Strategy Groups
Professionalism and Workforce Strategy Group
Hear from our Co-Vice Chairs Professor Verity Campbell-Barr and Samantha Hoyes as they explains the role, purpose and future aspirations of the Professionalism and Workforce strategy group.
Mission Statement
The Professionalism and Workforce Strategy group aims to promote confident, competent and knowledgeable students that graduate with Early Childhood Studies degrees. We aim, as a strategy group, to advocate for all ECS students and graduates using the knowledge of the group membership to promote the professionalisation of the early childhood workforce.
Full Statement
It is recognised that these students should have extensive theoretical knowledge and are professional, reflective and reflexive in their approach. ECS graduates also have substantial skill in application of knowledge to practice, and practice to knowledge. We want this to be recognised nationally and internationally. The conditions of the workplace need to reflect the skill level of these graduates and the group aims to promote this. We aim, as a strategy group, to advocate for all ECS students and graduates using the knowledge of the group membership to promote the professionalisation of the early childhood workforce. Currently we are allocating significant time to develop and support the implementation of the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies. Please see below for further information and for those current member HEI’s offering the Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies.
Co-Vice Chairs
Professor Verity Campbell-Barr
Co-Vice Chair
Verity Campbell-Barr is a Professor in Early Childhood Studies and Associate Director for Research at Plymouth Institute of Education, University of Plymouth. Verity has over 15 years of experience researching early childhood education and care services. Her research interests centre on the quality of early childhood services, particularly the role of the early childhood workforce in supporting the quality of services. She has undertaken international research on the knowledge, skills and attitudes for working in early childhood services and has recently embarked on an analysis of the full range of early childhood degrees available in England. Verity has written extensively on quality and the workforce in early childhood services and has recently published Professional Knowledge and Skills in the Early Years with Sage.
Samantha Hoyes
Co-Vice Chair
Samantha is a senior lecturer at Bishop Grosseteste University teaching on the undergraduate Early Childhood Studies programme. Prior to joining BGU full time, Samantha has worked in a variety of early years settings, including managing and co-owning two early years settings in Lincolnshire. Samantha also has experience inspecting early years provision. Samantha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Teaching interests include policy, provision and practice, outdoor play, children’s rights, and risky play. Building on research from her Masters, Sam has a strong interest in early years professionalism and the continued development of the early years sector. Her ongoing PhD research focuses on the experiences of working mothers and how they position their identity.
Our work as a strategy group
We are currently engaged in two key initiatives. One focusses on developing cse studies for the effectiveness of the Graduate Practitioner Competencies and the other looks at the vast array of job roles our 'Wonderful Graduates' persue. Use the images below to access this information. ​​
Graduate Practitioner Competencies
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Follow this link to view case studies of GPC implementation within ECS courses.
'Our wonderful Graduates.'
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Follow this link to view video case studies from ECSDN student alumni and learn more about their fascinating journeys.
Members
Sigrid Brogaard Clausen
Sigrid Brogaard Clausen is a Danish Social Pedagogue, who works as senior lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University of Roehampton. Children’s wellbeing and democratic participation is at the forefront of her work, and she has carried out and published research into young children’s wellbeing (including assessment and professional and parental understandings thereof), early childhood professionalism & identity, and comparative curricula policy studies. Empowering democratic professionalism is part of her aims as academic tutor, researcher and member of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN), where she currently holds a role a vice chair for Professionalism in Early Childhood.
Eunice Lumsden
Eunice Lumsden is the Professor of Child Advocacy and the Head of Childhood Youth and Families at the University of Northampton and a registered social worker. She has advised on Early Childhood policy, workforce qualifications and is a member of the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Qualifications, Education and Early Years Route Panel. She has also received awards for her ‘Changemaking’ work and research in the early years and child welfare. Nationally, she has been a member of several external expert groups advising the Government of Early Years qualifications, inequalities in the early years and was an academic adviser for the Early Years Healthy Development Review, which led to the Best Start for Life policy. Eunice led the development of the Early Childhood Graduate Competencies for the Early Childhood Studies Network.
Selena Hall
Selena Hall is a Lecturer of Early Childhood within the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing. Prior experience of teaching spans over 16 years as Lecturer and Course Leader. Alongside this she was Lead Internal Verifier which complimented her role as it enabled the development of quality and rigour across the department. Prior to this role she was Programme Manager for the Foundation Degree Early Childhood and an Associate Lecturer within Higher Education. Equally, over this duration of time Selena considers herself fortunate to work within varied early years settings. This has enabled the gaining of a background of specialist practice based experiences. Current teaching and interest areas include socially constructed perspectives of childhood, the practitioner role surrounding adversity and Opportunities for play.
Louise Hannan
Louise Hannan is Course Leader for the Early Childhood education and care degree at University Centre Somerset. She has worked in the sector delivering services for 13 years and now teaches within the discipline. Before lecturing, Louise has fulfilled the following roles, Early Years Practitioner, Team Leader, Daycare Manager, Children's Centre Leader and Early Years Ofsted Inspector. Current sector research interest are; staff wellbeing and resilience and the components of the emotional environments for daycare. research interest with the University environment include; self regulated learning and what lecturers across the institution can learn from Early Childhood Neuroscience. She also works as an External Examiner, content writer and content reviewer for other courses and qualifications. She is currently in the 4th year of her PhD (Completion due - September 2024) on the Emotional Environments of Two-Year-Old Daycare.
Su Lavercombe
Su Lavercombe is the Assistant Programme Leader and senior lecturer on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies at the University of Derby. Su has over 30 years experience of working within the early childhood sector including working in higher education since 2016.
Su's current research interest focuses on children's relationships with nature and has recently started her PhD journey.
Su is interested in early childhood professionalism and identity whilst continuing to develop the recognition of an early childhood graduate workforce.
Natalie MacDonald
Natalie is a principal lecturer at UWTSD, where she has been since 2015. She is the academic director for the Childhood, Youth and Education discipline and manages the master's programme in Children’s, Young People’s, and Community Services. With a background in early years management, she has worked in primary school nurseries and managed a Flying Start nursery. She holds management practice qualifications, has a master's in developmental and therapeutic play, a PG Cert in Higher Education Teaching, and is completing her doctoral thesis with a focus on early education and care policy design, interpretation and influence on practice
Natalie's research focuses on early education policy, concept development, relational pedagogy, curriculum design, and workforce development. She has led research for Welsh Government contracts and contributed to REF submissions. Natalie has a number of publications in these areas. She is a member of several advisory groups, including the Qualifications Standards Advisory Group for Wales and is a trustee for Early Years Wales umbrella organisation.
Andrea Yankah
Andrea Yankah is a visiting lecturer at the University of Roehampton. She has 20 years of experience in the sector, ranging from nurseries, children’s centres, schools, and private work with families. She is passionate about developing a highly qualified workforce that is focused on developing intentional pedagogies, which forms the basis of her Froebel Trust-funded PhD research. She is also dedicated to advancing the early childhood sector in Ghana through workforce training and has established a research centre in Ghana for this purpose. Her other research interests include spiritual development of children, parenting, feminist activism, and early childhood in the Global South.
