Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many early years recruits received the sign-on bonus launched in 2024.

The department is supporting the sector to attract talented new staff to join the workforce, as well as encourage skilled and qualified staff to return to early years roles by creating conditions for improved recruitment.

The department has been running a pilot that tests whether offering an incentive payment would increase recruitment levels in 20 local authorities. New starters in early years settings, and those returning to the sector, were required to have started in an eligible provider and meet certain eligibility criteria in one of these local authorities in order to receive a £1,000 payment.

Delivery on the scheme ended in March 2025. Data on the number of recruits receiving financial incentives will be included in the evaluation report, which will be published in due course.