Despite the pressures of the last couple of years in relation to the worldwide pandemic, I still find myself as passionate as ever and driven to work towards meeting children’s outcomes.
My humble beginnings within the industry, as a part-time playworker, working towards my level three qualification, all those years ago, allowed me to quickly recognise my natural abilities in and passion for early years education. I was fortunate enough to have had my passion recognised in my early career and in turn encouraged to gain further graduate qualifications, which proved useful as I entered various leadership and management roles.
I reminisce of this time, a time when the industry was blanketed in excitement. There was an adrenaline rush of hope for the industry brought about by the publication of Dame Claire Tickell’s independent review in early 2011, where the learning and development of early years’ practitioners was linked with the impact on children’s development, when the importance of the workforce’s qualifications was under the spotlight again.
With the Government’s focus at this time on creating appropriately trained practitioners there was an aspiration for raising attainment where staff would be ever-resilient through a strong and much-admired graduate-led workforce. A proud and determined workforce continues, committed through research and implementing outstanding quality, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage and Development Matters.
There is still today an enormity of incredibly skilled and talented practitioners that demonstrate an unwavering commitment and dedication to the industry. It still requires a true inspirational teacher to harness and create a sense of wonder for children. Early years practitioners need to ensure they engage and are challenged across the curriculum and beyond, while considering the plethora of pedagogies emerging and considering how to offer a hybrid variety.
The role of an early years practitioner is like no other, with no two days ever the same, from being transported to Narnia in the morning and by evening to be sitting in a yurt in the garden with a torch, giggling and looking at star formations. The attributes required to carry out such responsibility are hugely under-rated and we need to once again celebrate this vocation, as there are great possibilities to make a real difference.
However, it is no secret that the sector has been impacted by the recent staff shortages, with the long-awaited Brexit decision and more recently Covid, taking the political stage and the growing disruption to childcare appears to be impacting many providers across the country.
Our national group of nurseries at Storal Learning has been no exception. Despite recognising highs and lows across the pandemic, where recruitment picked up at times, it has still been tough filling roles across all our nurseries. At Storal Learning we are putting an even greater focus now on initiatives to retain our practitioners such as bespoke learning and development programmes, wellbeing activities and simply ensuring we keep the strong sense of community at each of our settings and not over-burdening existing teams.
The revised EYFS, published in September, focusses on the need to reduce workload in addition to the development of children towards their school age. This was a well-received notion, one that traditionally would have been a welcome change to the previous data-driven outcomes. Practitioners have rejoiced in the recent delivery of the curriculum where they can spend more quality time with their key children. However, the regular need to juggle the legal ratio requirements with permanent and casual staff has certainly been taxing at times with the strain of absenteeism.
Nursery managers have continually strived to think 'outside the box’ regarding recruitment, considering ways to attract a future workforce. I have recently attended Weston College, to speak to young student cohorts regarding their future aspirations within the early years sector. I was pleased with both the size of the cohort and the interest in wanting to join the industry, that I am both proud and a long-serving advocate for. It felt refreshing to see the inspirational lecture rooms they occupy and to offer placements, mentoring and career advice to the future practitioner assisting in igniting their passion.
Although we need some time to recover as a nation, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the early year’s industry staff shortage is not only about attracting the best people, we have a huge responsibility now to continue to grow them and support them.
We should be building on what has been a tremendously rewarding career for me and so many others. I have had the fortune to have worked with and currently still do. It is a privilege to be able to connect with young adults as they embark on their studies to join the sector. To be able to inspire them by pointing out the rewards, of seeing a child achieve for life, is a gift and far outweighs the often-immediate gratification of a desk job. It is with this strong desire and understanding of the sector, with focus on meeting every child’s outcomes, that will ever be prevalent, despite how many setbacks the industry may accrue.