About four years ago, Emma sat on a Lib Dem party policy working group on early years. One of the issues they identified was the need to raise the quality of training for early years staff, which has a big impact on the benefit to young children. As a way of doing of this they proposed introducing a national register and status for leaders in early years, equivalent to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching primary and secondary-aged children.

This idea was then taken up more widely and the government has now introduced the qualification of Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) for graduate leaders of early years settings.

The intention is that in time it should be widespread for managers of early years settings to have this, but at the moment it seems that only a few have taken it.

As Principal of a school and nursery, Emma is now one of those who has undertaken the course for this - and this week got a letter saying that she has been awarded Early Years Professional Status!