Turning Point? report

The Alliance has published a new report shining a light on the recruitment and retention challenges facing the early years sector.

provides a comprehensive analysis of the results of an Alliance survey of early educators, conducted earlier this year, which found that:

78% of respondents were finding it difficult to recruit suitable new early years staff
50% had had to limit or stop taking on new children due to a lack of sufficient staff over the six months prior to the survey
51% of those who had experienced staffing shortages over the previous six months said that it had had a negative impact on quality.
37% were actively considering leaving the early years sector

In response to the findings, the Alliance is calling on the government to:

Determine and publish a set of pay ambitions for the early years sector in England, underpinned by adequate early years funding that accurately reflects all delivery costs
Ensure that the early years is consistently recognised and valued as an education profession
Ensure there are clear and consistent routes into – and pathways through – the sector, alongside funded training and CPD opportunities,
Prioritise the quality of care and education delivered by early years settings when rolling out new policies
Make clear its commitment to PVI nurseries, pre-schools and childminders as part of a mixed early years market

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:

“The figures and experiences in this report show we have nothing short of a sector-wide crisis on our hands.

"We know that educators are deeply passionate and committed to providing high-quality education and care, but, as our findings show, the reality of working in the early years is taking its toll. Many spoke of a career that – while deeply rewarding – is often tainted by the severe obstacles they face, including high workloads, ever-changing guidance and working long days on low pay. Should it really come as a surprise then, that so many are leaving the workforce completely?

“If that wasn’t worrying enough, the impact of these ongoing staffing challenges on the sector overall should set alarm bells ringing. Not only are most settings struggling to recruit and retain staff but this has forced many providers to reduce hours and places at a time when demand for early years provision has never been higher.

“Yet, while this report makes for a difficult read, we hope it also makes clear that this crisis isn’t impossible to resolve. The recommendations included – ranging from setting and funding pay increases, ensuring career pathways and the inclusion of the sector in wider policy - set out clear steps to tackle longstanding challenges and demonstrate that working in early education is both an incredibly rewarding and highly-respected career choice.

“What’s clear, however, is that if the government is truly as serious about the early years as it says it is, it must act quickly – and meaningfully – to address the sector’s acute staffing crisis. As our report shows, it is fast reaching a point of no return.”

Resources for you

(Publication)

Join the fight for early years funding - an Alliance toolkit of resources to support early years providers with their local lobbying and campaigning efforts