Joint research by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) with the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found that while many staff initially pursued a career in the sector because of a love for early years education, many are now leaving due to low pay, lack of recognition, and the emotional and physical demands of the job.
The study is based on in-depth interviews with early years professionals to trace their professional journey.
It also found that ‘high quality’ practitioners see early years as a ‘back-up’ to Reception or primary stage and calls for early years pay to be matched with that of primary teachers.
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