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 discussions she has had with representatives of the early years sector on measures, in addition to recruitment bonuses, to improve recruitment and retention.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change.
Early years teacher recognition payments form part of a wider programme to attract and retain early years teachers. The department is significantly increasing the number of funded training places on the early years initial teacher training courses over three years, as well as uplifting funding for providers. We are introducing a new degree apprenticeship route to help more people become early years teachers, with an employer support grant available to deliver this.
On 18 June, we launched the ‘Shaping the future of early years teaching’ consultation. This sets out proposals to reform how early years teachers are trained and supported, with the aim of strengthening training quality and consistency and raising the status of early years teachers across all settings.
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