with access to a rich learning environment within childcare settings. This gives pupils an opportunity to learn about what it is like to work in the sector, learn how to work in partnership with childcare professionals, and to make links between their learning and practice.
The FA SSCYP can be delivered over one or two years, and achievement will provide pupils with an industry recognised qualification and will broaden their career chances when they leave school. It has already been successfully completed by learners as one of their SCQF Level 6 qualifications (same level as a Higher).
What will you learn?
The FA SSCYP provides pupils with an opportunity to gain valuable real-life working experience while they are still at school.
The award consists of 5 National Progression Award (NPA) Units:
- Communication with Children and Young People
- Development of Children and Young People
- Play for Children and Young People
- Safeguarding for Children and Young People
- Promote the Wellbeing and Safety of Children and Young People
As well as 6 SVQ Units:
- Support Effective Communication
- Support the Health and Safety of Yourself and Individuals
- Develop your own Knowledge and Practice
- Support the Safeguarding of Children
- Support the Development of Children and Young People
- Support Children’s Learning Through Play
You will learn about:
- The importance of effective communication with children and other childcare professionals, including learning about different methods to support this.
- How to support the implementation of health, safety, security, and infection control procedures which ensure a safe environment for the children, yourself, and your colleagues.
- How to reflect on your own learning and practice to continually develop your own professional practice.
- Safeguarding and child protection procedures so that you are aware of your role, and that of others in the process which ensure the safety and wellbeing of children.
- The different aspects of child development which includes physical, emotional, social, communication and cognitive aspects.
- The role that different aspects of play have in supporting the range of development areas mentioned above, and your part in this.
- How to develop an approach to your practice which demonstrates respect for individual preferences and needs whilst linking this to current legislation, standards, policy, guidance etc.
What are your prospects?
Abertay University
Robert Gordon University
University of Highlands and Islands
It is recognised as a Higher towards other subjects other than the same subject at the following:
Glasgow School of Art
Heriot Watt University
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Scotland’s Rural College
University of Aberdeen (excludes medicine)
University of Glasgow (excludes law, medicine, dentistry, vet medicine)
University of St Andrews (excludes medicine)
More detailed information is available at: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/46393/fa-to-degree.pdf (please check with specific universities for details)
What is a Modern Apprenticeship?
Undertaking a Modern Apprenticeship allows you to earn and learn by gaining on the job experience whilst developing your knowledge and understanding of the many aspects of childcare. Ankerville has been delivering the Modern Apprenticeship Social Services Children and Young People (MA SSCYP) both in their own settings and external settings since 2004.
What will you learn?
The MA SSCYP provides candidates with an opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience.
The award consists of 8 SVQ Units
- Promote Effective Communication
- Promote Health, Safety & Security in the Work Setting
- Develop Your Practice Through Reflection & Learning
- Promote the Safeguarding of Children & Young People
- Plan & Organise Environments for Children & Families
- Promote the Health & Physical Development of Children
- Promote the Children’s Wellbeing & Resilience
- Support Children & Young People Through Major Transitions
You will learn about:
- The importance of effective communication with children and other childcare professionals, including learning about different methods to support this.
- How to implement health, safety, security, and infection control procedures which ensure a safe environment for the children, yourself, and your colleagues.
- How to reflect on your own learning and practice to continually develop your own professional practice.
- Safeguarding and child protection procedures so that you are aware of your role, and that of others in the process which ensure the safety and wellbeing of children.
- How to provide activities and environments which support the different aspects of child development which include physical, emotional, social, communication and cognitive development.
- How to promote children’s healthy eating and exercise in line with current guidance and best practice.
- How to promote a positive environment which helps children to build their self-esteem and resilience.
- How to support children through the range of transitions in their lives in partnership with parents/carers, colleagues and other professionals.
- How to develop an approach to your practice which demonstrates respect for individual preferences and needs whilst linking this to current legislation, standards, policy, guidance etc.
What are your prospects?
On successful completion of your Modern Apprenticeship, you will become a qualified Early Years Practitioner.
This qualification can lead to supervisory or managerial roles as well as gaining a pathway to complete your BA Childhood Practice.
Why should you come to Ankerville Nurseries & Training Centre?
Ankerville Nurseries were accredited to SQA and SDS in 2004 for the delivery of the childcare award which at that time was Early Years Care and Education and now called the Modern Apprenticeship Social Services Children & Young People.
Over the years the training centre has successfully had over 55 candidates achieve the childcare award with some furthering their training and gaining their degree in BA Childhood Practice. All the apprentices were given the opportunity to remain in employment with Ankerville although some have left to train in social work, teaching, the police, and some have started a family and remained at home with them.
The training team now has between 10-18 Modern Apprentices in training at any one time and have also diversified into delivering the childcare qualification to staff at other external nurseries. They extended their provision to include the FA SSCYP in 2019.
There is a strong emphasis on team working within Ankerville, drawing on their wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience to ensure high quality provision. They continually evaluate their delivery and learning materials to ensure that it is of the highest quality.
With the ever-changing situation in relation to COVID-19 since March 2020, the team took on the task of quickly adapting their FA SSCYP delivery to suit the virtual learning environment as a method of keeping pupils engaged with their award and not putting them at a disadvantage. This platform has worked very well and we are very proud of how our pupils have adapted with us, have engaged with us, and supported each other through these challenging times.
Ankerville are very lucky to work in partnership with Highland Council, and they were given the opportunity to use Google Classroom as a virtual learning environment. The team worked hard to create an environment on this platform, which was familiar, informative, and accessible to pupils. Face-to-face and online classes are held every Friday.
The Training Team
Carol MacRae
Carol, the nursery owner, was the sole assessor at that time and initially had 6 apprentices, one of these original apprentices was Kathleen Maclennan. Carol has worked in Early Years since the 1970’s beginning her career in Aberdeen in a specialist centre for children with additional needs. She moved to Tain in 1980 and soon after childminded then worked in a LA nursery. She opened Ankerville House in 1999 and went on to work part time as a tutor in North Highland College where she first started assessing SVQ candidates in nursery settings. This gave her the idea to train her own team and in 2004 she began training her own staff in-house. The training arm of Ankerville has grown to such an extent that there are three permanent trainers and Carol no longer assesses but oversees the training team. The MA training is now open to apprentices in other nursery settings and the FA to pupils from a range of secondary schools in our area.
Kathleen Maclennan
Kathleen has been in employment with Ankerville since 2001. She has since climbed the ladder into first being an assistant manager in the 3-5 nursery along with doing further training herself into gaining the Assessor award and then moving away from the practitioner side and becoming the Training manager and increasing the training team to include 2 other assessors to work alongside her. Kathleen completed her Early Years Care and Education Level 2 and Level 3 before completing her Assessor Award D32/33
Dorothy Cuthbert
Dorothy started working for Ankerville Nurseries in January 2014, having worked within the management and training side of childcare in the central belt for a number of years. Dorothy completed her A1 Assessor award in November 2001 and her V1 Verifier award in March 2007, she has also completed the CiPD Learning and Development Level 4 award in April 2008, and has a Post Graduate in Management completed in July 2000. Within her position of trainer also develops training for the nursery staff and ensures their Continuous Professional Development.
Tracey MacInnes
Tracey was a Modern Apprentice with Ankerville Nurseries, completing her SVQ CCLD award in May 2012. She commenced her BA Childhood Practice in September 2014, gaining her full award in July 2019. During this time, she also undertook and achieved her Assessor award (L&9DI) in July 2016. She is currently undertaking her Internal Verification award (L&D11). She has been working with pupils and assessing the Foundation Apprenticeship Social Services Children & Young People since 2017.