Nursery nurses have traditionally been seen as the poor relations of the children's workforce, receiving neither the pay, status, nor public recognition of their counterparts in health, teaching or social services.
Often, talented and ambitious practitioners have found the only career path available led them away from the sector. But at long last the demand for structure is being addressed, thanks to a series of developments propelled by Government policy, and particularly the Children's Workforce Strategy.
Last year the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) was launched to drive forward the strategy. CWDC's specific aim is to improve the lives of children and young people by ensuring that those working with them have the best possible training, qualifications, support and advice.
Where to now?
The lack of an early years career path was raised at the recent Nursery World conference by Jane Simons, head of Hungerford Nursery School in Berkshire. She says, 'I wanted to know if there was a national agenda for getting parity for nursery nurses on pay and conditions with teaching assistants and for developing a career structure for early years staff.
'We are supposed to be working towards a workforce that encompasses health, education and social services, and there needs to be parity across the three.'
Ms Simons points to the differences between the career paths of teaching assistants and nursery nurses. 'Teaching assistants now have four pay levels. Nursery nurses get an increment over their first five years and then they reach the top and get nothing more, regardless of their experience and responsibilities. If they undertake further training, personal and professional development they do not get any recognition for it.'
She adds, 'One of my staff is doing a senior practitioner foundation degree. When she completes it, what am I going to do? I would like to be able to pay her another 1,000 to 2,000 a year. While I would like to reward my nursery nurses for the extra responsibility they take, I can't because of budget restrictions.'
Sara Garrity and two of her staff at the Sunshine Corner Neighbourhood Nursery and Out of School Club in Aylesham, Kent, are taking foundation degrees through the Open University.
'People do foundation degrees and you lose them,' she says. 'They go into teaching. Working for Kent County Council, they get better pay; they get sick pay, not just statutory sick pay; they get a good pension scheme and there is a career path.'
Integrated framework
At the CWDC Pauline Jones, national development manager, early years, believes it is vital to improve the pay, status and profile of childcare workers so they can progress within their chosen field. 'The Children's Workforce Strategy recognises that even in comparison with other workers in the children's workforce, early years staff are more lowly paid and more lowly qualified. This has to change,' she says.
The Government is to publish responses to its Workforce Strategy consultation shortly and the CWDC is working closely with the DfES to identify the next steps.
Clearly a career pathway for all those working in childcare, including nursery nurses, has to be established. Ms Jones says, 'We need to put in place a framework of qualifications to support this, but it also needs to mesh with the integrated qualifications framework for the children's workforce as a whole.'
While the sector awaits developments on the national scene, inspired leadership by the heads of nursery schools and of settings at local level is fuelling the creation of in-house career ladders.
Head teachers are capitalising on changes in the school routine, such as the introduction of protected time for teachers for Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA), while early years managers are using the challenges of creating children's centres to delegate responsibilities.
'Starting this term with the new PPA time, the nursery nurses are managing in place of the teachers,' says Ann Barker, head of Tanglewood Nursery School in Chelmsford.
'I think it might be quite a positive move. It gives them the opportunity to take on more responsibility. They are enjoying it and are beginning to get the bit between their teeth.'
Ms Baker thinks nursery nurses have had a rough deal, but by filling in with the PPA time they will be able to earn incremental rises. 'Hopefully, as with teachers, we will be able to create performance management targets, which carry increments,' she says.
'My intention is to look at where they can have additional responsibilities so they can contribute added value to the school. It could be managing the library, helping me manage health and safety, or taking responsibility for first aid.'
She adds, 'This will be rewarded financially and I am hoping to build in targets for the staff to achieve. In this way nursery nurses can grow their role.'
Self-motivated to stay at nursery
* Debbie Kenchington, a nursery nurse at Hungerford Nursery School, is studying for an early childhood studies foundation degree at Abingdon-Witney College, which will give her senior practitioner status.
She says, 'I have been a qualified nursery nurse for four years. Before that I worked as a learning support assistant for ten years at Hungerford Primary School.
'In September I started the two-year Foundation Degree. It is going to benefit me personally, which will benefit my nursery, but I don't think there is any financial reward. I could go on and do a teaching qualification but that would be another couple of years. That was my first thought, but having gone to the college, I am having a think about it.
'I am going to wait and see what opportunities arise. What I don't want to do is take a teaching qualification and find I have to move jobs.
'I don't want to work in a primary school. I like the learning through play in the nursery, rather than having the children sitting down at tables.
'The nursery nurses here are very involved in the children's progress. When I was working in the school I was just doing what the teacher told me. I had no input.
'Jane, the head teacher here, encourages us to do further training. She realised I was getting to the stage when I needed to do something more. I need to keep myself motivated.'
Debbie adds, 'There is a lot of study involved, and a lot of reading, but you really see the solid reasons for the things we do.'