Nursery World - Nursery nurses backed by heads

An association of headteachers and early years advisors has made a heartfelt plea for better pay and conditions for nursery nurses. A leaflet published by the West Midlands Early Years Professional Development Group, entitled The Invisible Professionals - Nursery nurses deserve to be recognised, called for 'an end to the current unacceptable levels of exploitation'. The group said they want nursery nurses to have a proper career structure, and recognition for the additional responsibilities that most have been given.

A leaflet published by the West Midlands Early Years Professional Development Group, entitled The Invisible Professionals - Nursery nurses deserve to be recognised, called for 'an end to the current unacceptable levels of exploitation'. The group said they want nursery nurses to have a proper career structure, and recognition for the additional responsibilities that most have been given.

They called for nursery nurses to have a salary structure that rewards different levels of responsibility and involvement, and an optional threshold assessment to reward and recognise experience. The leaflet also said nursery nurses needed a new job title that recognised their qualifications and their role as educators. It stressed that not all nursery nurses want to become teachers, but called for greater access to further training for nursery nurses who do want to gain qualified teacher status.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included