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Introduction

7LLS502 - Continuing Personal and Professional Development Report on - The identified need for continuous professional development Introduction I have been instructed by the University of Westminster's course handbook 2007/2008 Certificate in Education to carry out a substantial research report on my subject area which is Home-based Childcare and the need for my own continuous personal and professional development (CPPD). The definition of which is the holistic commitment to enhancing ones skills for personal or professional competence. I have researched not only CPPD but also looked at government white papers on education both the Leitch review 2004 and the Foster Review in 2004 and how they have affected the course for Home-based Childcare. I have also looked at the Government's Ten Year Childcare Strategy, which affected the funding of the courses that I teach. Whilst I have studied these reports it would be impossible for me to cover every single issue so I have defined what I feel are the most important and relevant to my own professional and personal development. The reason I have chosen the Leitch review is because it highlighted the lack of skills in the UK. This then resulted in the Foster review looking at college structure and the evaluation of both strengths and weaknesses within that structure and how colleges were best placed to ensure the Leitch recommendations were met. Both reviews had an impact on the Governments Ten year Childcare Strategy and the recommendations that came from it. Method I utilised the internet to research the Leitch review - commissioned by the government in 2004 to carry out an independent review of the long-term skills that the United Kingdom would need to achieve maximum growth, productivity and social justice by 2020. ...read more.

Middle

The availability of childcare should not be an obstacle to participation in work, education or training.' (HM Treasury 2004: 34) Evaluation Leitch's review has had a great impact on further education - how could our economy grow at that level? Changes needed to be made. It was advising that colleges should change their emphasis on the courses that they provided shifting the emphasis towards courses that had a vocational purpose. Also he identified the need for all adults to acquire basic skills. Resulting in a change in funding, leisure courses lost a huge percentage of funding and the cost then had to be passed onto the student. Whilst vocational courses - those that resulted with transferrable skills were to receive greater funding, ensuring greater accessibility and inclusion. Foster felt it was not enough to merely get students to enrol but colleges had to work on the retention rate by getting students to achieve the qualification, how? One way was to suggest that colleges went out of their comfort zone and utilised other premises to enable potential students to overcome barriers such as a previous bad experience whilst attending school or college or a travel issue. Additional learning support was to receive greater funding ensuring that students with impairments or learning disorders could access education and feel supported throughout the course. Foster also recommended that the range of courses that were provided were relevant to the community that the college was within, so there was a need to consult local employers to ascertain what type of skills they needed their workforce to have. This could result that the employers would fund their employees to undertake certain courses whilst remaining in their employment. ...read more.

Conclusion

It also incorporates the National Daycare Standards and welfare requirements. * Being observed by my peers and line manager on a regular basis - also observing other tutors to enhance my own practice as a tutor What are the principles that I need to plan for my future CPPD? * Reflect on my own skills - where I am now?, what I have achieved already?, My strengths, weaknesses * Identify any gaps - where do I need to go next, what do I want to achieve, what areas do I need support in? * Create a professional development plan - utilising the information I have found from the above * Complete a professional development record - using the IFL website. Keeping a record of all CPPD activities that I complete. * Reflect on what I have achieved, how it has benefited me personally and professionally. What has the impact been? Any goals that I identify need to be; * Specific - Targeted to my own relevance professionally and personally, how relevant is the goal? * Measurable - How will I meet the objectives? * Achievable - Are the objectives attainable? * Realistic - Can I achieve the objectives with the resources available * Time - within a reasonable timescale One thing I feel concludes this report is that ensuring I continue to develop both professionally and personally will almost certainly benefit me by giving me confidence and developing my self-esteem but will also benefit those around me, especially my students who will be able to develop themselves fully and realise their highest potential, perhaps reaching self-actualisation. Continuous professional development is a vital tool to enhance ones skills, knowledge and personal qualities. ...read more.

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