Parents demand Government U-turn to avert childcare recruitment “catastrophe”
— New poll shows more than seven in 10 parents disagree with GCSE policy – as almost half of nurseries say they are struggling to recruit —
Parents have backed nurseries and childcare organisations in calling for the Government to reverse a controversial policy having a “catastrophic impact” on recruitment.
The Save Our Early Years campaign launched last week, calling on the Government to axe a requirement that Level 3 Early Years Educators can only count in the ratios if they have GCSEs at C or better in English and maths – with alternative qualifications, such as Functional Skills, no longer accepted.
Campaigners say that Education Secretary Nicky Morgan should reinstate Functional Skills as a suitable alternative because it not only provides the good level of English and maths required for practitioners, but also the soft skills so essential to deliver high-quality childcare.
And today a new poll by independent polling company ComRes reveals that more than seven in 10 British parents agree that qualifications in English and maths that equip learners with practical skills should be accepted as an alternative to GCSEs for Level 3 early years educators. A further six in 10 say the policy could exclude potential recruits who may be well-suited to the sector.
The survey underlines the damage being done to childcare recruitment by the Government’s entry requirements for early years educators – with the number of early years educators progressing to Level 3 plummeting by 70%, and almost half of nurseries (43%) say they are struggling to fill vacancies – and piles the pressure on Nicky Morgan and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah to change the policy (see notes to editors for statistics).
The Save Our Early Years campaign is backed by numerous organisations from the sector including CACHE, the Pre-School Learning Alliance, the National Day Nurseries Association, PACEY, daynurseries.co.uk, the London Early Years Foundation, the Childcare Company, the Voice union, and Parenta, as well as nursery managers, practitioners and parents.
The ComRes poll found that:
72% of parents agree that qualifications in English and maths that also equip learners with practical skills in these areas should be accepted as an alternative to GCSEs for Level 3 Early Years Educators
62% of parents agree that requiring Level 3 Early Years Educators to have at least a C in GCSE English and maths could exclude potential applicants who may be well suited to the role
68% of parents agree that young people wanting to complete an apprenticeship with an Early Years provider should be allowed to do so without GCSEs at C or higher in both English and maths provided they have equivalent qualifications in these subjects
68% of parents agree that the Government should treat childcare and healthcare the same when it comes to the qualifications rules that allow people to work in the sector
75% of parents agree that it is right that there are qualifications standards in place for Level 3 early years educators.
Julie Hyde, the Executive Director of CACHE, said:
“The message from parents is loud and clear – they want childcare workers to have good English and maths but they understand that GCSEs are not the be-all and end-all. Other qualifications in these subjects, that also require soft skills, are ideal qualifications for childcare workers as they are already accepted for a number of other professions.
“The GCSE requirement is turning away potentially outstanding childcare practitioners and providers are no longer able to recruit enough staff. This is catastrophic for the sector, for nurseries up and down the country, and for parents who will be short of high-quality provision for their children – and we urge the Government to reinstate Functional Skills as an alternative before it is too late.
“Childcare is the only sector where Functional Skills are not allowed. If they are accepted for other sectors, they should be accepted for the childcare sector. We simply want a level playing field.”
Liz Bayram, the Chief Executive of PACEY (the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years), said:
“Feedback from our members has shown that the current requirement for Level 3 Early Years Educators to hold GCSEs in both maths and English is creating an additional barrier to Early Years students entering the profession.
“We are also hearing how Level 2 practitioners already working in the sector are being restricted from progressing and fulfilling their potential. Many organisations and settings are now finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the appropriately qualified staff they need to maintain the staff ratios required by regulation.
“A number of other professions and vocations accept Functional Skills as equivalents, and PACEY is calling for this approach to be applied to the early years sector.”
Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:
“There is no doubt that young children should be cared for by, and their learning supported by, literate and numerate practitioners. The question: do people need to have GCSEs to demonstrate these skills? We don’t believe they do, especially when so many other employment sectors are happy and able to accept functional skills qualifications as evidence of literacy and numeracy.
“At a time when the government is preparing to double the free entitlement for three- and four-year-olds, we simply cannot afford to be blocking smart, eager and passionate potential practitioners from joining the sector, just because they don’t have the right type of qualification.”
Councillor Nick Small, Assistant Mayor of Liverpool and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Skills, said:
“Liverpool is an aspirational city. We want the best for our young children and learners of all ages. We appreciate the good intentions behind the new requirements for maths and English GCSE and share the Government’s vision to upskill early years education – but Functional Skills are as important as GCSEs in this profession, and high-quality childcare is proven to have been delivered to date by staff who may not have GCSEs. As a direct consequence of the GCSE-only policy, the availability of affordable, accessible quality childcare, that supports working parents and seeking employment, is in jeopardy. The Government must review this matter.”
Sue Learner, Editor of daynurseries.co.uk said:
“We are very worried about the impact this policy is having on nurseries in terms of recruitment and staff morale, particularly with the 30 hours free childcare offer on the horizon. There are very able childcare practitioners with years of experience on a Level 2 who are being prevented from progressing in their career.
“Of course it is vital pre-school children are cared for by practitioners with a good level of Maths and English as they play a crucial role in their education and development. However Functional Skills is a tried and tested route and gives practitioners practical skills and teaches them strategies to engage with children and spark a lifelong interest in numeracy and literacy. We want the Government to rethink this narrow-minded policy.”
Carol Medcalf, is the Managing Director of Carol Jane Montessori Nursery School, in Enfield, which was named South of England nursery of year last year by the National Day Nurseries Association. She said:
“I strongly feel, and this is backed up by experience, that the GCSE requirement, especially in maths, is a huge barrier for many wonderful staff entering the profession, and they become unemployable, which is crazy.
“I have been in this business for almost 30 years and had my own nursery for 25. Most nursery practitioners have a great deal of common sense and are incredibly caring and bright. Those are the attributes, alongside good literacy and numeracy, that really matter in our profession. I myself do not have maths GCSE yet I have run a highly respected, multi-award winning, Ofsted outstanding nursery for over 25 years, and I manage to get the business figures right.
“There has already been a drop in the numbers of applicants choosing Level 3 in childcare and this will only get worse.”
Lindsay McCurdy, Chief Executive of Apprenticeships 4 England, said:
“The policy is also causing a recruitment crisis in childcare settings. There is a growing body of evidence that nurseries are simply no longer able to find the people they need – at a time when recruits are needed more than ever – because people are not coming through the system. New nurseries are needed, and are opening, to meet the demand caused by the ever increasing number of working parents and the 30 hours a week free childcare promise – both in themselves very positive developments, of course – but now almost half of all settings are reporting they cannot find the Level 3 practitioners required to work in them. And that is in turn leaving parents with reduced childcare choices.”
Joy Scadden, the owner of Sunny Day Nurseries and training provider Side by Side Training in Dorset, said:
“This is having a devastating effect on the numbers of Level 3 learners and apprentices – our training centre has seen a 50% decrease in numbers this year and I am experiencing difficulties recruiting Level 3 qualified staff. Excellent Level 2 learners are being put off from progressing to Level 3 because of the GCSE requirement – it is likely that they will now be lost to the sector forever.
“Early Years is a care profession – and academic ability in English and maths does not guarantee a good quality Early Years practitioner. Functional Skills are much more suitable than GCSEs – they provide strong practical skills and the requisite standards of English and maths.”