Findings from a survey of 1,500 people working in the early years sector, reveal that over a fifth (22 per cent) ‘frequently’ find their workload ‘too much’.
Half (49 per cent) of respondents reported that their workload has caused them ‘frequent stress’ in the past year, and a further 11 per cent reported work causing them ‘constant stress’.
The survey, which was carried out by online learning journal and management system, Tapestry, covered the following: workload, ratios, professional support and community, and the perception of early years.
Key findings include:
- Over a fifth (22 per cent) reported that they frequently found their workload was ‘too much’.
- Two fifths (40 per cent) said their workload was ‘occasionally too much’.
- Half of respondents (51 per cent) felt the relaxation of ratios to 1:5 would not be ‘workable’.
- Almost three fifths (59 per cent) believe there is poor recognition about the value of early years education.
- For over half (54 per cent), describing early years education as ‘free childcare’ devalues it.
- 58 per cent felt that describing early education as ‘just play’ ignored the importance of play in child development.
One respondent said, ‘Since the pandemic we have been struggling constantly with funding and finance challenges, supporting staff wellbeing and morale along with all employment law/HR issues.’
Another said, ‘Due to lack of staffing, which is a major issue, there is no time to learn new practices, do our daily priorities and the pressure from Ofsted is now becoming harder.’
'Providers have no choice but to continually ask practitioners to cover additional hours'.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said that it was not surprised by the findings as the ‘early years sector is at breaking point’.
Its director of quality and training, Stella Ziolkowski, ‘There is an inability to find qualified staff to fill the huge number of vacancies within the sector. Providers have no choice but to continually ask practitioners to cover additional hours to ensure they can support parents within their local communities to work.
‘Should this shortage of childcare practitioners continue, it will contribute a wider societal problem of restricting the national labour supply, through a lack of available childcare.’