£4,500 bonus bid to recruit more qualified nursery staff

It is hoped the move – which will benefit ten of the country’s most deprived communities including Middlesbrough – will also help more families access their funded childcare entitlement – worth up to £8,000 a year – by giving nurseries the qualified staff they need to open more places.

A Government spokesperson said: “Fewer than one-in-10 nursery staff currently hold a graduate teaching qualification – yet evidence shows that the more highly qualified the staff, the better the outcomes for children.

“The extra cash bonus will help recruit and retain the best teachers in the communities that need them most, raising the quality of teaching for every child who walks through the door.”

They added: “The first wave has been launched in ten areas with expansion to 30 communities later this year. Areas were selected based on deprivation, teacher shortages and school readiness levels. Just 58 per cent of children in the most deprived communities reach the desired level of development by the end of reception, compared to 77 per cent in the least deprived areas.

“This targeted scheme puts more qualified staff into the communities that have been left behind – levelling the playing field for every child”.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Every child deserves the best teachers, with the best tools at their disposal, to give them the very best start in life.

“These measures will help nurseries attract and keep more qualified staff — so they can deliver the funded childcare that saves families up to £8,000 a year in the communities that need it most.”

She added: “Alongside the bonus, new partnership grants will for the first time fund nurseries, childminders, and schools to formally work together.

“Staff will be able to visit each other’s settings, share teaching approaches and build stronger links with families so children arrive at school confident and ready.”