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The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education







Infant Classes

Standard 11: Professional practice

Practising in a professional manner requires that individuals have skills, knowledge, values and attitudes appropriate to their role and responsibility within the setting. In addition, it requires regular reflection upon practice and engagement in supported, ongoing professional development.

Component 11.1 | Component 11.2 | Component 11.3 | Component 11.4 | Component 11.5

Component 11.1 - All adults working within the setting can provide evidence that they have achieved levels of skills and knowledge appropriate to their role and responsibilities.

Signposts for Reflection

11.1.1

What levels of qualifications have been attained by teachers/adults working in the school?

Think about (e.g.)

  • National Framework for Qualifications
  • Professional qualification requirements (teachers and other adults in the school)

11.1.2

Can adults working directly with children in the setting demonstrate that they have skills and knowledge in core areas appropriate to their role and responsibilities?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Special Needs

11.1.3

Are adults working in support positions appropriately qualified?


11.1.4

What evidence can adults/teachers provide to demonstrate the levels of skills and knowledge they have achieved?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Formal learning (e.g., qualifications, certified learning, etc.)
  • Informal learning (e.g., portfolios of learning, experience, etc.)

Component 11.2 - All adults subscribe to a set of core principles, which inform all aspects of their practice in early childhood care and education settings.

Signposts for Reflection

11.2.1

What are the key principles which guide and determine practice in your school?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Philosophy statement
  • Professional code of ethics
  • National principles/standards
  • National practice organisations' guidelines
  • International guidelines
  • National legislation and regulations See 15.1

11.2.2

What processes demonstrate how your principles/vision statement influences practice in your setting?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Team processes See 10.4
  • Parental involvement processes See 3.2
  • Consultation processes See 4.1
  • Observation based practice See 7.6
  • Curriculum
  • Research processes (e.g., library, internet, etc.)

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Component 11.3 - The setting supports and promotes regular opportunity for practitioners to reflect upon and review their practice and contribute positively to the development of quality practice in the setting.

See 8.1

Signposts for Reflection

11.3.1

What processes are in place to allow practitioners time to reflect on their own practice, in order to identify areas where obtaining additional knowledge or changing approaches is necessary?


11.3.2

How often is time scheduled in your setting for group reflection and discussion about practice?


11.3.3

How are teachers/other staff encouraged to share their experience and ideas regarding practice in the setting? See 16.1


Component 11.4 - Adults within the setting are encouraged and appropriately resourced to engage in a wide variety of regular and ongoing professional development.

Signposts for Reflection

11.4.1

In what type of professional development activity do adults working in the school participate?

Think about (e.g.)

  • Conferences
  • Workshops
  • Cluster groups
  • Third level courses and seminars
  • In-service, summer courses
  • Online courses and Internet resources
  • Compiling or consulting a resource library
  • Staff exchanges
  • Observation of other practitioners/settings
  • Mentoring and coaching

11.4.2

How are teachers/adults encouraged to engage in professional development?

Think about (e.g.)

  • An achievable, realistic, professional development plan
  • Developing, implementing and reviewing this plan
  • In-service training opportunities available to teachers/adults
  • Sessions specific to early childhood or applying the principles of adult learning
  • Opportunity and structures to facilitate mentoring for adults/teachers
  • Induction of new teachers
  • Regular observation of teachers and other adults in the classroom and provision of feedback by someone familiar with the curriculum's goals, objectives and methods of working with children
  • Allocating resources (time, funding, materials) to professional development
  • Incentives to encourage adults/teachers to engage in professional development
  • Support staff (e.g., cook, bus driver, secretary, etc.) and volunteers are provided with appropriate induction and supervision which builds positively on their existing levels of expertise

11.4.3

How are cooperative working relationships with other community services used to support the professional development of adults/teachers? See 16.1 / 16.3


Component 11.5 - Adults demonstrate sensitivity, warmth and positive regard for children and their families.

See 5.3 See 9.6

Signposts for Reflection

11.5.1

How are individual children's efforts and ideas acknowledged and encouraged? See 5.3 / 5.4


11.5.2

How is this information communicated to parents and families? See 3.1


11.5.3

How are children encouraged to interact with, and turn to, one another for assistance throughout the day? See 5.1 / 5.2


11.5.4

How do teachers/adults respond sensitively to parents' need for information and reassurance on the well-being of their child? See 3.3 See 12.2



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