Anne Marie Dalton – Early Years Degree is ‘Missing Piece of the Puzzle’ with 15 Years of Experience

Anne Marie Dalton from Meath is studying for her BA (Hons) Early Childhood Care and Education degree at Portobello Institute, with 15 years of experience, this is the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ to align her experience with her qualification level.

After completing her Leaving Certificate in 1990, she attended a secretarial college and spent eight years working in a busy life assurance company.

After marrying and welcoming her first child in 1998, she enjoyed life at home until her three sons began primary school. During those years, her interest in early childhood development and the importance of the early years grew, prompting her to pursue formal qualifications in the field.

She achieved her FETAC Level 5 in Early Years Care and Education while working part-time, and later progressed to a QQI Level 6 qualification in Supervision in Early Years Care and Education, all while employed in a busy childcare centre.

As her children reached university age, supporting their education became the family’s priority. She spent ten years in her original childcare role before seeking a service more closely aligned with her values, priorities, and standards.

In recent years, she moved to a new service where she found a strong sense of fulfilment. Although she briefly experimented with part-time work, she soon realised she missed the consistency and relationship-building of a full-time role. She returned to full-time work and has since been offered the position of service manager, a role she will begin in January 2026.

Anne Marie is now studying for her BA (Hons) Early Childhood Care and Education degree at Portobello Institute, with 15 years of experience in the sector she explains why she decided studying was the right thing to do.

“I am a parent of three and have fifteen years of experience working in early years education. I believe that this experience cannot be replaced or overstated. I know that every child, family and staff member I encountered along the way taught me something and the education through experience never stops.

“I gained knowledge and confidence through studying for Level 5 and Level 6, particularly the theory behind why we do what we do. Armed with this theory, defending concepts that are important for young children was easier to advocate for. 

“Examples like the key person system, the right to play, hierarchy of needs empowered me to be better in my role and to be unapologetic when it comes to striving for the best outcomes for children. It’s logical that the more education that I receive, the better I can be at my job and better the experiences that the children in my care will receive,” she said. 

Anne Marie was successful in her application for the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund which covers 80% of course fees, giving her the opportunity to upskill, something that she feels passionately about when reflecting on her Leaving Cert and previous experience with education.

“I left school, attended secretarial college, and started my career as an insurance clerk before my eighteenth birthday. When asked in secondary school what my ambitions were, my answer was to be a great parent someday. My career guidance teacher was horrified and told me this was not an ambition. I disagreed. I’d had a wonderful childhood, full of play with amazing parents and I could not see a future where this was not the focus of my life.

“A part of me wondered what it would be like to work towards a degree and achieve a third level academic qualification. It was impossible to justify the cost and until the learner fund provided me with the amazing opportunity, a degree was an unattainable goal for me,” she said. 

Anne Marie is following her passion for education and working with children by continuing her studies.

“I love working with young children with all my heart. I could not imagine a more satisfying and rewarding occupation. I was born in the early 70’s when school and the early years were a very different place. My memories of primary school are tinged with feelings of anxiety, fear and feeling a little bit lost and lonely without my parents and family. 

“What drives me and informs my pedagogy is a need to connect with and reassure the young children in my care. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs teaches us that for optimal learning and development conditions, children must first feel safe. It is important to me to build trusting relationships with the young children I care for.

“All knowledge that I can gain to help me achieve these circumstances and to be able to back up my hypothesis with academic accreditation is why I chose to pursue this course,” she said. 

Coming back to education after a long break can be daunting, but with support and encouragement from her tutors and peers, Anne Marie is enjoying her experience.

“I can’t believe how quickly my first year went! There is so much to learn from listening to the other students, and the tutors are so knowledgeable, helpful, supportive, encouraging, and patient!  

“We were encouraged from the beginning to use tiny pockets of time to keep chipping away at pieces of each assignment, and this was such good advice. Fifteen minutes here or an hour there might seem like a pointless exercise but the amount that can be achieved in such a short period of time amazed me. 

“Support is always there, particularly through discussion boards. The tutors are approachable, contactable, and private calls can be arranged if necessary. I will say that there is a noticeable jump in what is required to be successful at this level compared to Level 5 or Level 6 but it is manageable. The amount of practical knowledge gained is worth every bit of the effort.

“The best thing for me about studying with Portobello has been that all the classes are online. I sometimes finish work at 6.30pm and classes begin at 7pm. If it were a requirement that I attend in person, I would not have been able to complete this course at all.

“I would absolutely recommend Portobello Institute to friends, and I have done so.  The main reason for this is the clarity of information provided each week. It is also made clear exactly what is expected of me to complete each task. I have never felt overwhelmed and any questions that I have asked have been answered comprehensively. I think this could be one of the reasons potential students could feel apprehension when applying for further study. I would recommend trusting Portobello to anyone with these concerns,” she said.

The BA (Hons) Early Childhood Care and Education degree involves work-based placement modules each year. At Portobello Institute, we support students by allowing work placements to take place in their current role and workplace.

“I work forty hours per week in a childcare centre. All my work placements for the first year were completed during my normal working hours. In the second year, a total of six hours will take place in a setting of one of my fellow students,” she said. 

Anne Marie shared an example of how her studies directly impacted improvements in her workplace, and she is proud to be part of the increasingly graduate-led early years workforce in Ireland.

“One of our assignments was to choose an area in our environment which we felt could be improved. The area that I chose was the art area. The area was not inviting, it didn’t have adequate space, and the children didn’t have easy access to the materials. This has all been changed with art supplies available constantly for the children. The area was so successful that it is being replicated in the other classrooms of the service.

“My goal is to use the knowledge gained from completing this course to constantly improve my practice and the environment I work in to the highest standards I can possibly achieve. 

“I already have many years of experience. The missing piece of my puzzle was a degree. My belief is that young children deserve to have their education and care taken seriously and have a graduate-led workforce. I hope that this is the direction that Ireland is taking and am very proud to be a part of it,” she said.