ABSTRACT
CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter will consider the historical context for continuing professional
development (CPD), moving on to consider the background to professional training
and CPD specifically for Early Years Teachers (EYTs) and Early Years Graduate
Practitioners (EYGPs), focusing upon the current situation in England. We will
consider the recent recognition of the need to develop highly qualified practitioners
to lead practice within the early years arena. We argue that a more ‘joined up’
approach to CPD involves understanding the roles and functions of the range of
professionals within the children’s workforce, leading to a more inter-professional
‘multi-agency’ approach. This book is, in itself, an example of such an approach,
with chapters written not only from the perspective of teaching and everyday
practice in classrooms and other early years settings, but also from the perspectives
of child psychology, social work, the sociology of childhood and the family, and
consequent policy development.
