Supporting schools to maximise nursery and breakfast club funding

Recruiting and retaining qualified staff in the early years sector has been challenging for many years. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue. There is not enough qualified staff to meet the demand for nursery places. The shortage has led to higher workloads for those who remain, which can lead to burnout and staff turnover. 

Many nursery staff leave the sector due to low pay, challenging conditions, and a lack of professional development. This makes it difficult to maintain a stable and experienced workforce. This is costly for nurseries, as they must spend time and money recruiting and training new staff. Training and professional development opportunities help attract and retain staff. This can include funded training programmes.  

Staffing is a problem for most clubs. Most are run by school staff (paid extra for it) including special educational needs coordinators, classroom assistants, and after-school club leaders.  

Teaching Personnel can support schools in delivering these initiatives. With over 30,000 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) specialists, we have lots of experience in staffing nurseries and breakfast clubs. Our EYFS professionals meet the needs of young learners and can be deployed across schools. They provide essential flexibility and expertise. We take pride in our vetting process and ensure staff are passionate about early years education. 

There are seven early years courses available. These include:

1. Early Years Practitioner (EYP) Apprenticeship Level 2 

• Ideal for Nursery Practitioner, Classroom Assistant, or Pre-school Practitioner 
  
• No previous experience or qualifications needed

2. Early Years Educator (EYE) Apprenticeship Level 3 

• Progress to an Early Years Educator, Nursery Teaching Assistant, Nursery Nurse, or Supervisor 
  
• Counts towards the staff: child ratio 
  

3. Early Years Lead Practitioner (EYLP) Apprenticeship Level 5 

• Higher level programme for Lead Practitioners who lead a room or supervise staff 
  

4. Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) 

• Funded programme for graduates with a degree in any subject 
  
• Awards Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) 
  
• Full-time and part-time availability 
  

5. National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) 

• For managers of PVI settings or Head Teachers with nursery provision. 
  

6. Early Years SENCO (EY SENCO) Level 3 

• 4-month online qualification
  
• 100% funded by the Department for Education, places are limited to 1 per setting 
  

7. Playworker Apprenticeship Level 2  

• Up to 100% funded by the Apprenticeship Levy 
• Focuses on child-led, adventurous play environments 
  
• Teaches legal and safety standards in playwork 
  

Science-backed training is designed to nurture social and emotional development in the early years. It empowers practitioners to create emotionally healthy environments for young children. Courses include:

By partnering with Teaching Personnel, schools can access a robust supply of skilled Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) staff alongside innovative training programmes to unlock the full potential of these new government initiatives. Together, we can ensure every child has access to high-quality early education and the support they need to thrive.