The power of credit in securing professional teacher status for teaching assistants and early years’ practitioners

This article presents innovative practice at Middlesex University London, around the recognition of prior learning (RPL) to develop professional progression opportunities for teaching assistants, unqualified teachers and early years practitioners. From the literature and student feedback, it is suggested that these practitioners have traditionally lacked professional status and found it difficult to access full time teacher training programmes. Flexible work-based degree pathways, based on RPL for general credit followed by work based projects, have been devised. Case studies on students who have successfully gone on to access professional teacher status are used to illustrate the pathway and the empowering effect of the process. Issues around the consistency of credit claims required for progression to post graduate teacher training programmes are discussed. The key conclusion is that clear guidance is needed on the structure and focus of RPL credit claims, to ensure successful professional progression.

© Ruth Miller, 2017. The definitive, peer reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, Volume 19, Number 3, November 2017, pp. 31-41(11), https://doi.org/10.5456/WPLL.19.3.31