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Level 3 practitioners will no longer need a GCSE in English and maths to count in early years ratios, following an announcement from the DfE this morning.

 

Early years minister Caroline Dinenage confirmed the policy change at the Childcare Expo held in London. She said that the government had listened to the 4,000 comments received as part of an industry consultation in November and was adjusting its policy to accept functional skills and other equivalents as GCSE alternatives from 3 April onwards.

 

The new policy is part of a wider Early Years Workforce Strategy also released today, which includes government plans to recruit more graduates into the early years sector and to launch a taskforce to promote career opportunities for men. Dinenage said: “I want to do all that I can to remove barriers to employers attracting, retaining and developing staff.”

 

The move was welcomed by the sector including the Alliance, which said that recruitment was “critical” ahead of the 30-hours scheme, due to be rolled out in September.

 

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, commented: “We’re clear that this change is not in any way about lowering standards in the early years, but rather about giving talented and dedicated practitioners the opportunity to progress their careers.”

 

He added: “We know that this decision will come as a huge relief to providers currently facing significant recruitment challenges, and we so welcome the fact that government has listened to the sector on this issue.”

 

The requirement for new recruits to have at least a C grade in English and maths to be classed as a level 3 practitioner was introduced in 2014. This update means that those with equivalent level 2 English and maths qualifications, including functional skills, will also be included in staff ratios.”