Pre-school Education: Teachers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled £4,500 bonus to attract graduate teachers to deprived nurseries, published on 11 June 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of one-off recruitment payments in improving workforce retention in the early years sector.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The early years teacher recognition payment scheme is not just to recruit new early years teachers. It is also designed to boost retention by recognising talented and experienced early years teachers who are already part of the workforce. The department knows that the turnover rates of all staff in private, voluntary and independent group-based settings is 14%. The payments are part of the government’s long-term ambition to grow and strengthen the early years workforce.
The government already offers similar payments for eligible school and further education teachers, and findings from other similar projects, such as phased maths bursaries, suggests they can support the scheme’s aims.
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