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Early years recruitment stalls, qualified staff numbers remain low – NFER

Provider survey data estimated that the workforce only grew by 600 between 2024 and 2025. 

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Early years recruitment has slowed, raising worries over the Government’s plan to find 35,000 extra staff for free childcare, according to analysis from the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER).

The Department for Education expected the workforce to grow by 35,000 between December 2023 and September 2025 to keep up with the new entitlement. 

Research by NFER found that staff numbers rose by nearly 20,000 between 2023 and 2024, putting the sector on track for the new entitlement. 

However, provider survey data estimated that the workforce only grew by 600 between 2024 and 2025. 

The Early Years Workforce in England Annual Report 2026 report by NFER, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found a strong link between staff with higher qualifications and better quality provision and outcomes for children. 

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A quarter of the workforce had qualifications at level 4 or above, while a significant number still held level 2 or below. 

This included 15% of staff in school-based settings, 20% in group-based providers, and 24% of childminders.

The report recommended the Government to look at regulations, training and a pay structure that rewards higher qualifications. 

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Jack Worth, education workforce lead at NFER, said: “It is important to acknowledge that meeting recruitment needs isn’t just about hitting the targets. 

“To ensure that children receive the best start in life, more must be done to encourage those with higher levels of qualifications to enter the sector and stay, and provide opportunities for all staff to progress their careers.”

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Emily Tanner, education programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said: “Parents need access to childcare that they can trust, and which provides high quality early learning. 

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“Tackling the issues that prevent the early years workforce from both growing in size and developing the skills needed to offer the best possible support for children will be key to making the entitlement as beneficial as possible for families.”

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