Advice

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by jennifire

I have just handed all my NVQ 3 work in and it is being marked so I am looking at doing the foundation degree but I will need to find some funding, will i get chance to have much funding if i already work full time? Also, what will I be able to do with a foundation degree that I can't already do with my NVQ 3? Its a lot of money for the course and I don't want to waste it to find that I don't benefit from doing the course!

A foundation degree is a level 5 - so it depends what you want to do with that level. Tutu has just replied to another member saying that students just gaining a level 3 should wait 2 years before embarking on a level 4; explaining that the CWDC have stopped the NVQ4 as practitoners were making a mockery of it, just leaping from one level to another without practising and reinforcing their knowledge.
It does depend on the individual though, how long they have been in the sector. If you are thinking of doing any kind of degree, it will require a lot more work. For each module you are expected to often put between 100 - 200 hours of research and study and also expected to work/study weekends for two years. Hard work and hard on you and your family. It is expensive with everything you will need to buy i.e. paper, ink, memory sticks, books, travel, time etc
It's not impossible, but as you say, you need to know all the ins and outs to weigh it all up.
A level 5 will give you a senior practitioner post, a leading practitoner post is level 6 -+ Early Years Professional Status.
Research suggests (at present) that most EYPs are given only 50p an hour extra after up to 5 years of study.