Community has warned the Department for Education that it is living in an alternative reality by suggesting that its early years expansion programme in England is on track.
Despite the Education Secretary’s claims last week that the government’s plan is working, figures from the department suggest that around 85,000 additional early years places will be needed by September next year.
Most early years providers have not been able to increase the number of places they have on offer – in large part due to a shortage of staff. Analysis from the Labour Party shows that the number of childcare staff has increased by less than 5% over the last five years. On the current trajectory of recruitment, the government would fail to meet its target of 40,000 childcare staff until 2035.
Martin Hodge, Community’s Head of Education Policy, commented:
“The DFE’s early years expansion plan began to unravel almost as soon as it was announced. Government ministers trumpeting their scheme as a success – a claim which flies in the face of all reliable evidence – is an insult to the many parents across England who are still unable to find a place for their child, and the thousands of hard-pressed early years staff who are holding together a creaking system.
“As we’ve said before, the elephant in the room here is the recruitment and retention crisis in the sector – something this government has done nothing meaningful to address.
“This is why we launched our Early Years Charter earlier this year, to raise the profile of our essential Early Years Workforce, to improve their pay and conditions and to recruit more workers into the sector.
“Until we get an adequate investment in the workforce, and an uplift to the low wages which are such a barrier to attracting new staff to the sector, it’s unlikely that the situation will improve.
“Once again, this is a government pledge with no clear plan to deliver it. Families across the country and our members in the sector deserve much better, which is why we fully support Labour’s plan for a wide-ranging review of the sector led by Sir David Bell.”
You can read more on Community’s Early Years Charter here: https://community-tu.org/campaigns/early-years-charter/
Community is the union for education and early years professionals: representing teachers, headteachers, education, school support staff and early years staff. With over fifty years’ experience, we represent members and campaign to improve conditions for education and early years professionals. We are a modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world.
If you are a member of Community and need advice or support, please contact our Service Centre at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2025
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