Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of staff in early years education.

In the 2023 Spring Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the largest ever investment in childcare in England. Following this announcement, we will work closely with the sector to develop a plan to grow and develop the workforce.

The department is providing a package of training, qualifications, expert guidance, and targeted support for the early years sector to focus on the development of the youngest and most disadvantaged children and help to address existing recruitment and retention challenges. We are funding a range of programmes, including additional funding for graduate level specialist training leading to early years teacher status and an accredited level 3 early years special education needs coordinator qualification.