Where Small Data Grows up
Early years settings in England face a simple math problem. Most government-funded early education and childcare places are underfunded, particularly those for three- and four-year olds, making it nearly impossible for providers to raise wages without increasing fees or cutting quality. Let’s break it down: 1️⃣ Funding doesn’t match delivery costsThe DfE’s own data (e.g. the …
Continue reading "Why higher funding is the cornerstone of a sustainable early years sector"
Staff turnover in early years settings isn’t just high — it’s chronic. Each year, 18% - 20% of the early years workforce in England leaves the sector entirely. That’s one in five educators walking away from a profession that supports children at the most sensitive stage of development. The reasons are familiar: low pay, limited progression opportunities, lack of …
Continue reading "1 in 5 early years educators leave every year"
We have heard it before: early years educators in England are low paid and undervalued. We usually discuss their pay in terms of hourly wage, but let’s look at this like with every other profession: by annual salary. A graduate working full time in a nursery typically earns a starting salary of around £27,000 a year. …
Continue reading "Degree-qualified early educators earn the same as dog walkers"
In July 2024, I embarked on an exciting collaboration with Dr Mona Sakr and Kayla Halls at Middlesex University on a Nuffield-funded research project examining the baby room in England. The project, titled Achieving high-quality provision in the baby room of English nurseries, aims to kick start a much needed conversation around what quality provision looks …
I've been pondering for a while about which topic to prioritize on this website. Then I realized, instead of overthinking, I should just start with something familiar. And what’s more familiar than your family’s language? Like many families, we speak more than one language at home: English and Italian. I learned other languages later in …
Sara Bonetti Research 