Progress stalled in achieving a degree-led workforce, figures suggest

The findings from the latest Childcare and Early Years Survey reveal just 11 per cent of staff in 'group-based settings' hold a Level 6 qualification, up from 10 per cent two years prior, the last time the survey was published.

At the same time, the number of childcare practitioners has fallen, with 15,600 fewer employees than in 2019, according to the statistics.

Senior managers in nurseries were most likely to be qualified to degree-level, it found.

In maintained nursery schools, 24 per cent of staff were qualified to degree-level.

According to the data, the proportion of staff in nurseries qualified to at least Level 3, 80 per cent, is similar now to 2019.

Among childminders, 9 per cent were qualified to Level 6, a similar proportion to 2019. Just under-three quarters were qualified to at least Level 3.

More than 50 per cent of private nurseries said they employed apprentices. There were an estimated 17,400 apprentices working in group-based provider settings, and 1,300 working in school-based provider settings.

Diversity

The survey also finds a lack of diversity in the workforce, including a lack of ethnic minorities and male employees.

It reveals that 82 per cent of staff working in nurseries are white British and similar proportions for school-based providers and childminders.

According to the data, just 5 per cent of staff in nurseries are ‘white other’ and 6 per cent Asian.

Only 5 per cent of childminders that responded to the survey said they were black.

The DfE figures also show, as in previous years, that the majority of the workforce is female.

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said it was ‘concerned about diversity in the early years workforce’.

Chief executive Purnima Tanuku explained, ‘More work needs to be done to get under-represented groups into childcare. It is important for their development that children are cared for and educated by people who represent society in general.’

Wages

Looking at the wages of early years staff, the survey finds almost a fifth of employees aged 23 and over working in nurseries received less than the National Living Wage (NLW), set at £8.91 per hour. Among childminder assistants, almost half earned less than the NLW.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said, ‘It's notable that much of this data underlines the severe impact of the recruitment and retention challenges facing the sector, as highlighted in our recent Breaking Point report. 

'Despite the overall number of early years places staying broadly level nationally since 2019, this data shows a substantial decline in the overall number of early years staff over the same period. Is it any wonder that so many early educators warn of being stretched far too thinly to provide the quality care and education that each child needs and deserves?

‘We know that low pay is a key contributor to the recruitment and retention crisis and so it is particularly concerning that so much of the early years workforce remains in receipt of close to - or in some cases, less than - the minimum or living wage.

‘If the Government is to have any hope of tackling this incredibly worrying trend, it needs to completely overhaul how it values and treats the early years workforce. That means, first and foremost, funding the sector at a level that ensures all early educators get paid a wage that reflects the pivotal importance of their role, both now and in the future.’