Alliance bemused by latest announcement on Level 3 qualifications
24th March 2014
The Pre-school Learning Alliance expressed their amazement that Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s recommendation to raise the number of Level 3 staff incrementally has been rejected by the Department for Education (DfE).
Their members are bemused that such a widely supported recommendation from a respected early years expert is not being taken forward. The DfE also confirmed that they will not publish a response to the Consultation on Early Education and Childcare Staff Deployment which asked for views about plans to change staff: child ratios.
Chief executive of the Alliance, Neil Leitch commented:
“It now appears that the Nutbrown Review’s fundamental recommendation to raise the number of staff with a Level 3 qualifications may not happen. This rips the heart out of More Great Childcare and runs counter to the Department’s rhetoric to improve the qualifications and the professional status of the early years workforce. It also conflicts directly with °ϲʹ’s early and active support for Professor Cathy Nutbrown’s recommendation. In fact, °ϲʹ believed that the targets were not ambitious enough. This leads us into a nonsensical position where potential learners could be told ‘you must have GCSE Maths and English grades A* to C to get on Early Years Educator (EYE) training courses, but don’t bother getting the EYE anyway.
“°ϲʹ have long been supportive of the aspiration to improve the level of qualifications but sceptical of how this was to be funded. It seems that Government is starting to recognise that good quality childcare requires investment. If the sector were cynical, the latest announcements by the Government may also be viewed through a prism of ‘how can we make it easier for schools to run nurseries?’ It would appear to support an aim to offer cheaper childcare to the detriment of what is best for the child.
“More worryingly, it appears that the Department will not share responses to the consultation on Early Education and Childcare Staff Deployment. It is sadly predictable that early years provider and expert contributions to policy making continue to be ignored and this latest announcement further reinforces the view that there is a genuine lack of consultation and transparency with the sector by the Department.
“I have no doubt that a vast majority of Alliance members would support Unison’s Freedom of Information request and we continue to despair that the Government needs to be forced to share such important information with those most directly affected by their policies.
“Finally I’m sure that Alliance members and other providers would be keen to understand the reasons why the Government has found it necessary to take this latest decision.”
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Notes for editors
- The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
- Through direct provision and its membership of 14,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
- For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: