Today we’ve published a new practice review that maps the landscape of professional development (PD) and support programmes available to the early years sector in England.
Led by CooperGibson Research, the review draws on the experiences of nearly 500 early years leaders and setting managers through an online survey and in-depth interviews.
A PD programme is a package of support that helps educators to make changes to their teaching or support for children in their care, with the aim of improving children’s learning outcomes. Access to high-quality PD is essential to delivering excellent early education and supporting children’s learning and development, particularly for those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who stand to gain the most.
Ensuring all early years settings can access effective, evidence-informed PD opportunities is key to improving the quality of education and care, closing the disadvantage gap and helping every child get the best start in life.
So what does this new report tell us?
- Most settings are already engaging with professional development. The vast majority of early years leaders and managers in our sample (83%) reported that they, or other early years practitioners from their setting, took part in at least one PD programme over the past year, highlighting a strong appetite for continued learning across the sector.
- A small number of national programmes are the most commonly accessed. When provided with a list of 49 key national programmes identified in the mapping part of the review, more than a quarter (26%) of respondents reported that they or other colleagues in their setting have engaged with the Early Years Professional Development ProgrammeA programme is a package of support, including professional development, that helps early years educators to improve particular areas of practice and children’s outcomes. in the last year. A further one in five (20%) accessed the Level 3 Early Years SENCO programme. Both of these programmes were previously funded as part of the Government’s Early Years Education Recovery programme in response to the pandemic.
- Communication and language is the most common focus of programmes currently accessed by settings. Those surveyed for the report said that outside of the national programmes they were asked about in the survey, the most frequent PD themes they or others in their setting engaged with were child communication and language (83%), personal, social and emotional development (62%), and early literacy (54%). Interestingly, when asked about the future PD needs for their setting, the most common themes cited were self-regulation and executive functionSelf-regulation and executive function include a range of skills and abilities that give children greater awareness of and control over their emotions, thoughts and actions. (68%) and mental health and wellbeing of children (58%).
- Childminders risk being left out. The mapping of available programmes revealed that childminders are far less frequently considered in the targeting and design of PD programmes. Only five of the 160 programmes identified as part of the review explicitly mentioned targeting childminders on their websites. This raises concerns about equitable access to relevant PD opportunities for this important part of the workforce.
- Improving children’s outcomes is the top motivation for PD. The most cited reason for taking part in PD was to improve children’s outcomes (88%). Other frequently mentioned motivations included developing specific skills or knowledge (68%) and meeting the needs of individual children (65%).
- Budget constraints are the biggest cited barrier. Despite clear demand, the most commonly reported barrier to accessing PD was a lack of budget, cited by 68% of respondents. Time (56%) and staffing constraints, including securing cover (58%), were also key challenges that limited participation.
The review offers valuable insights into the current PD landscape for early years practitioners in England. While it’s encouraging to see strong engagement and recognition of the value of PD, the findings also highlight areas that need attention to unlock its full potential. In particular, there’s a need to ensure high quality PD is accessible to all types of settings, and that financial barriers don’t prevent staff from accessing the development they need to deliver high-quality early education.
In our recent Guide to the Early Years Pupil Premium, we highlighted the potential for EYPP funding to support professional development. Yet the review shows that only 11% of settings reported using EYPP in this way over the past year. With the increase in funding available through the EYPP, it holds the potential to help more settings invest in staff development.
The EEF is currently working with settings across England to evaluate a number of promising early years programmes, such as Early Talk Boost and Mastering Number. These programmes are either heavily subsidised or fully funded, making them a low-cost option for settings. By taking part, settings not only access high-quality professional development, but also contribute to building the evidence base for what works in early education.
Evidence and resources
Mapping professional development and support programmes in the early years sector
Take part in a Early Years Project
Explore the opportunities open to your setting and register your interest