Posted on by Sara

A profession without guaranteed training: Why CPD matters in early years

In most professions, continuous professional development (CPD) isn’t an optional extra — it’s an expectation. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, and engineers all have established systems that ensure ongoing learning as part of their role.

But in England’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, this basic entitlement is missing. For many early educators, CPD is sporadic, underfunded and often disconnected from career progression. The result? A workforce that is expected to deliver quality education and care — without being consistently supported to grow in their professional practice.

Evidence from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows just how fragile CPD access is for early years educators:

  • The percentage of ECEC workers receiving job-related training in the three months before fell from over 40% in 2008–10 to just 35.9% in 2018.
  • That decline reflects a worrying long-term trend: CPD is becoming less common at the very moment when the workforce faces mounting pressures around quality, staffing, and retention.

In many settings, CPD is reduced to compliance training: safeguarding refreshers, paediatric first aid, or mandatory updates. These are essential — but they don’t foster professional growth or long-term career development.

Put simply, CPD is not guaranteed. Many educators rely on ad hoc courses, short compliance modules, or voluntary self-funding to access learning opportunities.

A tale of two professions

The contrast with teaching is striking.

  • Newly qualified teachers benefit from the Early Career Framework (ECF): a two-year structured induction, protected mentor time, and funded training.
  • Career pathways are underpinned by National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), providing routes into leadership and specialist expertise.
  • Retention is stronger as a result: 89% of teachers remain in post after one year.

In early years, by comparison, no equivalent framework exists. The absence of systemic CPD signals that the profession is undervalued, despite its critical role in children’s learning and development.

Why this matters

Without guaranteed CPD:

  • Staff start and stay in survival mode, without the time or tools to grow.
  • Educators plateau, which increases the risk of burnout and attrition.
  • Employers miss opportunities to build leadership, specialisation, and expertise within their teams.

Ultimately, children’s outcomes are directly linked to the expertise of their educators. By neglecting CPD, we are neglecting children’s right to high-quality early education.

What needs to change

If we want to strengthen the early years workforce, CPD can’t remain optional. We need:

  • A standard entitlement to CPD time, built into contracts and funded at the system level.
  • Dedicated funding streams to support ongoing professional learning, not just compliance.
  • Clearer links between CPD, career progression, and advancement pathways.

Other countries have shown this is possible. England could follow suit — but only if we treat CPD as a workplace investment, not a personal luxury.

Sources

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