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Addressing poor pay and valuing the workforce are critical to tackling the early years staffing crisis as nurseries, pre-schools and childminding settings continue to struggle to recruit and retain staff, a new survey by leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has revealed.  

The online survey, which received 889 responses and was carried out between 10 and 19 July 2024, found that 78% of settings have found it difficult to recruit staff in the last year, with nearly half (48%) finding it ‘very difficult’.    

More than six in 10 respondents (61%) reported that staff from their setting had left the sector entirely over the previous six months, while eight in ten (82%) had seen an increase in the number of staff members leaving the sector compared to two years ago. 

As a result of the sector’s ongoing recruitment and retention challenges, in the six months prior to the survey, half of respondents (50%) have had to limit or stop taking on new children and nearly two in five (17%) have reduced or restricted their opening hours. Half of settings (51%) said staffing shortages have had a negative impact on the quality of provision.  

The survey also found that over a third of respondents (37%) are actively considering leaving the sector themselves. These respondents did, however, cite several changes that would encourage them to remain in the sector. These include feeling more valued by the government (82%), better pay (80%) and improved benefits (53%) such as sick pay.  

These findings come just a month before the next phase of the early entitlement expansion – which will offer 15 hours per week of funded early years provision to eligible children aged nine months and older – and six months since the start of the Department for Education’s early years recruitment campaign: Do Something Big, Work With Small Children. In total, while around half (52%) of respondents said they had heard of the campaign, of those who had advertised at least one role since the campaign launch, more than eight in 10 (81%) said there was no change in the number of applications for roles in their setting since its launch, with just 5% noting an increase in the period, and 10% seeing a decrease. 

In response to the survey results, the Alliance is calling on the government to: 

• Determine and publish a set of pay ambitions for the early years sector in England, setting out what it considers to be suitable salary ranges for each role level in the sector – and to ensure that early entitlement funding is set and maintained at an adequate level to enable early years settings to meet those salary expectations. 
• Ensure that the early years is consistently recognised and valued as an education profession 
• Ensure there are clear and consistent career pathways into and through the sector, as well as funded training and CPD opportunities. 

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “It’s incredibly concerning, but sadly not at all surprising, that not only are so many settings continuing to struggle to recruit, but also, a significant proportion of experienced educators are actively considering leaving the sector.  

“As these findings show, staffing challenges have already pushed many providers to limit both places and hours offered. With less than a month before the next phase of the early entitlement expansion, it’s clear just how critical the need to address the sector’s staffing crisis is.  

“But while there is no silver bullet to the sector’s staffing crisis, what today’s findings also show is that this is not an insurmountable challenge. Working in the early years has the potential to be one of the best jobs in the world, and as our results show, valuing the early years sector and, crucially, ensuring that educators can receive a salary which reflects the importance of the work they do are key to attracting and retaining educators in the coming years. 

“At the Alliance, we know just how passionate, dedicated and skilled the early years workforce is – but the fact is that for far too long, these educators have been undervalued, underappreciated and underpaid as a result of years of underfunding and polices that have failed to acknowledge the importance of the work they do day-in and day-out.  

“As such, we hope that the new government will take urgent action on this crucial issue and work with the sector to develop and implement a comprehensive workforce plan: one that recognises the need to improve retention as well as recruitment and, at long last, tackles the issue of low sector pay. We look forward to working with them to make this a reality.”&�Բ�����; 

Survey comments  

• “We are at crisis point; we need an improved attitude to early years where we are valued the same as teaching staff and increased funding to pay better wages that entice and retain people wanting to work in early years. None of us have ever done this job for the money but if the future workforce can potentially earn more in a supermarket, then there will not be a future for the early years.”&�Բ�����;
• “We usually recruit from a group of candidates and we always choose the person with the most qualifications and experience and who will best fit within our setting. Now, we are lucky if we can recruit anyone, and this causes standards to fall. We have more issues and problems to deal with and managing the staff has become much harder.”&�Բ�����;
• “As a small nursery it is difficult to get bank staff, therefore our current staff are working regular overtime. This is affecting their mental health and resilience. Potentially this may make them want to leave the sector for an easier role with less responsibilities.”&�Բ�����;

EDITOR NOTES

The survey was carried out between 10 and 19 July 2024 and received 889 responses.

KEY SURVEY FINDINGS

How would you best describe where you work in the early years?  

Nursery, 38%  

Pre-school, 43%  

Childminding setting, 10%  

Maintained nursery school, 1%  

Primary school nursery class, 1%  

Children’s centre, 1%  

Out-of-hours club, 1%  

Specialist early years provision, 1%  

Other (please specify), 5%  

 

How would you best describe your role within your setting?  

Both owner and manager, 21% 

Owner only, 5% 

Manager only, 30% 

Deputy / assistant manager, 8% 

Early years teacher or professional / Level 6 educator, 7% 

Room leader, 2% 

Level 4 or 5 educator, 2% 

Level 3 educator, 8%  

Level 2 educator, 0%  

Level 2 assistant, 0% 

Unqualified educator, 0% 

Apprentice, 0% 

Administrator,  4% 

Trustee/Committee member, 3% 

Other (please specify), 8% 

 

How long have you worked in the early years sector?  

Less than a year, 1% 

1 – 5 years, 7% 

6 – 10 years, 11%  

11 – 15 years, 18% 

16 – 20 years, 19% 

More than 20 years, 44% 

 

How many sites do you / does your organisation currently operate?  

1, 73% 

2 – 5, 15% 

6 – 10, 4% 

11 – 25, 2% 

26 – 50, 2% 

More than 50,  4% 

 

Which local authority is your setting based in? If you have multiple settings based in more than one local authority, please select all that apply.  

Barking and Dagenham, 0% 

Barnet, 1% 

Barnsley, 0%  

Bath and North East Somerset, 0%  

Bedford, 0%  

Bexley, 1% 

Birmingham, 1% 

Blackburn with Darwen, 0%  

Blackpool, 0% 

Bolton, 0% 

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, 0% 

Bracknell Forest, 0%  

Bradford, 1%  

Brent, 0% 

Brighton and Hove, 0% 

Bristol, 2% 

Bromley, 0% 

Buckinghamshire, 0% 

Bury, 0% 

Calderdale, 0% 

Cambridgeshire, 1%  

Camden, 0% 

Central Bedfordshire, 1% 

Cheshire East, 0% 

Cheshire West and Chester, 1% 

City of London, 0% 

Cornwall, 1%  

Coventry, 0%  

Croydon, 0%  

Cumberland, 0% 

Darlington, 0% 

Derby, 0% 

Derbyshire, 1% 

Devon, 2% 

Doncaster, 0% 

Dorset, 1% 

Dudley, 0% 

Durham, 0% 

Ealing, 0% 

East Riding of Yorkshire, 0%  

East Sussex, 1% 

Enfield, 0% 

Essex, 5% 

Gateshead, 0% 

Gloucestershire, 2%  

Greenwich, 1% 

Hackney, 0% 

Halton, 0% 

Hammersmith and Fulham, 0% 

Hampshire, 5% 

Haringey, 2%  

Harrow, 0% 

Hartlepool, 0% 

Havering, 0% 

Herefordshire, 0% 

Hertfordshire,3% 

Hillingdon, 1% 

Hounslow, 0% 

Isle of Wight, 0% 

Isles Of Scilly, 0% 

Islington, 0% 

Kensington and Chelsea, 0% 

Kent, 4% 

Kingston upon Hull, 0%  

Kingston upon Thames, 0% 

Kirklees, 1% 

Knowsley, 0%  

Lambeth, 0%  

Lancashire, 2% 

Leeds, 2% 

Leicester, 0%  

Leicestershire, 1% 

Lewisham, 0% 

Lincolnshire, 2% 

Liverpool, 0%  

Luton, 2% 

Manchester, 0% 

Medway, 0% 

Merton, 0% 

Middlesbrough, 0% 

Milton Keynes, 0% 

Newcastle upon Tyne, 0% 

Newham, 0%  

Norfolk, 2% 

North East Lincolnshire, 0%  

North Lincolnshire, 1% 

North Northamptonshire, 1% 

North Somerset, 0%  

North Tyneside, 0% 

North Yorkshire, 1%  

Northumberland, 0% 

Nottingham, 0% 

Nottinghamshire, 2% 

Oldham, 0% 

Oxfordshire, 3% 

Peterborough, 2% 

Plymouth, 0%  

Portsmouth, 0% 

Reading, 0% 

Redbridge, 0% 

Redcar and Cleveland, 0% 

Richmond upon Thames, 0% 

Rochdale, 0%  

Rotherham, 0% 

Rutland, 0% 

Salford, 0% 

Sandwell, 0%  

Sefton, 0% 

Sheffield, 1%  

Shropshire, 1% 

Slough, 0% 

Solihull, 0% 

Somerset, 1% 

South Gloucestershire, 1% 

South Tyneside, 0% 

Southampton, 0% 

Southend on Sea, 1% 

Southwark, 0% 

St Helens, 0%  

Staffordshire, 2% 

Stockport, 1% 

Stockton-on-Tees, 0% 

Stoke-on-Trent, 0%  

Suffolk, 2% 

Sunderland, 0% 

Surrey, 2% 

Sutton, 0% 

Swindon, 0% 

Tameside, 0% 

Telford and Wrekin, 0% 

Thurrock, 0%  

Torbay , 0% 

Tower Hamlets, 0%  

Trafford, 0%  

Wakefield, 0% 

Walsall, 0% 

Waltham Forest, 0%  

Wandsworth, 1%  

Warrington, 0% 

Warwickshire, 2% 

West Berkshire, 0%  

West Northamptonshire, 1% 

West Sussex, 2% 

Westminster, 0% 

Westmorland and Furness, 1% 

Wigan, 0% 

Wiltshire, 2% 

Windsor and Maidenhead, 0% 

Wirral, 1% 

Wokingham, 0% 

Wolverhampton, 0% 

Worcestershire, 1% 

York, 1% 

 

The following three questions received limited responses

Were you aware that your local authority is taking part in a trial recruitment incentive scheme where new early years recruits and those returning to the sector are eligible for a £1,000 tax-free cash payment?  

Yes, 71% 

No, 29% 

 

As far as you are aware, have you received any information from your local authority about this scheme?  

Yes, 69% 

No, 31% 

 

Has this £1,000 incentive payment been awarded to any new starters at your setting?  

Yes, 8% 

No, 83% 

Unsure, 8%  

 

How easy or difficult is your setting / are your settings finding it to hire suitable new early years staff at the moment?  

Very difficult, 48% 

Quite difficult, 30% 

Neither easy nor difficult, 20% 

Quite easy, 2% 

Very easy, 0% 

 

What challenges, if any, are you facing? Please select all that apply.  

Lack of applicants for roles, 69% 

Applicants not showing up for interview, 40% 

Applicants lacking full and relevant early years qualifications, 65% 

Applicants lacking suitable practical experience, 42% 

Applicants not performing well at interview, 22% 

Unable to meet the salary demands of applicants, 50%  

Unable to offer pattern of working hours applicants want, 30%  

N/A - not facing any challenges, 9% 

Other (please specify in the comment box below), 5% 

 

Is your setting currently recruiting for any roles? If your organisation operates across more than one site, please base your response on one representative setting.  

Yes, 50% 

No, 50% 

 

How many roles are you currently recruiting for? If your organisation operates across more than one site, please base your response on one setting. Please enter your answer as a number e.g. if you are recruiting for three roles, please type 3. 

Average: 2 

 

 As far as you are aware, have any staff who have left your setting(s) in the past six months left the early years sector entirely?  

Yes, 61% 

No, 27% 

Unsure, 12% 

 

As far as you are aware, what were the most common reasons for former staff at your setting(s) leaving the sector? Please select all that apply.  

Poor pay, 73% 

Poor benefits (e.g. sick pay), 36% 

Long working hours, 28% 

Lack of career progression, 16% 

Difficulty balancing work and their own childcare needs, 29% 

Job-related stress, 49% 

Feeling undervalued within the setting, 17% 

Feeling undervalued by government, 46% 

Feeling that staffing shortages are compromising ability to deliver quality care and education, 34% 

Better opportunities in another sector, 54% 

Unsure, 2% 

Other (please specify), 10%  

 

Are you seeing a change in the number of staff members choosing to leave the early years sector compared to this time two years ago?  

Yes, a significant increase, 50% 

Yes, a moderate increase, 22% 

Yes, a slight increase, 10% 

No, it’s about the same, 13% 

No, a slight decrease, 1%  

No, a moderate decrease, 0%  

No, a significant decrease, 0%  

N/A - was not operating / working in the sector two years ago, 1%  

Unsure, 2%  

 

Over the past six months, has your setting / have your settings ever had to use bank/agency staff due to a lack of permanent staff?  

Yes, all the time, 13% 

Yes, often. 17% 

Yes, sometimes, 13% 

Yes, rarely, 4% 

No, never, 53% 

 

How does your setting's or settings' current reliance on bank/agency staff compare to this time two years ago?  

Significantly higher, 35% 

Somewhat higher, 38% 

About the same, 20% 

Somewhat lower, 2% 

Significantly lower, 2% 

N/A - was not operating / working in the sector two years ago, 2% 

 

What kind of impact is your setting’s or settings’ increased reliance on bank/agency staff having on setting finances?  

Significantly negative impact on finances, 38% 

Somewhat negative impact on finances, 31% 

Somewhat positive impact on finances, 2% 

Significant positive impact on finances, 1% 

No impact on finances, 13% 

Unsure, 15%  

 

 Looking back over the past six months, what is the highest proportion of bank/agency staff you have had working at your setting at any one time? Please give your answer as a percentage of overall staff numbers. For example, if at one point, 25% of all staff working at the setting were bank/agency staff, please enter 25. 

Average: 17 

 

Over the past six months, has your setting / have your settings ever tried to use bank/agency staff, but been unable to due to lack of bank/agency staff availability?  

Yes, all the time, 6%  

Yes, often, 24% 

Yes, sometimes, 34% 

Yes, rarely, 14% 

No, never, 22% 

 

Over the past six months, how many times has your setting had to do any of the following due to a lack of adequate staff? If you operate more than one setting, please enter the average number of times each of the below has happened across your settings over the past six months. 

	Average number
Temporarily limit the number of children able to attend the setting on a particular day or days	4
Temporarily close a room or multiple rooms	2
Temporarily close the entire setting	0
Reduce or otherwise restrict opening hours	2

 

 

Over the past six months, has your setting / have any of your settings ever had to reduce or otherwise restrict opening hours as a result of lack of adequate staff?  

Yes, 17% 

No, 83% 

 

Over the past six months, has your setting / have your settings ever had to limit or stop taking on new children due to lack of sufficient staff?  

Yes, 50% 

No, 50%  

 

Do you think that any staff shortages you have experienced over the last six months have had a negative impact on the quality of provision at your setting(s)?  

Yes, 51% 

No, 25% 

N/A – I / we have not experienced any staff shortages, 24% 

 

Looking ahead, how optimistic do you feel that your setting(s) will have sufficient staff in 12 months’ time?  

Very optimistic, 7% 

Somewhat optimistic, 25% 

Neither optimistic nor pessimistic, 27% 

Somewhat pessimistic, 30% 

Very pessimistic, 12% 

 

In your opinion, how likely is it that a lack of adequate staff will result in your setting(s), or any rooms in your setting(s), being forced to close temporarily over the next 12 months?  

Very likely, 7% 

Somewhat likely, 19% 

Neither likely nor unlikely, 28% 

Somewhat unlikely, 20% 

Very unlikely, 26% 

 

In your opinion, how likely is it that a lack of adequate staff will result in your setting / any of your settings being forced to close permanently over the next 12 months?  

Very likely, 3% 

Somewhat likely, 9%  

Neither likely nor unlikely, 27% 

Somewhat unlikely, 23% 

Very unlikely, 39% 

 

Are you currently considering leaving the early years sector?  

I have already left, 2% 

Yes, I have already confirmed that I will be leaving, 4% 

Yes, I am actively considering leaving, 37% 

No, I have considered it but I don’t think I will leave, 42% 

No, I have never considered leaving, 16% 

 

Why are you considering leaving the sector? Please select all that apply.  

Better opportunities in another sector, 31% 

Poor pay, 63% 

Poor benefits (e.g. sick pay), 43%  

Long working hours, 42% 

Lack of career progression, 12% 

Difficulty balancing work and own childcare needs, 13%  

Job-related stress, 68% 

Feeling undervalued within the setting, 28% 

Feeling undervalued by government, 75%  

Feeling that staffing shortages are compromising ability to deliver quality care and education, 47% 

Unsure, 0% 

Other (please specify), 22%  

 

What changes, if any, would make you more likely to remain in the early years sector? 

Better pay, 80%  

Better benefits, 53% 

Better work/life balance, 47% 

Fewer administrative tasks, 40% 

Better career progression, 19% 

More support to meet own childcare needs, 12% 

More mental health and wellbeing support, 33%  

Feel more valued within the setting, 32%  

Feeling more valued by government, 82% 

Other (please specify), 17%  

 

Were you aware that earlier this year, the Department for Education launched a new early years recruitment campaign (‘Do Something Big, Work With Small Children’)?  

Yes, and I have seen or heard one or more adverts/posters for the campaign, 52% 

Yes, but I haven’t seen or heard any adverts/posters for the campaign, 28% 

No, 20% 

 

Since February 2024 (when the campaign launched), have you noticed an increase in the number of applications for early years roles at your setting or settings?  

Yes, a significant increase, 0% 

Yes, a moderate increase, 0% 

Yes, a slight increase, 4% 

No, no change, 68% 

No, a decrease, 9% 

Unsure, 3% 

We have not advertised any early years roles since February, 16%