Becoming an Advanced Practitioner

This chapter focuses on practitioner role as an advanced practitioner in early years and shows that work-based learning is an integral part of the undergraduate journey for early year’s practitioners. Becoming competent in practice requires the student to draw upon their knowledge, skills and attributes when working with their immediate teams and also with a range of outside agencies. It is also important that practitioners are self-reflective and able to be self-critical. Once practitioner have gained confidence in practitioner’s practice and embarked on their second and subsequent years of study, developing and refining practitioner’s skills will enable practitioner to become a competent advanced practitioner. This will require practitioner to draw on knowledge and attributes gained from both academic work and practitioner’s placement practice. The chapter explores practitioner’s role as educator, carer and colleague within an early year’s context. It also explores how attitudes and attributes can equip practitioner with the tools to forge ahead with practitioner’s career in early years.