Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address workforce shortages in early years settings arising from restrictions on the deployment of Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices.

The Best Start in Life Strategy lays the foundation for long-term improvements to recruitment and retention in the early years sector. Initiatives to improve recruitment and retention include the ‘Do something BIG’ recruitment campaign, financial incentives, a new early years teacher degree apprenticeship, an assessment-only route to achieve a level 3 qualification and operational flexibilities for childminders. Shorter-duration apprenticeships also launched from August 2025, which will mean apprentices will be able to train up more quickly where that is appropriate.

The government has also introduced an experience-based route for early years staff. This route allows suitable and experienced early years staff without an approved qualification to be included in the staff: child ratios at level 3, following successful completion of a period of supervised practice in an early years setting, recognising that staff members with the right experience and knowledge can offer a great deal to the care and education of young children.