Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

The learning gained through coming to PEAL training and undertaking some follow up work can be assessed to give you credits towards a qualification -this is called the accreditation of learning.

There is a national framework for qualifications and credits, referred to as the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The QCF is a way of recognising achievement through the award of credits for units, which can be combined to achieve qualifications. Through its training programme, PEAL is supporting people to work towards one of the units on the QCF. The unit title is 'Work with parents to engage them in their children's early learning'.

What would I get?

Engage parents in their children's early learning (unit 311 of the City and Guilds Work with Parents Award 3599) consists of 30 hours of study. To undertake this unit through the PEAL training programme the 30 hours comprises:

• the equivalent of two training days, taking place in the participant's own  setting and in an external setting
• reading of practice examples and the PEAL reader
• application of learning to practice, evidenced by the portfolio

Work with parents to engage them in their children's early learning (unit 311) is worth three credits at level 3. The learning undertaken as part of, and in addition to, the PEAL training must be assessed in order to achieve these credits. The assessment for this unit consists of a small portfolio, the contents of which are discussed in the assessment booklet available from PEAL and can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

How to gain the full award

If you have already achieved the 3 credits, you would need to provide evidence for the other units, as detailed below, to gain the full award. You can take the whole City and Guilds award in Work with parents (3599) through a longer version of the PEAL training programme. To achieve the whole award, the units we will study are:-

• Unit 300 Build and maintain relationships in work with parents (6 credits)
• Unit 306 Reflect on and update own knowledge and practice (3 credits)
• Unit 311 Engage parents in their children's early learning (3 credits, as outlined above)

The full 3599 award consists of a total of 120 hours of study, comprising:

• the equivalent of three training days
• reading and research
• application of learning to practice and reflection on that learning, evidenced by the portfolio
• portfolio building and completion.

The full award Assessment Support Booklet will be available shortly. The City and Guilds Whole Award booklet is available to download at the bottom of this page.

What do I do next?

If you want to find out more about the Accreditation of PEAL learning the first thing to do is to read the Supplementary Support Notes available to download at the bottom of this page.

You will be able to get support through the help line (see below) and your assessor. Assessors may also be able to organise workshops in your local area if there is sufficient demand for this. 

How much does it cost?

The full cost to take the Unit currently is £165. This includes registration fees, assessor support costs and examination costs. The fee to take the full award from March 2012 is currently £365.

How can I find out more?

PEAL trainers will be able to give you more information at the training events, or you can contact the PEAL team at National Children's Bureau on 0207 843 6444, or by emailing ecuadmin@ncb.org.uk.

* This framework applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is aligned with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)                           

The above documents relate to the new City and Guilds Work with Parents Award (3599). If you were registered before April 2009 for either the Single Unit (previously called Unit 16) or the Full Award (previously called 3598) and require the City and Guilds Whole Award Assessment Booklet or the PEAL Supplementary Support Notes (previously called Assessment Support Booklet), please email ecuadmin@ncb.org.uk to request these.