NDNA welcomes DfE action to boost graduate early years teachers in disadvantaged communities
NDNA has welcomed the Department for Education’s latest measures to strengthen the early years workforce, including a new £4,500 annual bonus for qualified nursery teachers in disadvantaged communities, the expansion of nursery excellence hubs and new school-nursery partnership grants.
The package is designed to help nurseries recruit and retain qualified staff in areas where children could benefit most and settings face the greatest workforce challenges.
While the support payments are welcome, the organisation has highlighted that more needs to be done to address workforce pay through the funding rates as well as a wider workforce strategy.
Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of NDNA, said:
“The quality of children’s early education and care relies almost entirely on the hard work and commitment of the adults who surround them. Parents are always children’s first educators, followed by the professionals who offer them diverse, rich learning experiences to open up a horizon of possibilities.
“For years, government funding – specifically underfunding – has impacted the ability of private, voluntary and independent providers to recruit and retain the staff they need. It is vital that the Government is taking steps to help redress this. The fact that the bonus is annual should help address retention concerns about an initial programme that was just a golden hello.
“NDNA has long fought for early years educators to have the same status as school teachers, so we welcome the consultation into status and low pay. This is the single biggest reason why nurseries struggle to recruit and retain. However, nurseries are unable to pay more currently due to the constraints of government-funding rates so increases in pay would need to be reflected in funding rates to make this possible.
“We welcome the new school-nursery partnership grants. Our recent research showed that only 11% of private and voluntary nurseries had good engagement with their local schools. Supporting children together to transition from nursery to school can make a huge difference to their life chances and future education.
“We also look forward to more detail about the nursery excellence hubs, to ensure these are fully inclusive of all types of provider and benefit all those who need them.”
The first wave launches today in 10 areas: Sandwell, Middlesbrough, Tameside, Rochdale, Bolton, Hartlepool, Rotherham, Dudley, Luton and Barking and Dagenham. It will be expanding to 30 communities later this year.
Alongside the bonus, new partnership grants will for the first time fund nurseries, childminders and schools to work together. Staff will be able to visit each other’s settings, share teaching approaches and build close relationships with families to build children’s confidence.
The expanded list of areas:
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sheffield
- Wakefield
- Warrington
- Lancashire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Lincolnshire
- Leicestershire
- Peterborough
- Hertfordshire
- Cornwall
- Wiltshire
- Hampshire
- Harrow
- Westminster
- Hillingdon
- England
- Department for Education
- DfE
- early years
- NDNA
- nurseries
- Nursery
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